Freemasonry In The United States.

FREEMASONRY IN THE UNITED STATES .

LONDON , SATTJBDAT , JUNE 15 , 1861 .

It is no part of our duty to interfere in the politics of any country ; on the contrary , we are strictly prohibited from doing so ; hut no man , be he Mason or be he not , can have AA'atehed the events in America during the past sis months Avithout emotion and interest ; and hoiv these

events are telling on our Order is too truly before us , when one Masonic paper tells us that it is compelled to reduce its size from , the falling off in its circulation in the Southern states ; and another , the one which we believe took the lead of all the Masonic publications in the

United States admits that , so great has been the decline in its circulation , that it will require the utmost exertions on the part of its friends to sustain it ; and this , too , before hostilities , which we still hope may be happily averted , had commenced , or the demon of war

had taken such strong hold of the people as recent accounts would lead us to believe . Ofthe feeling existing amongst our Anierican brethren the following extract from a private letter we have received from a distinguished brother in Pennsylvania speaks volumes : —

"A few weeks ago ifc was thought there ivould be a settlement of the pending difficulties . ... It noiv appears as if the strong arm alone is to settle our differences . AA'hat the issue Avill be none but the Omniscient can foresee . A state of things similar to those existing here never existed in any country . There is no reliance to be placed upon the telegraph or newspaper reports . Before this reaches you the strife may have commenced , and , once begun , there

will be no end left us short of complete subjugation . It may bo a war of extermination . The picture before us is a bad one ; nay , it is horrid to contemplate . And yet God in His wisdom may preserve us still from a fratricidal war . Heaven grant it !"

Having thus introduced the painful subject to our readers , we ivill proceed to lay before them some eloquent remarks of Comp . Parke , the Grand High Priest ofthe Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Pennsylvania , as to the duty of Masons , delivered at the annual meeting on December 27 , when matters had only begun to assume the menacing aspect they noiv bear : —

"Companions—In the building ofthe first temple at Jerusalema symbol of our Order— ' there was neither hammer , nor axe , nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it was in building . ' No sounds discordant , nothing to prevent or jar upon the harmony of the Craft was alloived upon that holy mount . Even so do the rules of Masonry prohibit the introduction of party politics or sectarian reliious questions within our halls , as calculated to engender strife

g and stir up bitter feelings ; to arouse ambition and other emotions interfering with the siveet harmony and concord that should ever reign therein . "But JIasonry is not only piety , but patriotism . Its teachings , its spirit , and its influence tend to the highest welfare of the state or country in Avhich Jlasons reside . A bad citizen can never be a good JIason . He AVIIO is not faithful to his country will be

treacherous to his brethren . He ivho violates the UAVS of the land will not be particular as to his adherence to the landmarks or rules of our Order , ivhich , among other things , enjoin upon us 'to be peaceable citizens , and cheerfully to conform to the laws of the country in ivhich we reside—not to be concerned in plots and conspiracies against government , but patiently to submit to the decisions of the Supreme Legislature . ' AVe are members of a great Brotherhood . AA'hatever , therefore , comes home to us , or

befiils our country , liaving a direct connection with the peace and safety of ourselves and families , or the welfare and happiness of our brethren , commands onr attention and interest as Jlasons and citizens . Looking out , then , from our Grand Chapter , upon our country at present , ivhat answer can he given to the question , 'Watchman , Ai'hafc of the night ?' "An alarmlike a fire-bell at nihtis sounding throughout our

, g , land , so loudly as to reach our sacred and peaceful halls . It proclaims in tones not to be disregarded , that om-country is in danger . That this Union , the ivork of our fathers , cemented at the first with their blood , and consecrated hy a thousand hallowed associations , is about to be rent asunder ; its fragments , the scorn and contempt of nations , ivho have hitherto regarded it— ' the wonder of the world—an example to be copied . ' That States which have

hitherto revolved in harmony around a common centre , are about to leave their orbit , and either stand out alone in space , or so rush against each other , as to make foes of those who have been pledged as brothers . This threatened peril is not to be disregarded . It justifies , if not calls for an appeal from this place , to the patriotism and fraternal feeling of our Order ; of all ivho cherish the memory of our fathers , and ivho love our race . "American Alasonry ivas born of pure and noble parentage , and rocked in fche cradle of our country ' s revolutionary struggleIts

. walls , like those of the holy city in the days of Zerubbabel , have been roared in troublous times . She has met ivith persecution , calumny , and reproach ; stood against the storm and the tempest , and outlived the sirocco , ivhich , a feiv years since , sivept its poisoned breath over our land , leaving friendships ruined and morals corrupted in its trail . The roil of her membership contains the names of many of the greatest men and purest patriots that this or

anyother country has ever produced . A large number of the signers of our Declaration of Independence , the officers of our Revolutionary army , and the framers of our inimitable National Constitution , were brethren of AVashingtou , Franklin , AVarren , and Lafayette , men pledged at the altars of JIasonry , and trained in the lodge to lessons of self-denial , justice , fortitude / prudence , piety , and patriotism .

"That Constitution—emphatically the work of our fathershitherto regarded as a bond of sufficient strength to hold together as one people all ivho acceded to it , and a canopy of sufficient length and breadth to cover the whole of this Continent , is now to be tested . It is the supreme laiv of the land ; and tbe enactments of Congress , under and in conformity with it , are the decisions of our Supreme Legislature , which every JIason , North or South , is bound by his solemn promise to support and sustain . In vieiv of this , ivhat is the position , the influence , and mission of our Order afc this time ?

"The Arch of our JIasonic Union , like a bow of promise , now spans this Continent . The greater and the lesser lights of Heaven , in their coin-so , daily gild ) the turrets of our American JIasonic Temple , from tho Atlantic to the Pacific . Under its ample canopy are not less than 5000 lodges and chapters , and over 300 , 000 Jlasons—all men of greater or less influence , and all having received the same conservative and patriotic teaching . In our JIasonic Union and Brotherhood there are no sectional parties or

divisions to heal ; no balance of power between North and South to maintain ; no Mason ' s and Dixon ' s line to divide . All are members of the same fold ; all brothers of AA ' ashington , Franklin , Jackson , and Clay—citizens of our common country . If true Masons— -they are the most powerful conservative element now in . this nation—whether residing in Pennsylvania or South Carolina , they must regard each other as brethren , and not for ono moment do or countenance any act that looks to arraying brother against brother . Let us then arouse to our duty ;

' Hands round as faithful brothers , form a bright fraternal chain ;' Call to mind and practice our JIasonic teachings in relation to our country and each other ; exert the influence ive possess as citizens , as truly and' effectually as did our fathers in the " days that tried men's souls ; " speaking with a voice that shall be heard , the sentiments of AVashington and Jackson , ' This Union must not —shall not be sei'ered 1 ' unless by consent and agreement . "Let the glowing sentiment of a Southern brother he echoed and re-echoed from North to South , throughout our land : —

' Say , can the South sell out her share in Bunker's hoary height ? Or can the North give up her boast in Yorhtoivn ' s closing fight ? Can ye divide with equal hand a heritage of graves ? Or rend in tivain the starry flag that o'er them proudly waves ? ' Can ye cast lots for A ' ernon ' s soil , or chaffer ' mid the gloom That hangs its solemn folds about your common father's tomb ? Or could ye meet around his grave as fratricidal foes ,

And wake your burning curses o'er his pure and calm repose ? ' Ye dare not ! is the Alleghenian thunder-toned decree ! "lis echoed where Nevada guards the blue and tranquil soa ;