Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-12-28
MASONIC INTELLIGENCE.

ANNAA-NA An -
- RITE.
We are extremely reluctant to reply I
anything thRtthe Editor Of the st. Loul
FFeeBlosOss publishes against the Ancien
and Accepted Scottish Rite for he con
ducts a controversy with 30 singular
recklessness of assertion that we ar
compelled toe frequently TO oppose 4
him q simple denial OF the truth Of wha
he states and he is so utterly regardles
OF his obligations rs a Mason of the An
cient sud Accepted Rite, as to cause q
TO pity him.
IN late number Of his newspaper h'
says that we are "really the father o
what is now known as the Ancient and
. Accepted Scottish Rite, both In it's Con
stitutions and Rituals" The CoHstitts
tions Of the Rite, bearing the dates o.
1852 and 1857, have been translated and
published by us, without the change OF
addition OF single word /; and we are in
no sense their Author or Father. Thai
is one reckless assertion.
Again he says
= (" He who has to defend a question
which has no foundation OF merit, must
of necessity abandon the question 10 its
fate and cover his position by smoky
fusilade upon the assailRut. Thus it Is
with Bro. Pike-he has not c0ntrOverted
one single point we have raised, but has
devoted nearly the whole of his talent
against Bro. Gouley;" and as Bro.
GOuley y is perfectly Indifferent to all
personal encounters, he will graeiOusly
waive all discussion of personal merits,
and devote his brief space to the direct
question at issue"
There could not be madea more reek-
less assertion than that we did not con-
trOvert any Position of Bro.'. Con
ley's,n bat assailed him personally. We
are sorry 10 have to say that il is not true
aud that it does not even resemble the
truth. or the taste and modesty Of the
vaunts, that he is perfectly Indifferent
to all personal encounters, " and that ''he
will graciously waive all discussion of
personal merits" we leave MasOns TO
Judge. 1t does not strike US that he is 50
Tar superior to other men, so completely
the Napoleon of Masonry, that he can,
without stirring men to laughter, assume
! that air Of ordly dignity.
The editor in question thus sums up
I his charges against the Ancient and Ac.
/ cepted Scottish Rite:
let. That il is not legitimate Masonry.
/ ID 1t is opposed to the principles of
] Masonry, as understood by the Ancient
I York Masonry.
/ Sd. II is semi-pOlitical in its character.
4th. It is semi. .sectarian in its religious
I dOgmas.
5th. Iu part of Ritual it is Atheisticalin
i its teachings.
I 9th. 1t is aggressive in its character,
and threatens the integrity of govern.
ment by the York Rite IN Masonry.
7th. It's meddlesOme character toward
certain political and religious institutions
have brought down upon it the condem-
nation Of churches and States, thus
bringing disgrace 10 the good name of
Masonry"
Sch. Its constitutions are fraud as to
the time and place in which they We're
made.
9th. 1t is founded upon q forgery, as TO
the name Of the party who is alleged to
have prepared its constitutions and
siguedathem
18th. That the sO-called Scotch degrees
are lot Scotch, but are modern French
side degrees, and are chiefly intended to
undermine and sapp the foundations of
legitimate Masonry.
70 which, as y preliminary reply we
say:
ist That the Ancient and Accepted
Rite is legitimate Masonry, as legitimate
AZ any Masonry, and fac more legitimate
Cryptic or Templar MasOnry,-all of
which were borrowed from it and that
if these modern increments of Masonry
suffer in the controversy which the
Editor in question with an incredible
folly and rSshness prOvOkes, to him they
must imputB their misfOrtunes.
2d. II is not opposed to the principles
Of Masonry, as understood by the true
Ansient York Masonry of Dermott, to
the possession Of which the American
Grand and Subordinate Lodges have no
claim.
Sd. It does teach and is proud to teach
political truth, not being Masonry emas-
culated.
4th. tits false that it is "seni- secta-
rian" in its religious dogmas.
