The Grand Lodge Of Massachusetts

The Grand Lodge record contains no reference to it , nor was there any record kept of the Grand Lodge doings for that year . Thus by the record , and by contemporaneous history , it is fixed beyond all question and doubt , that the " Massachusetts Grand Lodge" on the 8 th of March , 1777 , by a revolution , aud bassumption of the powersdutiesand responsibilities of a

y , , Grand L idgebecaino a free , independent , sovereign Grand Lodge , with a jurisdiction absolute , exclusive , and entire throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts , and a provisional jurisdiction in other States and countries . By this revolution aud assumption , from that day to this , the Grand Lodgo of Massachusetts , without interruption , has exercised all the plenary powers of a Grand Lodge . It has held Regular aud Special

Meetings , elected and installod its Grand Masters and other Grand Officers , kept full and complete records ot its doings , granted Warrants for new Lodges , erected and erased Lodges , compelled aud received the allegiance of its subordinates aud their members , and has been in correspondence with aud recognised by the other Grand Lodges of the world . Prom the Sth of March , 1777 , to the day of this Quarterly Meeting , the

full and just-completed term of ninety-three years , there has never been any successful opposition to its claim of sovereignty . From time to time it has gathered into itself every opposing element possessing even a colourable title to legitimacy which it found within the borders of its jurisdiction . In the State of Massachusetts there have been three Lodges chartered by Grand Lodges of foreign jurisdictions , and but three , —St . Andrew's , chartered in V 75 G , by the Grand Lodge of

Scotland , and now one of our subsordinates ; Antient York Lodge ( No . 169 ) , of Boston , chartered prior to 1772 , by the Atholl Grand Lodge of England , aud which had but a brief existence ; and the African Loilge of Boston . It is claimed that in 1775 , the persons named in the Charter of the African Lodge were made Masons in a travelling Lodge attached to one of the British regiments then stationed at Boston , and that they " were soon niter organized as , and dispensated into a Lodge , " before the death of Warren , to whom they applied for a Charter . That they were Masons may be true . That they received a Dispensation for a Lodge there is

not the least proof of , nor the slightest shadow of pretence for . Dispensations for Lodges , as preliminary to granting a Charter , were not made use of in those days , But more than all , there was no authorized power here to grant such Dispensation save Provincial Grand Masters Rowe and Warren . A travelling Lodge , although attached to a British regiment , could not authorise these persons to assemble as a Lodge . Nor was it ever pretended that such Dispensation existed until recently .

This claim is nowhere stated directly , and contains so little foundation that it is not worth considering . October 1 , 1773 , the Massachusetts Grand Lodge , after mature deliberation , decided that neither the Lodge at Castle William , nor any other travelling Lodge , "has any right to make Masons of any citizen . " I have no doubt that , on the fith of March , 1775 , the day

after Warren delivered his celebrated oration in the Old South Church , where he was menaced by British troops , Prmco Hall and thirteen others received the three degrees in a travelling Lodge attached to one of the British Regiments in the army of General Gage , by whom Boston was then garrisoned ; that Prince Hall and his associates met as a Lodge thereafter in Boston , without any Warrant or authority , until May , 17 S 7 . In 1781 application was sent to England for a Charter . The

, letter of Prince Hall , dated March 1 , 17 S'i , accompanying the petition to the Grand Lodge of England for the Charter of the African Lodge , says : ' ¦ ' I would inform you that this Lodge hath been founded almost eight years . " " We have had no opportunity to apply for a warrant before now , though we have been importuned to send to France for one , yet no thought ifc best to send to the fountain head , from whence we received the light ,

for a Warrant . " On the 29 th day of September , 1781 , a Charter was granted , but it did not arrive at Boston for nearly three years . April 29 , 1787 , it was received , and , on the Gth of Hay following , Prince Hall organized the "African Lodge , " at Boston , ten years after the Massachusetts Grand Lodge had asserted its freedom and independence ; ten years after the American

