Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1866-02-14

white man. Z" We teach that III every Pco-
pie masonry has existed. And to every
human being our benevolence extends.
But propriety, conformity to government
and, reasonably. to religion, and toman-
ners end customs, have distinguished our
Order. Our COMMUNICATIONS are often
breast to breast, mouth to ear. Fellow
ship, in the sense of the most perfect
equality, intimate relationship, ind close
communion, is the chief Characteristic OF
our intercourse We have our reasons
for excluding females, minors, old aggc'Sl
religious libertines, the maimed and disa-
oled, the ignorant, the immoral, and the
profane. So important is this principle
of perfect fellowship, that, although a
Lodge were composed Of q thousand
members. one single member may ex-
clude candidate with whom he cannot
nave this perfect fellowship.
If Masonry exists in Africa. and white
men were, r any cause, excluded from
the intimate relations which We have de-
scribed, it would be unwise to thrust
white nlen upon the fraternity in Africa
It would be very proper to inaugurate
measures to remove the prejudice, but,
without such removal, to set-it at defiance,
could have no other effect than to destroy
Masonry. So, here in the South, while
there is no prejudice against he negro as
sucll, yet, there is such prejudice against
assuming the intimate relations ofmasons,
that, TO admit them to our Order, would
be, inevitably, to destroy it. Many rea-,
sons might be urged why 1t is SO; but it
is sufficient to know that the fact exists.
And, while the fact exists, the introduc.
ton of negroes into our Lodges, would
obliteraie Masonry from the South.
We know that Masonry is not .o,ly
close i'll fellowship, but, it is perfect in
morals, and iGtricate in scelSa. And.
we know, that the negroes of the South
are wholly incompcteat t. embrace it.
They are ignorant, unedrcated, immoral,
untruthtul, anl. intellectually, they arc
more impotcnt than minority or,dolage; !;
both of which we should exclude. 1t
would be rare if any locality could fur
nish the requisite number of sufficient
capacity to open Lodge. Therefore. to
have Lodges exclusively ofnegroes, would
| be dangerous 10 the high character of our
Order. And. To associa e them in Lodges
with our white brethren, would be impos-
sible.
1t is only as masons that we have con.
sidercd this subject, and We hope That it
is only as Inasons that our New York
brethren will consider it. While masons
conform themselves to governments, and,
reasonably, to manners and customs, yet,
they swerve not from the great object Of
universal good. They ore not at all in
haenced by nart;zan strife, or sectional
jeaiousies. Yet, we fear that our North
ern brethren are in gross error, as to their
! Masonic mission to the South. Why
should the mission be to the SonM
| Why not to the negroes of the North
We fear that they are uuconscously i'm
bucd with the spirit of fannticisn ;--tha
they have unwholesome dreams that the,
are better than us. And We do allow
ourselves to rest in the conviction, tha
We are more devoted to the best interest.
of the negroes of the South; than they
can possibly be. They were born III OIL
ta!niies; VIC have nursed them in sick
ness labored with them in the field ant
in the shop. We have rejoiccd with then
wien we had much, and suffered Will
them when we had little; we have pro
; tected them because they were weak. ant
advised them because they were ignorant
We have made them better than Africans
and nearly equal to our Northern brethrc;
themselves being judgcs-and, but fn
f.naticism, doubtless many of them would
have been worthy Of masonic privileges
Our earnest desire now is, still further tx
improve their condition. We would edu
cate them, improve their habits and man
uers, and make them Industrious arc
provident. But, under some s!ralg,
hallucination, our Northern brethren sup
pose that We are enemies of the negro
and that they are his friends. And they
spare no pains to make that impression
upon the negro, and thereby destroy his
confidence in US. When and how did
their Friendship manifest itself? Was ii
when they caught them in Africa? Was
it when they sold them to us as slaves,
instead of libcrating them in the North ?
Was it when they refused to allow them
emigration to the new and fertile lands,
and wholesome climate of our boundIcss
territory? Is it when they exclude the
few that remain at the North from eSery
decent and profitable employment, to live
in the iith aud eat the garbage of the
city sewers? For be it known that Of
the few they have in the State of NeS
York $1,000 arc in the city Of New York,
and how many upon Broadway9 And
be it further known, that in a. D. 1900
there were 40,700 negroes, (of whom So
600 were slaves in theState ofNew York,
and in A. y. 1920 there were but 80 900 {;
what become of the 1900? And why
wss there no increase? In the same time
their white population increased from
300,Oo0 to 800. 900, in round numbers.
Why did not the. blacks increase also
three fer one! Why were there not lOO,-
900 more, instead Of 1900 less, of the
black population How many of them
were made masons? How many died of
scorn and neglect2 How many were
driven off by oppression? How many
sold into slavery? In A. u. 1900, there
ere'l40,00O negroes in North Carolina,
OF whom 1000 were free. In A. D.
\ SOn tbora ,,ora oDn nao r