Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1866-02-14
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE. ON
NEGRO LODGES TO THE GRAND
LODGE OF NORTH CAROLINA,

NEGRO LODGES TO THE GRAND
LODGE OF NORTH CAROLINA
5S65.
The Most Worshipfal Grand Master
called the attention Of the Grand Lodge
to the following article from the Aagh
african, published in New York, to wit:
"Past Most Worshipfal Paul Dfayton.
of the National Grand Lodge, is about t.,
resume his hbors in the South, under the
authority Of the Most Worshipful Granl
Lodg: OF the State Of New York. lie
will leave this city in a few days, to dedi.
cate aud constitute Union Lodge, in tn.
city of Charleston, S. c., ami King
Solomon Lodge in Nowbern. N. C., and
is also vested with full power TO organise
Lodges throughout the Southern portion
of this country"
And attention was called also to the
following article in the Newbern, NC,
Daily Times, to wit:
"There is, in this city, an organization
called King Solomon's Lodge, No. l, A..
F. NJ, composed entirely and exclusively
of negroes. 1t was established here some
weeks ago. If it was done for the par.
pose of deriding Masonry, the joke falls
harmless; but il, as the paragraph above
given indicates Che extract from the
-lngbo A!tricG's,) there is determination
to confer upon the negroes Of the South
the rights and benefits of this ancient and
honorable order, We look upon it as
gross insult, which the Grand Lodge Of
the State of North Carolina should strong
ly protest against"
And thsreupon the undersigned were
appointed committee to investigate and
repot upon the subject. And the under
signed, having had the matter under con.
s;deration, submit the following report:
The committee have been unable TO
learn anything mere of the facts than
appears in The extracts above. If those
facts be true, the Grand Lodge Of N. Y.
has sent an agent into the Southern
States, "with full power to organise
Lodges throughout the Southern portion
OF the country"
Now upon the supposition that such
Lodges are to be composed of members
worthy and we'll qualified, the inquiry
would still be, "what right has the Grand
Lodge of N. Y. to organise Lodges within
the jurisdiction of other Grand Lodges 2"
The committee are of opinion that there
is no such right. And, if insisted upon,
this Grand Lodge would consider as clau,
destihe all Lodges thus established.
The committee, anxious to find some.
thing which would relieve our brethren
of N. \. from what seems to be breach
of that courtesy which so much distin-
guishes Ma 'onic intercourse, have hope,
that it may turn out to be true, that there
are still remaining in different portions Of
the South, N. Y. troops, and that the par
posei is simply to organise military Lod ges,
among such troops. If such be the pur.
pose the committee conccde its propriety. |
And, SO far from complaining, would feel
gratifed that our brethren who are absent
from their homes and local Lodges, should
nave the advantages which Masons so
much desire, of organised communcica-
ions.
But the committee are constrained to
uy, with much concern, that-th impres. +
ion made upon them by o careful feon-
ideration Of the aforesaid articles is, that
he purpose is not to organise military
lodges, but TO organise Lodges through {
'ut the Southern portion of the, country" t
'enerally, and especially negro Lodges.
md this gives to the subject the gravest t
haracter. n'- .;-:5Ns= 5
The committee donot, in the abstract, i
uestion the psopriety. of making Masons a