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Article THE CANADIAN MOVEMENT. ← Page 5 of 11 →
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The Canadian Movement.
Grand Lodges all comparativelyof yesterday , and all formed in this , and in no other manner . " With what show of reason , then , can we discard this acknowledged principle and practice ? England , Scotland , Ireland , assumed it , and the Grand Lodges of the United States have followed out the assumption . What decent apology can we give for attempting to discard it now , only because our northern Brethren have followed in the common path ?
" Nice distinctions have been drawn , and all kinds of contrasts and comparisons invoked , to show differences between the case of the Independent Grand Lodge of Canada and all antecedent precedents . I have been unable , thus far , so far to stultify my own intellect as to appreciate them as proving distinctions in principle . Two , or a dozen * sets of faets ^ rnay fall within the fair application of the same
principle , though , in many respects , variant from each other , It requires none of the subtle logic of special pleading to make this obvious to every unprejudiced and clear-minded man ; but when a set of facts , having no common analogy whatever with another set of facts , are drawn into a controversy , and made the basis of an argument , those who rely upon them ought at least to be able to show their assimilation , as bearing upon the principle they are relied on to sustain .
"The Canadian Masonic action of the 10 th of October , 1855 , has , in some quarters , been treated as analogous to the various Masonic revolutions in the State of New York . To rny own coiiceptions no analogy was ever more absurd . Had England experienced a division of her own Grand Lodge , by revolutionary means , on the soil of England , at home , the cases would have some resemblance
to each other ; but they have no more resemblance of revolution now than the formation of the last Grand Lodge of Michigan—by Lodges holding warrants from the Grand Lodge of New York : — -has of revolutionary action towards that State . Michigan had the right to go alone when she was Masonically and constitutionally strong enough , on w ell recognized principles ' -. as Vermont had , and many other States , and as they did without exception from any quarter .
"And precisely with as much propriety might Massachusetts , with her two warranted Lodges in Vermont in 1794 ; New York with the same number , and England itself with its one granted through its Provincial Grand Master of Lower Canada , declare the Grand Lodge which those subordinate Lodges formed , to be un-Masonic and revolutionary , as they may now make such an assertion as to the Independent Grand Lodge of Canada . ix Until it be proved—which it has not been , and cannot be—that the constitutions and charges of Edwin transmitted to us some ' ancient land-mark / recognizing
Grand Lodges in their present manner of formation , and recognizing also the powers now claimed by the Grand Lodge of England and its supporters , as wellestablished portions of legitimate ancient Masonic law and right , it is worse than idle to maintain , in the face of the Masonic usage * and precedent of the last one hundred and forty years , that a competent body of regular Lodges existing in a state or territory where there is no independent Grand Lodge , have not the right to form one . If they have not , it is more than doubtful whether there is a legitimate Grand Ijodge on the continent of North America .
"I , have thus far treated this important question as Masonic history , principle , and usage bear upon it ; and I most sincerely regret that it was not placed upon this sole ground from the beginning . Broadly sustainable as it is here , it needed no other argument to contribute any additional support . Still , there are other facts connected with the Independent Grand Lodge of Canada , which cannot be forgotten , and ought not to be forgotten , in considering the subject . "The Masons of Canada were , to a large extent , men whose birth-places were abroad . Their Lodges existed by power derived from abroad . The sympathies
of their members were largely with their mother-country across the ocean , and this natural and honourable feeling was all-powerful with them to prevent any rashness or disrespect towards those foreign Masonic jurisdictions to which they acknowledged allegiance . Knowing and feeling the inconveniences of their position , the neglect of their wants , and the denial of their just rights , they submitted to years of humble complaint , of brotherly solicitation , of manly petitioning , and of mild remonstrance , and they submitted in vain . No kind response , no appro-TOL . III . 2 M
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Canadian Movement.
Grand Lodges all comparativelyof yesterday , and all formed in this , and in no other manner . " With what show of reason , then , can we discard this acknowledged principle and practice ? England , Scotland , Ireland , assumed it , and the Grand Lodges of the United States have followed out the assumption . What decent apology can we give for attempting to discard it now , only because our northern Brethren have followed in the common path ?
" Nice distinctions have been drawn , and all kinds of contrasts and comparisons invoked , to show differences between the case of the Independent Grand Lodge of Canada and all antecedent precedents . I have been unable , thus far , so far to stultify my own intellect as to appreciate them as proving distinctions in principle . Two , or a dozen * sets of faets ^ rnay fall within the fair application of the same
principle , though , in many respects , variant from each other , It requires none of the subtle logic of special pleading to make this obvious to every unprejudiced and clear-minded man ; but when a set of facts , having no common analogy whatever with another set of facts , are drawn into a controversy , and made the basis of an argument , those who rely upon them ought at least to be able to show their assimilation , as bearing upon the principle they are relied on to sustain .
"The Canadian Masonic action of the 10 th of October , 1855 , has , in some quarters , been treated as analogous to the various Masonic revolutions in the State of New York . To rny own coiiceptions no analogy was ever more absurd . Had England experienced a division of her own Grand Lodge , by revolutionary means , on the soil of England , at home , the cases would have some resemblance
to each other ; but they have no more resemblance of revolution now than the formation of the last Grand Lodge of Michigan—by Lodges holding warrants from the Grand Lodge of New York : — -has of revolutionary action towards that State . Michigan had the right to go alone when she was Masonically and constitutionally strong enough , on w ell recognized principles ' -. as Vermont had , and many other States , and as they did without exception from any quarter .
"And precisely with as much propriety might Massachusetts , with her two warranted Lodges in Vermont in 1794 ; New York with the same number , and England itself with its one granted through its Provincial Grand Master of Lower Canada , declare the Grand Lodge which those subordinate Lodges formed , to be un-Masonic and revolutionary , as they may now make such an assertion as to the Independent Grand Lodge of Canada . ix Until it be proved—which it has not been , and cannot be—that the constitutions and charges of Edwin transmitted to us some ' ancient land-mark / recognizing
Grand Lodges in their present manner of formation , and recognizing also the powers now claimed by the Grand Lodge of England and its supporters , as wellestablished portions of legitimate ancient Masonic law and right , it is worse than idle to maintain , in the face of the Masonic usage * and precedent of the last one hundred and forty years , that a competent body of regular Lodges existing in a state or territory where there is no independent Grand Lodge , have not the right to form one . If they have not , it is more than doubtful whether there is a legitimate Grand Ijodge on the continent of North America .
"I , have thus far treated this important question as Masonic history , principle , and usage bear upon it ; and I most sincerely regret that it was not placed upon this sole ground from the beginning . Broadly sustainable as it is here , it needed no other argument to contribute any additional support . Still , there are other facts connected with the Independent Grand Lodge of Canada , which cannot be forgotten , and ought not to be forgotten , in considering the subject . "The Masons of Canada were , to a large extent , men whose birth-places were abroad . Their Lodges existed by power derived from abroad . The sympathies
of their members were largely with their mother-country across the ocean , and this natural and honourable feeling was all-powerful with them to prevent any rashness or disrespect towards those foreign Masonic jurisdictions to which they acknowledged allegiance . Knowing and feeling the inconveniences of their position , the neglect of their wants , and the denial of their just rights , they submitted to years of humble complaint , of brotherly solicitation , of manly petitioning , and of mild remonstrance , and they submitted in vain . No kind response , no appro-TOL . III . 2 M