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Article THE CANADIAN MOVEMENT. ← Page 7 of 11 →
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The Canadian Movement.
between a Grand Lodge and its subordinates existing in a single state or territory , and a Grand Lodge and its subordinates existing in different countries , thousands of miles apart , and separated by an ocean . I think I can appreciate the existence of a very clear distinction between the difficulties of a few years ago with „ : the Grand Lodge of New York and a portion of her subordinate Lodges , and of those existing in 1855 befcween the Grand Lodge of England and her subordinate Lodges in Canada . In the first ease , the disaffectedLodges , in the outset , formed a part
of the Grand Lodge of New York . They were represented upon its floor , with as full privileges as to being heard as their associates ; and , if injured , with the undoubted right of renewing the consideration of the subject-matters of difference , from time to time , and of labouring to bring the majority to their views , and of convincing them by fact and argument , if they could . Thus situated , they preferred secession , and formed a new Grand Lodge for themselves . This was revolutionary beyond , doubt , and so has the Masonic world at large almost unanimously decided . But there is no fair parallel to this state of things in the case of Canada .
The subordinate Lodges of Canada had no representation in the Grand Lodge of England . They were in a state of complete and absolute dependence and pupilage . They could only appear at the door of that Grand Lodge as humble suppliants for their rights by written petition , without a single voice of their own upon its tesselated pavement to sustain and enforce their supplications . Their prayers of years were unheeded , their solicitations scorned , their injuries unredressed , and even their money taken from them without acknowledgment or notice . Are these cases analagous ? It would be the most palpable and wicked mendacity to say so . "Wrongs , such as I have named , could not be borne for ever . They left the
Canadian Lodges but a single alternative , —either to give up Masonry wholly and entirely , or to raise an independent Masonic standard , The impassable point had been reached ; the last drop of the cup of forbearance had been drained ; andunwilling to be forced from the privileges and enjoyments of the Order—they made the selection of honourable independence , and appealed to the justice of a worldwide Masonry for sanction and brotherhood . This , in my judgment , was not revolution but the exercise of a proper , necessary , and j ast right ; and the Masonic world will so decide , unless it is prepared to hold that there is not , in any case whatever , a remedy for Masonic oppression .
¦ U pon both grounds then , my Brethren , as I view this subject—of the tnhcrent right of every state , territory , or country , to establish a Grand Lodge of its own , and the right of a country holding its Masonry from a foreign source , to make a severance for unmitigated oppression—I maintain , that the independent Grand Lodge of Canada , established at Hamilton on the 10 th day of October , 1 . 855 , is legitimately and masonically established , and is entitled justly and of right to tbe sanction , countenance , and support of all the Grand Lodges in the world ;
"Within a few days after the Masonic action of the forty-one Lodges at Hamilton , the then Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New York seems , evidently , to have become alarmed . Before the infant Grand Lodge of Canada was fairly invested with its swaddling-clothes , he appears perfectly prepared to strangle it in its cradle . Seven days only were suffered to pass before ho stigmatized many as good , men and worthy Masons as the world can elsewhere boast of , as being guilty of Masonic ' rebellion / and then sounded the old atabal alarm of ' rebellion' at home . Without taking the trouble to
distinguish between Canadian and New York ' rebellion , lie seized upon the matter—a petitio princiyvii assimilated the two unlike cases by a single dash of pen—raised from their quiet graves the long laid skeletons of ' heresy and schism , ' looked anxiously across the Atlantic to the long withheld patronizing smile winch had a few years past almost emblazoned tlie waves of old ocean in its passage i
from London to New York , and concluded that it would bo the height of ingratitude' to England to anything less than proscribe the new and independent 01 rand Lodge of Canada . The same panic alarm seized upon his Committee of Foreign Correspondence in June following . Leo the Tenth and the Cardinals of the Vatican could hardly have been more alarmed at the appearance of the new dogmas of Luther , The shadows of 'heresy and schism' triumphed , and glorious
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Canadian Movement.
