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Article OUR ARCHITECTURAL CHAPTER. ← Page 3 of 4 →
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Our Architectural Chapter.
u L Bro . Architect , these plans having been accepted by the civic authorities and approved by us , Ave return them to you Avith the hope that under your skilful guidance the building may proceed to completion with all due speed and Avithout accident to the workmen , and that it may long remain a monument of your skill and the enterprise of our citizens . ' " National anthem by the band .
" After the ceremonies of laying the corner-stone , the line of march proceeded through Henry-street to Atlantic , Atlantic to Court , and Court to the City-hall , where the military were dismissed . " In these arrangements there are many things to be approved . The ceremonial was orthodox and strictly Masonic , The platform was occupied by the mayor , committee of arrangements of the corporation , builders and architects , and the Masonic fraternity . Except the
necessary officials , no strangers were allowed on the platform , so that the ceremonial could be performed without interruption and with proper respect . The Grand Lodge could not refuse to discharge the duties of consecration when called upon so to do , nor could they entertain any objection to the day selected for the event . We believe the call was a legitimate one , and legitimately answered .
The mode in * which the Grand Lodge proceeded to the armoury and returned from it , is , we think , objectionable , because , although they were there in the discharge of a high and special duty , they formed part of a procession , which it will be seen included what are called the Sons of Malta and the German Turnverein Society . The German
Turnverein . is a High Dutch political union and organization , which , when not interfered Avith by the police , has been in the habit of assembling in Germany for gymnastic exercises ; and in the United States , where the Turnvereins have free action , they are used as means of keeping together the High Dutch voters . Their presence in the celebration , as a distinctive body , would have been unobjectionable to
Masons , had not the Masons been put in juxtaposition with them , and the nature of the association made thereby liable to misconception . In the States , this is more particularly dangerous , because Masonry has only lately emerged from a virulent political persecution , and is by many still regarded as a political association , particularly by the Roman Catholic party—consisting of Irish and High Dutch foreigners —to Avhom Masonry is an abhorrence , and from participation in which they are self-excluded . The consequence is , that Masonry , so far , is
a Know-Nothing institution in their eyes—not because it professes the creed of the Know-Nothings , but because the anti-Know-Nothings cannot belong to it . We think the right course to have been pursued on that occasion , and which should be adopted in all like celebrations ( and Ave
recommend the consideration of it to the Grand Superintendent of Works and other functionaries )—is that the general procession should be an arrangement apart , and that an escort , military or otherwise , should be sent to the Lodge or Masonic hall to meet the Masonic Craft , who should inarch to the place of ceremonial , and return from it , under such escort , We are sure that such an arrangement would be much v 2
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Our Architectural Chapter.
u L Bro . Architect , these plans having been accepted by the civic authorities and approved by us , Ave return them to you Avith the hope that under your skilful guidance the building may proceed to completion with all due speed and Avithout accident to the workmen , and that it may long remain a monument of your skill and the enterprise of our citizens . ' " National anthem by the band .
" After the ceremonies of laying the corner-stone , the line of march proceeded through Henry-street to Atlantic , Atlantic to Court , and Court to the City-hall , where the military were dismissed . " In these arrangements there are many things to be approved . The ceremonial was orthodox and strictly Masonic , The platform was occupied by the mayor , committee of arrangements of the corporation , builders and architects , and the Masonic fraternity . Except the
necessary officials , no strangers were allowed on the platform , so that the ceremonial could be performed without interruption and with proper respect . The Grand Lodge could not refuse to discharge the duties of consecration when called upon so to do , nor could they entertain any objection to the day selected for the event . We believe the call was a legitimate one , and legitimately answered .
The mode in * which the Grand Lodge proceeded to the armoury and returned from it , is , we think , objectionable , because , although they were there in the discharge of a high and special duty , they formed part of a procession , which it will be seen included what are called the Sons of Malta and the German Turnverein Society . The German
Turnverein . is a High Dutch political union and organization , which , when not interfered Avith by the police , has been in the habit of assembling in Germany for gymnastic exercises ; and in the United States , where the Turnvereins have free action , they are used as means of keeping together the High Dutch voters . Their presence in the celebration , as a distinctive body , would have been unobjectionable to
Masons , had not the Masons been put in juxtaposition with them , and the nature of the association made thereby liable to misconception . In the States , this is more particularly dangerous , because Masonry has only lately emerged from a virulent political persecution , and is by many still regarded as a political association , particularly by the Roman Catholic party—consisting of Irish and High Dutch foreigners —to Avhom Masonry is an abhorrence , and from participation in which they are self-excluded . The consequence is , that Masonry , so far , is
a Know-Nothing institution in their eyes—not because it professes the creed of the Know-Nothings , but because the anti-Know-Nothings cannot belong to it . We think the right course to have been pursued on that occasion , and which should be adopted in all like celebrations ( and Ave
recommend the consideration of it to the Grand Superintendent of Works and other functionaries )—is that the general procession should be an arrangement apart , and that an escort , military or otherwise , should be sent to the Lodge or Masonic hall to meet the Masonic Craft , who should inarch to the place of ceremonial , and return from it , under such escort , We are sure that such an arrangement would be much v 2