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Article PROVINCIAL. ← Page 11 of 15 →
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Provincial.
against any member of the Craft could be allowed to appear . It was some time since when , up on being made acquainted in that room with the existence of the publication , he expressed his anticipation that it was fraught with the utmost mischief and danger to the Craft . From its earliest numbers it displayed an apti * tude for attacks that could not be otherwise than dangerous—and what made it worse was its being conducted by men who were sworn to assist and protect their Brethren . It was no small matter at any time , to be stabbed in the dark , but when the stab was found to come from the hands of those whom you had nourished and
cherished—and who were bound to protect you , it added double poignancy to the wound . He was sure he spoke the feelings of the large majority , if not of all present , when he expressed his utter indignation at such an article having been penned and published . ( Cheers ) . The allegations set forth were so monstrous that it was scarcely credible how they cpuld have entered the mind of any man . Though scandal wouldfind no response in noble mindsj and the base alone could belieye what the base would utter , it was their bounden duty to repudiate such
publications lest they might be misunderstood at a distance , where the noble Brother against whom they were directed was not so well known as he was in this country , the mirror of whose character had never received the slightest stain from the breath of slander . When they found that these attacks did not come from the outer world , but that it was the hand of a Brother Mason that put the pen by which they were written to paper , it was impossible to restrain their indignation . He ¦ was sure they were all indignant , and he felt that not only
the province , but their Lodges , were in some degree affected from circumstances connected with it , by what had taken place . They either were , or they were not , Freemasons . A few months since the Provincial Grand Lodge entertained the Grand Master at their board , and the utmost cordiality was shown towards him . If what they then did was not a sham—if they felt what they then applauded , they were bound now to express their warm confidence in the government of Lord Zetland , and their determination to support him in his authority .
( Cheers ) . He did not know what motive actuated the writer of that article—but they could all determine whether its publication was for the good of the Craft or not—and no man who read the publication could doubt that the writer was one of the bitterest enemies which Masonry ever had . ( Cheers ) . He would not hesitate to say that that , man , whoever he might be , stood before the Craft as its
grossest enemy , and the indignation of nineteen twentieths of the Brethren rested upon his head . ( Cheers ) . He had perhaps spoken warmly , but he had felt bound to express his indignation that any man of talent should be found to prostitute his pen to so base a purpose as that of attacking the character of a nobleman , as high minded and as honourable as any Brother who had ever been placed at the head of the Craft . ( Cheers ) .
Bro . the Jlev . H . A . Pickard , agreeing with what had fallen from the distinguished Brother of the Alfred Lodge who had just been addressing them , would suggest whether , in order to show their feelings more strongly , they could not introduce some word which would add to the force of the censure they intended to convey . The Grand Master had himself denounced the attack as libellous , and he thought that perhaps that word might be introduced into the resolution with advantage . He had no doubt of the purity of the motives by which the Grand Master was
actuated , and they only echoed the opinion of the great body of Masons when they expressed their confidence in his just and impartial rule , and their determination to maintain him in his authority . ( Cheers ) . He had had some experience of Grand Lodge , and had seen the necessity of supporting the authority of the G rand Master . ( Cheers ) . He feared that much of the mischief which had taken place was to bo found embodied in an expression of Bro . Portal , " What is the use of Grand Lodge but for discussion V He could not agree that that was its only use , and he feared that there had been rather too much discussion of late for the interest of
the Craft . If the prevince of Oxford determined to support the Grand Master , it would have great weight with tho Craft and tell to the advantage of Masonry . He would propose to insert the words " and libellous" after " groundless , " so that it would read " That this Prov . Grand Lodge desires to express its sympathy with the M . W . G . M " . under the groundless and libellous attacks recently made , upon him . ( Cheers ) .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Provincial.
against any member of the Craft could be allowed to appear . It was some time since when , up on being made acquainted in that room with the existence of the publication , he expressed his anticipation that it was fraught with the utmost mischief and danger to the Craft . From its earliest numbers it displayed an apti * tude for attacks that could not be otherwise than dangerous—and what made it worse was its being conducted by men who were sworn to assist and protect their Brethren . It was no small matter at any time , to be stabbed in the dark , but when the stab was found to come from the hands of those whom you had nourished and
cherished—and who were bound to protect you , it added double poignancy to the wound . He was sure he spoke the feelings of the large majority , if not of all present , when he expressed his utter indignation at such an article having been penned and published . ( Cheers ) . The allegations set forth were so monstrous that it was scarcely credible how they cpuld have entered the mind of any man . Though scandal wouldfind no response in noble mindsj and the base alone could belieye what the base would utter , it was their bounden duty to repudiate such
publications lest they might be misunderstood at a distance , where the noble Brother against whom they were directed was not so well known as he was in this country , the mirror of whose character had never received the slightest stain from the breath of slander . When they found that these attacks did not come from the outer world , but that it was the hand of a Brother Mason that put the pen by which they were written to paper , it was impossible to restrain their indignation . He ¦ was sure they were all indignant , and he felt that not only
the province , but their Lodges , were in some degree affected from circumstances connected with it , by what had taken place . They either were , or they were not , Freemasons . A few months since the Provincial Grand Lodge entertained the Grand Master at their board , and the utmost cordiality was shown towards him . If what they then did was not a sham—if they felt what they then applauded , they were bound now to express their warm confidence in the government of Lord Zetland , and their determination to support him in his authority .
( Cheers ) . He did not know what motive actuated the writer of that article—but they could all determine whether its publication was for the good of the Craft or not—and no man who read the publication could doubt that the writer was one of the bitterest enemies which Masonry ever had . ( Cheers ) . He would not hesitate to say that that , man , whoever he might be , stood before the Craft as its
grossest enemy , and the indignation of nineteen twentieths of the Brethren rested upon his head . ( Cheers ) . He had perhaps spoken warmly , but he had felt bound to express his indignation that any man of talent should be found to prostitute his pen to so base a purpose as that of attacking the character of a nobleman , as high minded and as honourable as any Brother who had ever been placed at the head of the Craft . ( Cheers ) .
Bro . the Jlev . H . A . Pickard , agreeing with what had fallen from the distinguished Brother of the Alfred Lodge who had just been addressing them , would suggest whether , in order to show their feelings more strongly , they could not introduce some word which would add to the force of the censure they intended to convey . The Grand Master had himself denounced the attack as libellous , and he thought that perhaps that word might be introduced into the resolution with advantage . He had no doubt of the purity of the motives by which the Grand Master was
actuated , and they only echoed the opinion of the great body of Masons when they expressed their confidence in his just and impartial rule , and their determination to maintain him in his authority . ( Cheers ) . He had had some experience of Grand Lodge , and had seen the necessity of supporting the authority of the G rand Master . ( Cheers ) . He feared that much of the mischief which had taken place was to bo found embodied in an expression of Bro . Portal , " What is the use of Grand Lodge but for discussion V He could not agree that that was its only use , and he feared that there had been rather too much discussion of late for the interest of
the Craft . If the prevince of Oxford determined to support the Grand Master , it would have great weight with tho Craft and tell to the advantage of Masonry . He would propose to insert the words " and libellous" after " groundless , " so that it would read " That this Prov . Grand Lodge desires to express its sympathy with the M . W . G . M " . under the groundless and libellous attacks recently made , upon him . ( Cheers ) .