Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
America
At all events , abundant history and legends show that these " two Orders had nothing in common . " ¦¦; -Nay more , that they not only " never sympathized with each other , " but that Templars had not knightly confidence in that Order , and held themselves" far above a Knight of Malta , in courage , devotion to Christian duty , and unspotted and unsullied honour . The Templars had , however , possessed themselves of the secrets of the Knights of Malta , and were careful to communicate
them to every new-made member of their Order . Hence the Order of Malta is not honoured with a name in our revised constitution y but it was explained and understood at Harford , while the revision of the present constitution was under consideration , that each candidate for our Order , on being dubbed and created a Knight of the most valiant and magnanimous Order of Knights Templar , should be instructed in the secrets of a Knight of Malta . That each Templar was entitled to them , and that they would be communicated the same as heretofore ; thus most appropriately conforming to our ^/ ancient Knights Templar . "
It is not my duty or purpose to do other than maintain our constitution of the Grand Encampment as it is , when I make the remark that it would perhaps have been a still closer conformation to the /' systemof ancient Knights Templar , " if that beautiful Order , the Knight of the Red Cross , had not been required as a prerequisite to receiving the Order of a Knight Templar . It is not so required in England ; and the closer we can affiliate with our enlightened Knights Templar
throughout the whole of Christendom and of the world , the better for all . However , as this Order is so pure , so divine in its teaching , so interwoven with our American system , I have been disposed to maintain it in its present position with us ; and to accomplish the more perfect affiliation before alluded to , have opened a correspondence with some of the chief officers of the Grand Conclave of England and Wales , to get them to adopt it as a prerequisite , as we have done .
Another error of much moment has been promulgated by naked assertion , without facts , to which I w ould call your attention . It has been said that the Grand Encampment of the United States had accomplished the purposes for which it was created , and was no longer of use . We have seen , by the work of our fathers , what was the necessity and purpose of organizing the head government in accordance with the most ancient government of the Order ; to found and establish new subordinates , from time to time , in states and territories where they did not exist , and thus to extend the blessings of Christian chivalry over the
whole of the United States ; to supervise all , and to keep them in fraternal relation to one another , and to the chief head of the Order . lathe faithful discharge of that duty , subordinates have been increased , and State Grand Commanderies have been added , all entertaining the most kind and fraternal relations to one another , without one solitary note of discord until after the close of the Grand Encampment of 1856 . At that time the records show that eleven State Grand Commanderies existed , and forty-two subordinates in states and territories wherein there were no State Grand Commanderies . With those individual
subordinates yet to be organized into State Grand bodies ; with a domain of territory still remaining unoccupied , nearly , if not quite , equal to the unoccupied territory that existed at the time of the adoption of the constitution in 1816 , an inquiry is made whether there was any longer use for the legitimate Grand head of the Order ! In three other of the States my warrant has been granted and issued for the formation of State Grand Commanderies , and in another State I have been notified of a like intention , thus making four more that will probably be
represented in our next Grand Conclave or meeting . But with these , then fifteen State Grand Commanderies , more than double , nay , more than treble that number will yet require the paternal and supervisory power to organize and bring them into the fold of the faithful . The larger the number , the greater the necessity of having a chief governmental head over all . Without it , the true " system of
ancient Templars " is at an end . The days of Masonic fealty and Masonic vows would be numbered . Numerous independent ( now subordinate ) governments would arise , with equal rights and fierce determination to exercise power over the new Territories ; conflicting and discordant rules , regulations , and decisions would exist ; collisions of opinion , anything but fraternal , would arise , with no superior to prevent , settle , or harmonize them ; irregular and clandestine Encamp-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
America
At all events , abundant history and legends show that these " two Orders had nothing in common . " ¦¦; -Nay more , that they not only " never sympathized with each other , " but that Templars had not knightly confidence in that Order , and held themselves" far above a Knight of Malta , in courage , devotion to Christian duty , and unspotted and unsullied honour . The Templars had , however , possessed themselves of the secrets of the Knights of Malta , and were careful to communicate
them to every new-made member of their Order . Hence the Order of Malta is not honoured with a name in our revised constitution y but it was explained and understood at Harford , while the revision of the present constitution was under consideration , that each candidate for our Order , on being dubbed and created a Knight of the most valiant and magnanimous Order of Knights Templar , should be instructed in the secrets of a Knight of Malta . That each Templar was entitled to them , and that they would be communicated the same as heretofore ; thus most appropriately conforming to our ^/ ancient Knights Templar . "
It is not my duty or purpose to do other than maintain our constitution of the Grand Encampment as it is , when I make the remark that it would perhaps have been a still closer conformation to the /' systemof ancient Knights Templar , " if that beautiful Order , the Knight of the Red Cross , had not been required as a prerequisite to receiving the Order of a Knight Templar . It is not so required in England ; and the closer we can affiliate with our enlightened Knights Templar
throughout the whole of Christendom and of the world , the better for all . However , as this Order is so pure , so divine in its teaching , so interwoven with our American system , I have been disposed to maintain it in its present position with us ; and to accomplish the more perfect affiliation before alluded to , have opened a correspondence with some of the chief officers of the Grand Conclave of England and Wales , to get them to adopt it as a prerequisite , as we have done .
Another error of much moment has been promulgated by naked assertion , without facts , to which I w ould call your attention . It has been said that the Grand Encampment of the United States had accomplished the purposes for which it was created , and was no longer of use . We have seen , by the work of our fathers , what was the necessity and purpose of organizing the head government in accordance with the most ancient government of the Order ; to found and establish new subordinates , from time to time , in states and territories where they did not exist , and thus to extend the blessings of Christian chivalry over the
whole of the United States ; to supervise all , and to keep them in fraternal relation to one another , and to the chief head of the Order . lathe faithful discharge of that duty , subordinates have been increased , and State Grand Commanderies have been added , all entertaining the most kind and fraternal relations to one another , without one solitary note of discord until after the close of the Grand Encampment of 1856 . At that time the records show that eleven State Grand Commanderies existed , and forty-two subordinates in states and territories wherein there were no State Grand Commanderies . With those individual
subordinates yet to be organized into State Grand bodies ; with a domain of territory still remaining unoccupied , nearly , if not quite , equal to the unoccupied territory that existed at the time of the adoption of the constitution in 1816 , an inquiry is made whether there was any longer use for the legitimate Grand head of the Order ! In three other of the States my warrant has been granted and issued for the formation of State Grand Commanderies , and in another State I have been notified of a like intention , thus making four more that will probably be
represented in our next Grand Conclave or meeting . But with these , then fifteen State Grand Commanderies , more than double , nay , more than treble that number will yet require the paternal and supervisory power to organize and bring them into the fold of the faithful . The larger the number , the greater the necessity of having a chief governmental head over all . Without it , the true " system of
ancient Templars " is at an end . The days of Masonic fealty and Masonic vows would be numbered . Numerous independent ( now subordinate ) governments would arise , with equal rights and fierce determination to exercise power over the new Territories ; conflicting and discordant rules , regulations , and decisions would exist ; collisions of opinion , anything but fraternal , would arise , with no superior to prevent , settle , or harmonize them ; irregular and clandestine Encamp-