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Article THE GRAND MASTER AND THE "MASONIC OBSERV... ← Page 2 of 8 →
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The Grand Master And The "Masonic Observ...
candour , will permit the industriously circulated slander of any man ' s good
name to be globed over as a mistake ; " reminding Bro .. Binckes that custom , in this country at least , expects that admission and retractation shall come from him who gives the offence , and not by the hands of any vicarious apologist- —I inquire why , and on whose behalf , does Bro . Binckes admit it ? Doeshe admit it for himself ; or for whom else ? If he be an agent—then of whom ? And in either case , does he think that the Craft will accept as a sufficient atonement for the publication of a most offensive slander that he ( Binckes ) , either in his own or an assumed name , either as principal or
agent , admits it to be a mistake " or an " expression of indiscreet zeal ?" I know of no other , andl submit that there is nothing here deserving the name of admission , either in the person admitting or the thing admitted I proceed to the next matter , and beg your attention to the words of the 44 handsome acknowledgement ; " they are to be found in the leading article of the Masonic Observer , of September 20 th , and are as follows : —
44 The M . W . G . M . has denied in no measured terms the imputation conveyed , in our last number—that politics , rather than the welfare of the Craft , influenced him in the appointment of the principal officers of the Grand Lodge . We humbly accept that denial , and deeply suspicious as are the circumstances attending those appointments , we can no longer doubt but that both we and public opinion have been mistaken upon the point , and that this is but another instance of the weakness of circumstantial evidence . "
Is this a handsome acknowledgement ? Is this such an amende as one man would offer to another in the expectation that it would be accepted ? Let each man put the question to himself—if he himself had been the subject of the slander , is this such an apology as he would expect should be either offered or accepted ? I will not stay to characterize the terms of this so called acknowledgement as it deserves—I will not trouble myself to unmask its artifice—I will not waste my time in pointing out the covert ill
concealed sneer with which the original charge is attempted to be repeated I submit to my Brethren , that to call this an acknowledgement is a miserable mockery of truth—an insult not only to their understandings but to the feelings of him whose honour has been attacked . I am charged by Bro . Binckes with having , in a speech at Ipswich , reached the climax of invective when denouncing his party . I have searched your report in vain to find ground for such a charge . I described the imputation on the Grand Master as " an unfounded , unwarrantable , and wicked
attack * , " and subsequent reflection does not lead me to think that the terms are too strong . I also said that it was but u the refurbishing up of an old lie "—It is . twenty years , or more , since it was first coined . The term , I acknowledge , is a strong one ; and I can only express my regret that it is applicable to the case . Descending from the general to the particular , Bro . Binckes , identifying
me by a phrase , accuses me of a u sickly sycophancy . " Sir , I can only say , that . if my character and actions will not disprove tins charge , 1 can have no hope that any words of mine will effect that object . The Grand Master has not , to my knowledge , within his possession anything which he
conld give or I would receive . I spoke of our Grand Master as I felt ; and , observing the especial care which is taken in the Masonic Observer m general , as well as in the last number , to damn with faint praise " his public utility , and at the risk of again offending , I will say even more , because I think that it is a subject upon which the Craft should be informed . fc' ^ Of the person al character of Lord Zetlan d there arc not two opinions . Even Bro . Binckes describes him as u an estimable aud , illustrious noble-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Grand Master And The "Masonic Observ...
candour , will permit the industriously circulated slander of any man ' s good
name to be globed over as a mistake ; " reminding Bro .. Binckes that custom , in this country at least , expects that admission and retractation shall come from him who gives the offence , and not by the hands of any vicarious apologist- —I inquire why , and on whose behalf , does Bro . Binckes admit it ? Doeshe admit it for himself ; or for whom else ? If he be an agent—then of whom ? And in either case , does he think that the Craft will accept as a sufficient atonement for the publication of a most offensive slander that he ( Binckes ) , either in his own or an assumed name , either as principal or
agent , admits it to be a mistake " or an " expression of indiscreet zeal ?" I know of no other , andl submit that there is nothing here deserving the name of admission , either in the person admitting or the thing admitted I proceed to the next matter , and beg your attention to the words of the 44 handsome acknowledgement ; " they are to be found in the leading article of the Masonic Observer , of September 20 th , and are as follows : —
44 The M . W . G . M . has denied in no measured terms the imputation conveyed , in our last number—that politics , rather than the welfare of the Craft , influenced him in the appointment of the principal officers of the Grand Lodge . We humbly accept that denial , and deeply suspicious as are the circumstances attending those appointments , we can no longer doubt but that both we and public opinion have been mistaken upon the point , and that this is but another instance of the weakness of circumstantial evidence . "
Is this a handsome acknowledgement ? Is this such an amende as one man would offer to another in the expectation that it would be accepted ? Let each man put the question to himself—if he himself had been the subject of the slander , is this such an apology as he would expect should be either offered or accepted ? I will not stay to characterize the terms of this so called acknowledgement as it deserves—I will not trouble myself to unmask its artifice—I will not waste my time in pointing out the covert ill
concealed sneer with which the original charge is attempted to be repeated I submit to my Brethren , that to call this an acknowledgement is a miserable mockery of truth—an insult not only to their understandings but to the feelings of him whose honour has been attacked . I am charged by Bro . Binckes with having , in a speech at Ipswich , reached the climax of invective when denouncing his party . I have searched your report in vain to find ground for such a charge . I described the imputation on the Grand Master as " an unfounded , unwarrantable , and wicked
attack * , " and subsequent reflection does not lead me to think that the terms are too strong . I also said that it was but u the refurbishing up of an old lie "—It is . twenty years , or more , since it was first coined . The term , I acknowledge , is a strong one ; and I can only express my regret that it is applicable to the case . Descending from the general to the particular , Bro . Binckes , identifying
me by a phrase , accuses me of a u sickly sycophancy . " Sir , I can only say , that . if my character and actions will not disprove tins charge , 1 can have no hope that any words of mine will effect that object . The Grand Master has not , to my knowledge , within his possession anything which he
conld give or I would receive . I spoke of our Grand Master as I felt ; and , observing the especial care which is taken in the Masonic Observer m general , as well as in the last number , to damn with faint praise " his public utility , and at the risk of again offending , I will say even more , because I think that it is a subject upon which the Craft should be informed . fc' ^ Of the person al character of Lord Zetlan d there arc not two opinions . Even Bro . Binckes describes him as u an estimable aud , illustrious noble-