between a Grand Lodge and its subordinates existing in a single state or territory , and a Grand Lodge and its subordinates existing in different countries , thousands of miles apart , and separated by an ocean . I think I can appreciate the existence of a very clear distinction between the difficulties of a few years ago with „ : the Grand Lodge of New York and a portion of her subordinate Lodges , and of those existing in 1855 befcween the Grand Lodge of England and her subordinate Lodges in Canada . In the first ease , the disaffectedLodges , in the outset , formed a part
of the Grand Lodge of New York . They were represented upon its floor , with as full privileges as to being heard as their associates ; and , if injured , with the undoubted right of renewing the consideration of the subject-matters of difference , from time to time , and of labouring to bring the majority to their views , and of convincing them by fact and argument , if they could . Thus situated , they preferred secession , and formed a new Grand Lodge for themselves . This was revolutionary beyond , doubt , and so has the Masonic world at large almost unanimously decided . But there is no fair parallel to this state of things in the case of Canada .
The subordinate Lodges of Canada had no representation in the Grand Lodge of England . They were in a state of complete and absolute dependence and pupilage . They could only appear at the door of that Grand Lodge as humble suppliants for their rights by written petition , without a single voice of their own upon its tesselated pavement to sustain and enforce their supplications . Their prayers of years were unheeded , their solicitations scorned , their injuries unredressed , and even their money taken from them without acknowledgment or notice . Are these cases analagous ? It would be the most palpable and wicked mendacity to say so . "Wrongs , such as I have named , could not be borne for ever . They left the
Canadian Lodges but a single alternative , —either to give up Masonry wholly and entirely , or to raise an independent Masonic standard , The impassable point had been reached ; the last drop of the cup of forbearance had been drained ; andunwilling to be forced from the privileges and enjoyments of the Order—they made the selection of honourable independence , and appealed to the justice of a worldwide Masonry for sanction and brotherhood . This , in my judgment , was not revolution but the exercise of a proper , necessary , and j ast right ; and the Masonic world will so decide , unless it is prepared to hold that there is not , in any case whatever , a remedy for Masonic oppression .
¦ U pon both grounds then , my Brethren , as I view this subject—of the tnhcrent right of every state , territory , or country , to establish a Grand Lodge of its own , and the right of a country holding its Masonry from a foreign source , to make a severance for unmitigated oppression—I maintain , that the independent Grand Lodge of Canada , established at Hamilton on the 10 th day of October , 1 . 855 , is legitimately and masonically established , and is entitled justly and of right to tbe sanction , countenance , and support of all the Grand Lodges in the world ;
"Within a few days after the Masonic action of the forty-one Lodges at Hamilton , the then Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New York seems , evidently , to have become alarmed . Before the infant Grand Lodge of Canada was fairly invested with its swaddling-clothes , he appears perfectly prepared to strangle it in its cradle . Seven days only were suffered to pass before ho stigmatized many as good , men and worthy Masons as the world can elsewhere boast of , as being guilty of Masonic ' rebellion / and then sounded the old atabal alarm of ' rebellion' at home . Without taking the trouble to
distinguish between Canadian and New York ' rebellion , lie seized upon the matter—a petitio princiyvii assimilated the two unlike cases by a single dash of pen—raised from their quiet graves the long laid skeletons of ' heresy and schism , ' looked anxiously across the Atlantic to the long withheld patronizing smile winch had a few years past almost emblazoned tlie waves of old ocean in its passage i
from London to New York , and concluded that it would bo the height of ingratitude' to England to anything less than proscribe the new and independent 01 rand Lodge of Canada . The same panic alarm seized upon his Committee of Foreign Correspondence in June following . Leo the Tenth and the Cardinals of the Vatican could hardly have been more alarmed at the appearance of the new dogmas of Luther , The shadows of 'heresy and schism' triumphed , and glorious