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Article FREEMASONRY IN AMERICA. ← Page 2 of 3 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Freemasonry In America.
in that body , m which expediency conquered all honest feeling and noble of fraternity , and quibbles of illegitimacy conquered truthful statements of right , the best and noblest spirit directing that body , succumbed to the demand of expediency , and recognition was refused . Next ? It
was conceded that Ohio had one of the most respectable bodies of coloured Freemasons , and numerous of any State in the Union . This being so , and the Grand Master in that State of those r . ilouretl
brethren as early as 1870 , having consulted with the writer of this letter ( then editing and publishing the American Freemason , in Cincinatti , ) as to the propriety of seeking foreign recognition , the home article being denied him , he was advised to do so . But circumstances prevented the then success of
such application . These circumstances would also have rendered such recognition valueless , as coming from the European Grand body , approached the Grand Orient of France , for at that time there was a difficulty between that body and tbe Grand
Lodge of Lousiana , and which difficulty or quarrel was made their own by the Grand Lodge of New York , and several other United States Grand Lodges . Time , however , healed these difficulties , and in 1875 the recognition of not one , but all of the Grand Lodges of Coloured Freemasons who should apply for the same to the Grand Lodges of Europe , became probable . In an
act of grace , now was the time for the greater G . L . of Ohio to move—and she did , and as the result , I say , in October , 1875 , a resolution looking to such recognition of the lesser Grand Lodge within her jurisdiction , on no other condition than a change of namewas adopted tounder the
, , rules lie over one year for the consideration of the Lodges composing that Grand Bodv , and which number about 500 . To every Freemason not resident in the United States , and who has kept himself informed as to the movements and effects
of events in that country , the question presents itself . Why should , as the sole condition of their recognition , the greater Grand Lodge of Ohio Freemasons desire to stigmatize a body of men wholly composed of born Americansand now citizens equall
, y with themselves , having a voice in the government of the United States , with the title of African Grand Lodge ? Not one of these men are Africans to extent of
probably not even the third degree of generation . Yet it is but upon this condition , namely , that they will change the title of their governing body to "The African Grand Lodge , " and , pari passu , call themselves Africans , that the greater body will consent to recognise them ! Can such a
request be termed Masonic ? Is it not , rather , highly unmasonic , if the great feature of that which is truly masonic is really recognition of the Fatherhood of God , and , through and by virtue of that Fatherhood , of the Brotherhood of man ?
This lesser Grand Lodge of Freemasons of the State of Ohio has within the past year been recognised by the Grand Orient of France , frankly , simply , and without any condition whatever , while the manifesto of principles subscribed to by all the Grand Lodges of the German Empire , proves that
they are to the least of their number read y and willing to , if they may not be considered already as having recognized , not onl y it , but every other Grand Lodge of coloured Freemasons in America , and the Islands of the sea . The lesser Grand Lodge of Ohio is but one of about twenty-five such Grand
Lodges now in the United States . It is composed , it is true , of coloured men , their colour varying from a pretty dark tint , that might be called black , to white as that oi any white man of dark complexion . In common with the requirements for white
Masons every one of them has a local habitation and visible means of support , and every man of them is a native , I say , of the United States , and now citizens under the Constitution equally with those composing the bod y that proposes they shall , for distinction sake , call themselves " Africans !"
This vote of the greater body of Ohio Freemasons had , I say , under the rules to lie over one year . At the session in October , 1876 , it was therefore taken up , and in opposition to its passage a point of order was raised by the Deputy Grand Master , and under the rules reduced to writing ,
setting forth that this proposed regulation should be treated as an amendment to the Constitution of the Grand Lodge . A discussion ensued , and the Grand Master decided the point of order " out of order . " His decision was appealed from , and , by a yea and nay vote carefull y counted , not sustained , there being 332 yeas to 401 . nays , and subsequently an attempt to submit the
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Freemasonry In America.
in that body , m which expediency conquered all honest feeling and noble of fraternity , and quibbles of illegitimacy conquered truthful statements of right , the best and noblest spirit directing that body , succumbed to the demand of expediency , and recognition was refused . Next ? It
was conceded that Ohio had one of the most respectable bodies of coloured Freemasons , and numerous of any State in the Union . This being so , and the Grand Master in that State of those r . ilouretl
brethren as early as 1870 , having consulted with the writer of this letter ( then editing and publishing the American Freemason , in Cincinatti , ) as to the propriety of seeking foreign recognition , the home article being denied him , he was advised to do so . But circumstances prevented the then success of
such application . These circumstances would also have rendered such recognition valueless , as coming from the European Grand body , approached the Grand Orient of France , for at that time there was a difficulty between that body and tbe Grand
Lodge of Lousiana , and which difficulty or quarrel was made their own by the Grand Lodge of New York , and several other United States Grand Lodges . Time , however , healed these difficulties , and in 1875 the recognition of not one , but all of the Grand Lodges of Coloured Freemasons who should apply for the same to the Grand Lodges of Europe , became probable . In an
act of grace , now was the time for the greater G . L . of Ohio to move—and she did , and as the result , I say , in October , 1875 , a resolution looking to such recognition of the lesser Grand Lodge within her jurisdiction , on no other condition than a change of namewas adopted tounder the
, , rules lie over one year for the consideration of the Lodges composing that Grand Bodv , and which number about 500 . To every Freemason not resident in the United States , and who has kept himself informed as to the movements and effects
of events in that country , the question presents itself . Why should , as the sole condition of their recognition , the greater Grand Lodge of Ohio Freemasons desire to stigmatize a body of men wholly composed of born Americansand now citizens equall
, y with themselves , having a voice in the government of the United States , with the title of African Grand Lodge ? Not one of these men are Africans to extent of
probably not even the third degree of generation . Yet it is but upon this condition , namely , that they will change the title of their governing body to "The African Grand Lodge , " and , pari passu , call themselves Africans , that the greater body will consent to recognise them ! Can such a
request be termed Masonic ? Is it not , rather , highly unmasonic , if the great feature of that which is truly masonic is really recognition of the Fatherhood of God , and , through and by virtue of that Fatherhood , of the Brotherhood of man ?
This lesser Grand Lodge of Freemasons of the State of Ohio has within the past year been recognised by the Grand Orient of France , frankly , simply , and without any condition whatever , while the manifesto of principles subscribed to by all the Grand Lodges of the German Empire , proves that
they are to the least of their number read y and willing to , if they may not be considered already as having recognized , not onl y it , but every other Grand Lodge of coloured Freemasons in America , and the Islands of the sea . The lesser Grand Lodge of Ohio is but one of about twenty-five such Grand
Lodges now in the United States . It is composed , it is true , of coloured men , their colour varying from a pretty dark tint , that might be called black , to white as that oi any white man of dark complexion . In common with the requirements for white
Masons every one of them has a local habitation and visible means of support , and every man of them is a native , I say , of the United States , and now citizens under the Constitution equally with those composing the bod y that proposes they shall , for distinction sake , call themselves " Africans !"
This vote of the greater body of Ohio Freemasons had , I say , under the rules to lie over one year . At the session in October , 1876 , it was therefore taken up , and in opposition to its passage a point of order was raised by the Deputy Grand Master , and under the rules reduced to writing ,
setting forth that this proposed regulation should be treated as an amendment to the Constitution of the Grand Lodge . A discussion ensued , and the Grand Master decided the point of order " out of order . " His decision was appealed from , and , by a yea and nay vote carefull y counted , not sustained , there being 332 yeas to 401 . nays , and subsequently an attempt to submit the