5th. 1t is false that in any part Of its
Ritual or teachings it is Atheistiesl.
A more baseless and reckless assertion
was never made.
9Th. It isHOt aggressive in its character,
and does not threaten the integrity of
government by the York Rite in Ma
sonry.
7th. 1t is proud to have been prosecuted
by Popes and DespOts and their cOndem- !
nation has not brought disgrace TO the
good name Of Masonry. 1t does not
plume itself on an obsequious submission
to political or religious despOtism; but is
the Apostle of Free Conscience, Free I
Thought and Free Speech.
Sth lis Constitutions may not have /
been made at Berlin in 1877. No one is |
entitled to say that they Oere not made |
there and then: nor do we assert any /
more than that they are repsCted to have |
been 50 made.
9th. No one has the right TO say thai |
Frederic il did not sign the. COnstitu-
tions for no one has any positive knowl-
edge on the subject. Does any one kJlOl0, /
is there any evidence, historical or ira
dictionary, that Solomon was Mason,
or that Hiram was killed? Is there q
single well authenticated Masonic tradi-
dttion? Is the Charter Of Cologne genu- |
inc b? Are Athelstan's Constitutions |
so-Or the poem found in the BOdleian
library? 1t is not wise to provoke too
nqgch inquiry.
10th. The Scottish degrees are Scottish,
and not French. They are Scottish for
reasons Of which the Editor seems to be
ignorant.
He says, We recognize nothing as
Masonry, outside OF the York Rite"
Even American Blue Masonry is not the
York Rite. To call it so is a fraud. But
bv what right does he call the eleven de-
grees Of Blue, r. A, Cryptic and Tenn
plar Masonry, the York Rite?" He
knows that to call it 50 is fraud 1t is
no Rite at ali and if it were, it was
never practiced at York. The Cryptic
were side degrees Of the Scottish
Masonry: the Red Cross was stolen from
the 18th and 18Th Of the Lodge of Per-
fectioB the Royal Arch manufactured
out of French Masonry and the Tenn
plar degree was brought from France to
England as our Kadosh. All this we
shall prsve.
It is absolutely false that the Scottish
Rite in any Degree ignores all religions
and teaches a bold Atheism" EUegy
lOhere il teaches the doctrine that there
is a great, good and benefcent God.
What does he mean when be says that
Scottish Masonry ignores the truth of the
Blue degrees? 1t dOes teach that the
legend of the Masters degree is allegOr-
zeal and symbolic. Does he pretend to
believe that it is historically true? II be
does, he is beyond the reach OF argument.
He says that Scottish Masonry ignores
the symbolism Of the Blue degrees. He
is unfortunate in the Use Of words. 1t
does not ignore the symbolism of those
but it does say that the initiates
Of the Blue Lodges do dot understand the
meaning Of their own symbols ard that F;
is true. He does not himself understand
them. He has the Master Mason's
word and does not kylOtg 70. He knows {
nothing Of the Scottish Rite, deliberately /
violates its sacred obligations, and fol-
lows the example Of Morgan as far as he
can do so; and knows as little of that
Rite as he knows, in reality, Of Blue I
Masonry itself. {
We say that he has violated his solemn Z
He talks glibly OF what is
contained in the Rituals Of the Degrees,
aud advises some one 70 purchase and I
read them. Does he not know that neith- |
ar be nor any other Individual, not ali {
officer commissioned to confer Degrees, ]
can possess them? Does he not know IL
that he has no right TO speak Of what s
they contain? He pleads that he really :
does not know what obligations be did |
take, as he took so many together. What ,
a confession for Mason 10 make He [
knows that he violates his obligations by |
stating that this or the other thing is s
told 70 candidates in the degrees Of the
and Accepted Rite; and more {
over, he wilfully misrepresents what they
are told, by tearing afew words from their /
He says that the Scottish !
Rite pxOnounces Grand Lodges nuis. I