Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-04-25

! The st. Louis FFee8l08Og is resolved on
finding the lowest deep, if there be any
such place in Justification. In its number
for April we find this case stated by the
editor:
Bro. Jno. Smith is a Master Mason. r. A. Ma
son, r. aud = Mason, and X. T., and is also an
l active member or the supreme Council at
/ Charleston. and is q SD and Sovereign Grand
| Inspector General for life. He commits a gross
| uumasOnic crime against his Lodge and Ma
| sOnry; he is expelled and appeals to the Grand
| LOds5e, and the expulsion is confirmed. That
expulsion follows through the Chapter, the
Cryptlc aud Tenn plar BODIES, and he is cut OF
from sll Masonic communication. Bro. John
/ Jones, who belongs 70 the some bodies With
/ Bro Smith, Is also 82d, and is prohibited from
Masonic intercourse with Bro Smith in the
/ first four bOdi' :. Why? Because the Grand
/ Ledge determines Masonic lifein the American
/ system. NotsO, however, IN the A and A >
Rite. The Supreme Council does not recognize
/ the action OF the Grand Lodge on Bro. Smiths
| case, and his membership aud control in the
| Council remains intact. AS q " Chlei ln Ma
sOnry, he stiu rules AMI Bro. Jones and all the
other brethren VINO be Ong 10 the southern fEr
risdictiOn are bound u recognize Bro. Smith.
nos only as Mason, hut as a "high Mason"
Here the action of the Grand Lsdge Il paraly zed
and rendered null and VOID providing the A.
and A. :. Rite is " NJ asOnic.'
This is one of the statements that are
made because they would benefit the
party who makes them, II they sgere true,
as to which be does not know, and so
makes them and takes the chances. If
they turn out to be false, he can say he
was mistaken. If true, then he has inside
a good hit.
The Editor in question hoped that what
he was about to state was true. It was
an excellent thing to say, # true. He had
no information that it was SO, and 10 rea-
son to suppose it so; but it was too good
a chance to make a point, for him TO lose.
Well, unfortunately for him, it is not
true. No such doctrine has ever been
held In the Ancient and Accepted Scot
fish Rite. On the contrary, the greatest
cause of discomfort among the Latin
brethren in Louisiana is, thst we recOg-
nize the law to be just the other way.
We say that if a Mason, within the ju-
risdictiOn of Blue Lodge, is tried by it,
after notice, and il having Jurisdiction,
and convicted Of an unmssoHic offence,
that judgment is conclusive every
on the plain ground that he agreed, on
becoming q Mason that the Lodge should
have right to try him. 1t is the find
ing and judgment Of q tribunal of COM
petent jurisdiction, only reversible by
appeal, and which cannot be gone be-
hind or the mstter inquired into anew,
anywhere. Just so we say that a con-
viction by q Court, Of criminal offence,
is conclusive in a Lodge, aud it cannot 60
behind it and inquire into the facts.
And 50 we say it ought to be the case
that a conviction in a Chapter, Com
mRndery, Council or Consistory, or
any other body to which Mason be-
longs, and which, because he is a mem
Der, has right to try him, should be
conclusive in Blue Lodge, when certi-
fed there.
Any how, the Frsepaas0n has, IS usual,
discovered another large mares nest. 1t
is welcome to the eggs. Pity it should
be so Often-Blistakea