Correspondence.

at this time , Avhen the country is plunged into the midst of a civil war , and the hands of brethren , North and South , Avield the sAvord instead of the troAvel ; " if , as our gifted brother Avrites , "Not a clay passes but some instance is brought to my notice rvhere the remembrance of ' that hieroglyphic bright , which none but Craftsmen ever saw , ' has conduced to lighten the evils aucl horrors of Avar , " if

this he true , and time Avill prove Avhether it be " all bosh " or not , then , though the communication betAveen state anel state may he for a time unfortunately interrupted ; though never a lodgo throughout the AA'hole of America should be able to open and close for years ; though brother may he called upon to take arms against brother , as in tho Avhole of our Avars they Avere compelled to do—a thousand proofs

¦ Avill he given that Masomy still lives in the hearts of thc Craftsmen and is not confined to the lodge-room , any more than religion isto tho synagogue , the church , or tho mosque . When our brethren of a pasfc ago laid the foundations of that great Republic to Avhose fate no true Mason can be for a moment indifferent , English Masons in the army and navjfought against them , and no one ever thought of asserting

that " Masonry Avas virtually defunct" on either side ; for the uplifted sword Avas sheathed and the pointed bayonet turned aside at the Masonic signal . And so v . 'ill it turn out , even in the present struggle ; there , as here , some Avill be found false to an obligation they are incapable . of keeping , and ought never to have bean trusted ivith ; for it is not every man Avho can , even if initiated , become a Freemason in my sense of the term . But when the storms of Avar are once more hushed , and there is calm sufficient for our American brethren to speak and write their

experiences—• " Of most disastrous chances , Of moving accidents by flood and fields , Of hair breath 'scapes i' the imminent deadly breach , " and of all those horrors which Avar brings upon mankind ; then Avill it be found Avhether H . N . or myself have been in error with regard to American Masonry . Whether I vieiv the present juncture from a Northern or Southern , a Federal ,

or a Confederate point of view , I can see higher objects for our brethren engaging in the strife that the illogical reasoning , or rather unreasoning , of H . N . that " blood seems to be the only aim and end of both sides . " The savages who murdered Captain Cook , and are said to haA'e eaten him , had higher aims ! Tour correspon dent asserts that I have " lugged in nock

and shoulders , " the extract from the letter " to gratify " my own " antagonism against the higher degrees . " I fear ho judges of the motives that actuate mo by those which move himself ; as we say in Cleveland , " ho measures my poke by his own sack . " I can assure you , dear Sir and Brother , that had thc letter not thanked me for my answer to H . N ., and had it praised tho " higher degrees " instead of disparaging

them , I should have communicated it just the same ' . You can best jnclge of the truth of my assertion AA'hen I state , that since I became a Mason I havo been in thc regular habit , as a literary man , of communicatin g- to tho Magazine

everything that 1 met Avith in my readings that might be likely to particularly interest my brother Craftsmen . "' Tis my vocation , " as Falstaff says , "it is no sin for a man to labour in his vocation . " For tho future , Avhatever letters and papers I may receive on Masonic matters , I . shall not communicate them to he vilified for' my pains . I thought I AA * as doing both the Magazine and its readers a kindness .

I shall careful ! ;/ preserve H . N ' s . insinuation about tho cooking up of " a sensation Masonic boo ; -:, " and not forget to reproduce it on a future occasion , ivith the other beautiful illustrations of Masonry Avhich it has been niy fortune occasionally to meet ivifch . It may possibly preserve others from mooting with the same treatment ; but AA'hen I do Avant to produce ( or , as your correspondent

elegantly expresses it ) , to cook up " a sensation Masonic book , " I Avill not cross thc Atlantic to do it . I ivill find no . lack of materials ready for thc AA-ork at home . Though I blame you , Bro . Editor , for inserting letters imputing evil motives to tbo . se who differ in opinion from tho Avriters , yet I freely give you credit for having done so merel y from a Avish to afford eA'cry member of our widelyspread fraternity a full opportunity of stating his vieivs . For myself , I have neither time nor inclination to en Erase in

Correspondence.