doctrine of Grand Lodge jurisdiction had been established . Without any other authority than that contained in the warrant for said lodge , Prince Hall , the Master thereof , it is said ou the 22 nd of March , 1797 , granted a dipensation , preliminary

to a warrant , to certain persons in Philadelphia . Soon afterwards , Prince Hall established a lodge at Providence , R . I . African Lodge , of Boston , continued to act as a subordinate Lodge until 180 S , when , with the assistance of tho lodges at Philadelphia and Providence , established as above stated , it organised a Grand Land at Boston , which body granted charters to several subordinates , not only in Massachusetts , but in several

other States . Iu June , 1 S 27 , the African Lodge declared its independence , and published its declaration in ono of the newspapers printed at Boston . It is unnecessary to argue the Masonic and legitimate effect of this declaration . It was a surrender of their charter , and a public declaration that from thonceforth they ceased to act under itor to recognise its validity or the authority from whence it

, was derived . If the African Lodge had any existence at this time , by force of this declaration its existence came to an end . In 1 S 17 , a National Grand Lodgo was formed ; and , says the petition of Lewis Hayden and others to this Grand Lodge , set out on page 132 of our printed Proceedings for 1869 : " the African Lodge of Boston , becoming a part of that Body , surrendered its Charterand received its present Charterdated

Decem-, , ber 11 , 1 S 17 , under the title of Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts , and by which authority we this day exist as a Masonic Body . " Under the direction of Prince Hall the lodge prospered , but after his death , whicli occurred Dec . 1 , 1807 , M 72 , it became dormant and ceased to have any actual existence . In 1 S 13 upon

, the union of the Grand Lodges of England , African Lodge , which had been registered as No . 459 and as 370 , " was removed from the list , " -and was neven after recognised by the United Grand Lodge . The declaration of 1827 complains that the members of African Lodge could open no correspondence with the Grand Lodge of England , and that their communications and advances were treated with the most studied neglect .

Boyer Lodge , No . 1 , was organised at New York City by the African Lodge or the Prince Hall Grand Lodge . The members of this lodge applied to the Grand Lodge of New York for recognition in 1 S 12 , 1829 , and again in 18-15 . Grand Secretary James Herring made a report in 1816 , which contains a letter from our brother , Charles W . Moore , Grand Secretary , which throws some light upon the condition of tho African Lodge in Boston at this time .

Why this charter was granted without the consent of the lodges iu Massachusetts , and without any correspondence concerning Die propriety of the step , is a question which can be answered by every American who remembers the bitter hostility existing in England at that date towards the successful rebels against , the Crown of Great Britain . This charter , in common form , conferring no extraordinary powers upon the petitioners , authorising them to hold a lodgeenterpassand raise Masons

, , , , and no more , was undoubtedly granted by the Grand Master of England , and under it the petitioners commenced work . The successors of the persons named in that Charter , have magnified the powers granted by it , have construed it to confer upon them Grand Lodge powers , have set up by virtue of it Grand Lodges , and finally a national Grand Lodge , with subordinate State Grand Lodges , and have established an " American doctrine of Grand

Lodgejurisclietion" peculiar to themselves , distinct and separate from any other Grand Lodgo government known to man . Their National Grand Body' - ' claims and exercises Masonic authority over these United States , with full power and authority to settle all Masonic difficulties that may arise among the Grand Lodges of these States . " The original Charter , granted September 29 , 1781 , under

whieh the successors of the persons named therein have claimed to act from April , 17 S 7 , to the year 1817 , and which was the only plausible authority by which thoy could hope to be justified in their proceedings , was not only surrendered by operation of Masonic law , June IS , 1827 , by reason of the Declaration then made , but on the 11 th of December , 1 S 17 , was actually in set form of words , and with premeditation , abandoned and surrendered , and if they now possess the parchment upon whicli it was written , it is kept only as a curious relic ofthe past , emasculated of its virilitv .

With a National Grand Lodge , State Grand Lodges , and subordinate Lodges , they have so complicated the primitive difficulty , that it will not be easy for them to escape from the triple bonds with which they have bound themselves , although many