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Article MASONIC AFFAIRS IN CANADA. Page 1 of 11 →
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Masonic Affairs In Canada.
MASONIC AFFAIES IN CANADA .
The following is the document referred to in our first article this week ( in connexion with the unfortunate differences existing in Canada ) , as having been published by Bro . T . Douglas Harington , the late Provincial Grand Master for Quebec and Three Rivers : — " To the Antient and Honourable Ekaternitt of Free and Accepted Masons of Canada .
" My Beethben , —I have received a communication from the M . W . Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England , which he recommends for my and your consideration , and to which I have deemed it a duty to reply . " With . a view of disseminating throughout the province Lord Zetland ' s ideas upon the important question of Masonic independence therein—of pointing out where and in what way , in my opinion , we are neither fairly nor justly treatedand also of endeavouring to bring about what we must all wish for , a firmly cemented union of the Fraternity under one Grand Lodge of Canada—I' have taken upon myself thus to circulate amongst you his Lordship ' s letter and my reply .
" I trust that you will not look upon this as presumption on my part ; but believe that I am actuated by a most earnest desire to have all existing differences of opinion and causes of antagonism removed and consigned to their proper oblivion . To many of you I am personally known , "We must , if our Order is to thrive ' here , form one united body . It is an
undeniable truth that there is a certain amount of anything but brotherly feeling now agitating us ; and unless we are very careful , and do not with all our hearts study to bear and forbear , ' the spark will burst into a flame . I do hope that we may all labour together , remembering the rich and varied lessons inculcated by our institution , and especially the principal step of our Masonic ladder—charity . " 1 remain , your faithful Brother ,
"Toronto , 21 st February , 1858 . "T . Douglas Harington . " Then follows the letter of the Most Worshipful the Grand Master > which has been already printed in our Magazine , of February 24 , at pp . 357 — 359 ; this produced the following reply from Bro . Harington ;— ( l Toronto , Canada , 1 st February , 1858 .
"My Lord and M . W . Brother , —I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your communication dated the 9 th nltimo , accepting my resignation of the offices of Prov . Grand Master and Prov . Grand Superintendent of Quebec , & c ., and entering largely into the present condition of Canadian Masonry . Before I proceed to reply in detail to the various important passages of your Lordship ' s letter , allow me to thank you for the personal kindness and courtesy you have extended to me , and to assure you that the perusal of your letter affected me
deeply , and that whatever may be the result of the present antagonism between Grand Lodge and the Craft here , I shall ever feel grateful to your Lordship as well on my own account , as for the interest manifested and the earnestness evinced by you , in every line of that letter , for the arrangement of the existing Masonic differences . But ! am constrained nevertheless to repeat that my convictions remain unchanged , as to the necessity for self-government here , and that although there may for a
time be ntray Lodges in Canada , hailing as heretofore , the majority of the Craft neither can nor will consent again to acknowledge allegiance to the Grand Lodge of England . Of this I feel assured , and my assertions are endorsed by many excellent and influential Brethren , who , like myself , entertain a warm affectionate regard for the old country , but who cannot shut their eyes to the plain fact , that it is only very recently that the colonies have been looked upon as of so much
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Affairs In Canada.
MASONIC AFFAIES IN CANADA .
The following is the document referred to in our first article this week ( in connexion with the unfortunate differences existing in Canada ) , as having been published by Bro . T . Douglas Harington , the late Provincial Grand Master for Quebec and Three Rivers : — " To the Antient and Honourable Ekaternitt of Free and Accepted Masons of Canada .
" My Beethben , —I have received a communication from the M . W . Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England , which he recommends for my and your consideration , and to which I have deemed it a duty to reply . " With . a view of disseminating throughout the province Lord Zetland ' s ideas upon the important question of Masonic independence therein—of pointing out where and in what way , in my opinion , we are neither fairly nor justly treatedand also of endeavouring to bring about what we must all wish for , a firmly cemented union of the Fraternity under one Grand Lodge of Canada—I' have taken upon myself thus to circulate amongst you his Lordship ' s letter and my reply .
" I trust that you will not look upon this as presumption on my part ; but believe that I am actuated by a most earnest desire to have all existing differences of opinion and causes of antagonism removed and consigned to their proper oblivion . To many of you I am personally known , "We must , if our Order is to thrive ' here , form one united body . It is an
undeniable truth that there is a certain amount of anything but brotherly feeling now agitating us ; and unless we are very careful , and do not with all our hearts study to bear and forbear , ' the spark will burst into a flame . I do hope that we may all labour together , remembering the rich and varied lessons inculcated by our institution , and especially the principal step of our Masonic ladder—charity . " 1 remain , your faithful Brother ,
"Toronto , 21 st February , 1858 . "T . Douglas Harington . " Then follows the letter of the Most Worshipful the Grand Master > which has been already printed in our Magazine , of February 24 , at pp . 357 — 359 ; this produced the following reply from Bro . Harington ;— ( l Toronto , Canada , 1 st February , 1858 .
"My Lord and M . W . Brother , —I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your communication dated the 9 th nltimo , accepting my resignation of the offices of Prov . Grand Master and Prov . Grand Superintendent of Quebec , & c ., and entering largely into the present condition of Canadian Masonry . Before I proceed to reply in detail to the various important passages of your Lordship ' s letter , allow me to thank you for the personal kindness and courtesy you have extended to me , and to assure you that the perusal of your letter affected me
deeply , and that whatever may be the result of the present antagonism between Grand Lodge and the Craft here , I shall ever feel grateful to your Lordship as well on my own account , as for the interest manifested and the earnestness evinced by you , in every line of that letter , for the arrangement of the existing Masonic differences . But ! am constrained nevertheless to repeat that my convictions remain unchanged , as to the necessity for self-government here , and that although there may for a
time be ntray Lodges in Canada , hailing as heretofore , the majority of the Craft neither can nor will consent again to acknowledge allegiance to the Grand Lodge of England . Of this I feel assured , and my assertions are endorsed by many excellent and influential Brethren , who , like myself , entertain a warm affectionate regard for the old country , but who cannot shut their eyes to the plain fact , that it is only very recently that the colonies have been looked upon as of so much