Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-11-16


we cannot require a candidate TO have
degrees which some Of the members ol
our Supreme Council do not have. i am
not sure that Ill. Bro. Bachelor, OF
Louisiana is a Templar, or H.. Bro.
Buist, Of South Carolina. We do not IN
quire. We do not recognize the h. I's.
OF America as Templ0Ts. The kadosh
degree, is 10 US, the only Templar degree.
5th. We cannot exclude Master Masons
who are Hebrews, from the Scotli5h
Rite, by requiring all candidates to have
the 4emplar degree, If we were otherwise
willing 10 do 80. The Rite Of Perfection
was originally propagsted in America by
Hebrews, and they were 81 an early day
represented in the Supreme Council AZ
Charleston. One Of our most valued
3sds is H.. Bro. McCOweD, faithful
Hebrew, of Little Rock; and another
. was Ill.' Bro. Kursheedt, companion
In two Journeys to Palestine OF Sir Moses
Montefi fiore. Here IN Memphis. too, we
have H.. Bro. FranklsDd, 32d, than
whom no one IL more faithful TO his
ancient religion.
9th. We cannot consent to electloneeT
for the Chapters and Communicates by
proclsimiBg that no one can receive our
degrees unless be has first gone to the
. "
lTemplsr Might it not as modestly be
demanded of your Commsnderies that
they should receive no one not already a
Knight Rose Croix? There ought at
least to be mutually in some way.
These reasons seem to me amply suffi-
cIent 70 warrant US in declining to yield
10 your demand as Grand Commander
4 OF the Grand Commentary of K. T. OF
! Missouri. have stated them frankly, in
the hope of satisfying your scruples and
convincing you that we cannot make SO
radical 8 change in our fundamental
law.
am very weary Of controversies in
| Masonry, do not desire to engage in any
more, and, with entire respect for your
/ opinion, cannot see even plausible
/ ground for any in this case. OF course
! you must decide for yourself what steps
/ you will take, as Grand Commander, and
ifyou think it wise. carry out your threat
| of controversy. cannot see how there
| is any question Of jurisdiction in Missouri
/ between the Scottish Rite and Royal
/ Arch Masonry or Templarism. Each
| moves in its own orbit, neither, any
| where that know of, interfering with
! the other.
y .
! terring US from receiving Master MasOns,
or them from obtaining our degrees.
| Averse as am to controversy, / shall,
7 if you or any body Of Roysl Arch Masons
/ or Templars compel me to it, Tetort with
| such force as / can, and shall not spare
/ the pretenees of Chapter Masonry or
| Templarism to antiquity, or to the right
| full possession Of secrets borrowed from
! the Scottish Rite. ..
You remark that you and all Missouri
Masons regard the obligations OF the first
! four bodies as paramount TO all the
others. / am not aware that there is
ANYTHING in the obligations of the de-
/ grees of the Ancient and Accepted Rite
/ which conflicts with those Of Chapter or
| Templar Masonry. If there is, the last
| thing that we should be asked to do is to
require candidates for our degrees to re-
ceive those. 1 do not know, either,
that any one obligation, solemnly taken,
/ is inferior to any other. There can be no
| obligation paramount to those Of Ka-
dOsh. I understand from your letter
! that you are in possession Of that degree.
| I have answered your letter without any
reference to that or to your character as
Grand Commander Of another Order,
in no way connected with the Ancient
and Accepted Rite, and the work o.
which was manufactured in America, in
no degree or manner resembling the an
cient ceremony OF reception Of the Tenn
plars, and quite as little that in use in
England.
Il is my duty further to say, that, as
the Sovereign Grand Commander Of the
Supreme Council to which you have
sworn allegiance as a KadOsh, | decide
| your imputation that in the comforting
/ Of our degrees any Of the Secrets Of any
other Order or Rite or degree are revealed,
TO be utterly unfOunded; that no author
tiles of any other order, however exalted
| thew may be, can be heard TO demand
that we shall not confer our degrees, as
has ALWAYS been done, on Master MssOns /;
and that you cannot, on the gTOuBd
which you assume, hold yourself absOlved
from your allegiance to the Supreme
| Council, aud much less assume an atti-
tude Of hostility to it.
To dispute its jurisdiction in Missouri,
| or impede its progress there, would prove
a very serious step for kadosh TO take
on grounds that ! sm compelled TO de-
clare so utterly futile.
lam happy toreply to you personally,
and 10 discuss any questions connected
With Masonry. But you will please not
Q
| Grand Commander, because should deem
! it very censurable in me to entertain and
discuss any proposition, coming from the
authorities OF any other order, kuightly
1 or Masonic, in respect to the mode in
| which, or the persons on whom we
/ should confer our degrees. To the Grand
| Commander, that would, with entire
respect. be cur reply. To H.. Bro.
\ GouIey, a Kt.' Kadosh, II hope also a
/ S2n I have replied in different manner;
| definitely assuring him, at the same
/ time, that his proposition Tor compro-
mise is respectfully declined.
| Pardon me also for suggesting that II
any treaty OF compromise could be en-
! tered into, or any preliminary nego-
/ tiatiOps to that end entered upon, 1t
I would not be With the Grand Com
mander of State Grand Bodythat l
/ should discuss the terms, but only with
! the Grand Master OF Templars OF the
| United States, who is himself 33d.
Permit me, in conclusion, 70 say
1 that / cannot but think that when
/ YOU shall better have studied and
| become more familiar with the Au-
cient and Accepted Rite, you will
/ appreciate it more highly and be
/ willing 10 give US the assistance OF your
/ valuable services in extending among
| the men Of intellect capable Of spprecia-
ting it, Bite so well worthy Of their
/ consideration.
I With nigh regard and esteem,
an truly and fraternally yours,
! ALBEIT PIKE, SsD,
| Soy Gr.'. Comm.