The weekly Anglo-African., 1860-01-28

the United States.
By His Maiesty's most humble servant,
j. THEODORE Holly, G.. G. M.
In the abrid dgement of the Ancient Con-
stitutions, so called, chap. /, sec. 2, we find
the following:
"That he is to be peaceable and obedient
to the civil powers, which yield him pro-
lection, so far as they do not infringe the
timited bounds Of religion anil reason"
Section reads as follows: " A Freema-
son must be free man, of mature age
etc.
In the journal of the Convention which
organized and adopted this great Eclectic
system, ON page 33 we find the following
"A Convention of Free and Accepted
Masons, favorable to reforms and human
progress, was held in the city of Detroit,
Michigan, from October 9th to / lth, A. l..
1852, A. ID. 1852, to take into considera-
ton what service the masonic institution
can be made to perform in the cause of hui
man elevation and the emancipation of men
from chattel bondage on the American con-
tinent"
Will Bro King, of the 'Union," inform
US whether this is an offshoot from At
woods or Herrings Masonry? 1t evident
ly entertains high regard for the "higher
law" as well as for His Majesty Faustin I.
The G. G.. NJ, J. Theodore Holly, is
said to be colored gentleman of Detroit.
Copious extracts are made from the
"Union' and the Review" and the edit
ors are styled Brothers. We very much
dislike being behind the age in our own
jurisdiction. Will our brothers please give
us "more light ?"-Amcient Landmark,
July, 1854.
REMARKS BY BRO. J. F. BRENNAN.
The foregoing correspond appeared
in the August number of the Georgia "Sig-
net and Journal" AS we did not for some
reason receive our exchange for that month,
but had our attention attracted to the arti-
Gle by seeing it copied into the "Ashlar,"
we take the earliest opportunity of answer
ing the questions of Bro. Barry, and re-
spending to the remarks of the "Signet and
Journal"
In June, 1858, j. Theo. Holly, under
date of New Haven, Conn, wrote us that
he had prepared a series of papers which
he would be pleased to have published in
the pages of this magazine. We respond
ed by saying we should be happy to have
an opportunity of judging whether or not
the papers were suitable for publication
and if found so, they would certainly be
published. A few days afterwards, we
received the first chapters of what subse.
quent, appeared in this magazine in the
consecutive numbers from July, 1858, tc
June, 1859, under the title of "a Com.
pendiuns of the Fundamental Principles
tof IuteyDaaso7aic Comfy"
As will be seen by any one who may
read those papers, they possesses the
merit of originality, and furnish evidence
that their author is scholar, and mar
of no ordinary mind. We must confes:
that we did not at any time seek to ascer
tain who Mr.. Holly was, whether white OF
black, bond or free. We made no inquiries
into his antecedents, caste or color, and
had no knowledge of him whatever, save
what was volunteered to us some months
subsequent to the appearance of the first
chapter of his treatise His MS. was well
written, the diction better than ordinary
and the arguments by which he sustained
his peculiar views forcibly, if not conclu.
sively. This being the fact, it was mat
ter of no consequence to US whether he
was white or black, Freemasan or "pro-
fame" AS Freemason, we do not know
him, nor have we ever heralded or intro
duced him as such. We would have pub
lished his production, as we did, were be
proved to be an African, not only as black
as Alexander Dumas, the French novelist
but so black that charcoal would make a
white mark upon him, so long as his arti.
cles did not conflict with truth, or our own
obligations to the Fraternity of Free and
Accepted Masons. The distinction oi
knowledge -education-is the only dis
tinction we recognize; and for that man,
whether he be white or black, bond or free,
who has conquered the difficulties which
has beset the path to knowledge, and at
tanned the education that it is evident j.
Theo. Holly possesses, we have but one feel
ing, and that is-unqualifed respect.
We never met j. Theo. Holly person
ely in our life, although for over year
resident within a few miles of him. We
published his treatise as an original contii-
button to masonic literature, without note
or comment; and that it has this merit, if
no other, will be evident to all who may
peruse it. Init we discover no attempt to
elevate the black man-to "use Fremason-
ry to extend the area of freedom"-or
claim for him position generally denied
to him by the people of America; nor is
there any expression of dissatisfaction with
the general recognition in this country of
but one masonic rite. On the contrary, he
views Freemasonry from high standpoint,
and descants upon its objects, aims and
purposes with the freedom of one who full
ly understands his subject So little isthe
idiosyncracy of color apparent, that, had it
not been for the valuable correspondence
which precedes this article, we venture TO
affirm that no one, however acute or criti-
cal, could have determined whether j.
Theo. Holly was black man or white.
Bro. Barry is informed that j. Theo.
4 TT II T. IL