paper wars AA'hero abuse is substituted for argument , and " Masonry is virtually defunct . " I have other and higher objects for nry pen . I b . ave long thought of writing a history of our beloved Graft in the stylo of my book on " Shlcespearc , his Times and Contemporaries . " Such a work ivill require thc labour of j-ears to collect the necessarx materials , and to arrange them as in the Avork I haA-e

named . To it I shall deA'ote the labour of my leisure hours for xcars to come , instead of fretting away over the puny disputes in Avhich some of your correspondents Avould engage me . Wishing every prosperity to THE MAGAZINE , its conductors , and readers , and trusting thoy will excuse my trespassing on their space , I sign myself for the last time in your correspondents' columns ,

"Verv fraternally yours , GEOBGE MAKKEASl TWEDDELL . Stokesley , Yorkshire , November Sth , 1861 . [ With the above Ave close the correspondence ; but wo cannot do so Avithout , with all deference to Bro . Tweddell , expressing our conviction , founded on very many letters from the most distinguished brethren in thc United States ,

thai for the present Masomy is virtually extinct in those states , anel the number of brethren , hailing from Grancl Lodges of the Union , at present in London seeking assistance from their English brethren goes far to prove it . In conclusion Ave Avould recommend Bro . Tweddell not to deA'ote his time to preparing a history of Freemasonry until he is far above the wants Avhich require to be supplied by the SAA-eat of the broAv . ]

Proposed Masonic Hall At Brighton.

PROPOSED MASONIC HALL AT BRIGHTON .

TO THE EDIXO : ; CP THE r : iEEirASO : rS' MAGAZINE AN " I > MASONIC MI 1 UI 0 I * . DEAR SIR A : ; II BROTHER . —In 1859 , the Brighton Masons seemed really alive to the importance of a Hall , as tho folloAving report , then presented by the joint Committee , plainly shows . Permit me to ask through your Journal , if tlie proposal is abandoned , or if there is a probability of their meeting shortly ?

Yours fraternally , Nov . 5 , 1861 . ARGUS . At a Meeting hold at the Toivn Hall , on Thursday , the 20 th day of October , 1 S 59 , V . Yv . "Bro . Henry Yerrall , Prov . 0 . Registrar in the chair , ifc ivas Resolved—Thafc it is desirable that steps he taken for the erection of a Alasonic Hull in this toAvn . The joint Committee arrived at this determination for the

following reasons : — 1 . The jirccariouo and uncertain tenure of the rooms at present used by the lodges and chapters of thc toivn . 2 . The more certain attainment of that privacy essential to the preservation of Alasonic secrets , and the observance of that proper decorum unci due solemnity in the Avorking of the various ceremonies in Freemasonry , affording , as they do , some of the best lessons to the initiateupon Avhom it is desirable thafc a forcible anel lasting

, impression should be made . "i . The centralisation of all Masonic influence , Avhere members of the Craft may assemble for the purposes of instruction or the society of their brethren . 4 . The formation of a Masonic library and a museum for the reception of object ; possessing interest to the Craft . 5 . 'ihe Freemasons of Brighton AVill possess their ow . i distinctive

place of resort , and no longer remain open to the imputation of being Avithout a Masonic Hall . Moreover , they will remove all grounds for the prejudice Avhich many IIOAV entertain against Freemasonry hy its necessary association with , taverns and public-houses . G . The animal income Avhich Avould result . from tho use of the Hall , estimated upon the present expense of the lodges and chapters for tho hire of rooms , Avonld suffice , at no distant period , to reimburse the outlay unon the buildingandas a happy conseiruence

, , thereon , the funds of each lodge and chapter disposable for charitable purposes would be increased . 7 . That the building may be constructed in such maimer as to alTord facilities in itself for supplying' tlie banquets of the loelges and chapters in a suitable and appropriate manner . Thc joint Committee further resolved— 'That this Committee are of opinion that if the lodges and chapters adopt the above .

resolutions there will be no difficulty in obtaining the requisite funds for effecting the object . And the joint Committee are strongly of opinion that the Hall , if built , should be devoted exclusively to Masonic purposes .