The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-03-21
MAsoxIC ooLUnM.

view, we invite Information or communications on
ali subjects of interest from brethren throughout
the State. Inquiries on all matters of Masonic
law and Jurisprudence win be received and an
swered, by competent authority, and We shall be
obliged to masters aud secretaries of lodges at any
time for any interesting information they may fur
nish us relative thereto.
GRAND ooSsrsToRY.
The stated meeting of the Grand Consistory
fixed by the statistics of the order at the term Of
the vernsl Equinox, will be held in the Grand
Lodge Hall on Tuesday, March %. at 7 Pm.
JEFFERSON LODGE, NO. 19l ~. D.
We learn that the lodge room of Jefferson
Lodge No. l9l. ~. d. chartered by the Grand
Lodge, on the 9th ult., will shortly be dedicated,
in Jtferson City. Its officers are Hugh Breen,
W. NJ; VIM. Franks, 8. W.; 7. Friend, j. W.;
II. O. Brown. Secretary.
THE GRAND LODGE OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA AND
THE GRAND ORIENT OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. E
AND FRATERNAL RELATIONS DIscoNrrNUED-RE-
PORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN CORES
PoNDENCE. oL
THEM. W. TIE GRAND LODGE OF THE STATE
OF LOUISIANA.
GRAND SEcRETARY's OFFICE,
New Orleans, February Is, 1869.
To all to whom these presents may come-Greetins:
At the Fifty seventh Annual Communication of
the N. w. Grand Lodge of the State of Louisiana.
held in New Orleans, February s, 1862 the follow,
ing special report and resolutions were submitted
by the Committee on Foreign Correspondence,
and made the special order TOR inc commuDica-
ton of the 9th instant, when the same were taken
up and adopted, with only one dissenting voice;
To the NJ W. Grand Lodge Of the Stats Of louisiana:
Your Committee ON Foreign Correspondence re.
specially submit the following report on the re-
cent violation of the rules of Masonic comfy by
the Grand Orient of France, In recognizing and
entering into irsternal relations with the called
- q onA in and
for the sovereign State Of louisiana" spurious
organization which has planted clandestine lodges
in our midst. The Bulletin Of the Grand ORIENT,
for October, 1868, contains the following decree
and the report upon which it Is based:
lTrsnsstior.l
DECREE.
We, the Grand Master OF the Masonic Order in
France.
the proposition which has been addressed to us
by the Supreme Council of the State OF Louisiana.
sitting ct the East OF New Orleans, that official
and friendly relations be established between that
Masonic power and the Grand Orient of France;
DESTROYS of giving the said Supreme Council a
token of our fraterDal sympathes, and to encou
rage 1t as far as lies 10 our power, in the phlan-
TROPICAL course upon which II has entered by
opening the doors of its temples to all men who
may be deemed worthy Of initiation. without re.
gard to nationality, race or color;
Considering that among the Masonic powers OF
the globe, the Grand Orient was among the first
to become q propogaudist (pGpOtre) of this great
act of justice, and that it has always fastened TO
tender its aid and CO operation to those Masonic
powers which have evinced desire TO follow in
its footsteps and to be inspired with the same SEN
timents;
By virtue of article "a of the Constitution:
Have decreed and dc hereby decree:
AAT l. From this date official and friendly rela-
tons are ests plshed between the Grand Orient of
France and the Supreme Council of A. and A. 3.
A. nsa utf~ -
New Orleans. The fra'ernal ties which hence.
forth unite these two Masonic powers will ulti
matey be further strengthened By the reciprocal
appointment of representatives (gdrdnts d'a1at.
tie)
ART. 2. Our Deputy Grand Master, the ILL., Bro.
Alfred Blanche, is entrusted with the promulga-
ton of this decree.
Given at the Hall of the Grand Orient of France,
this 5th day OF November, 1868.
MELLINEr. Grand Master Of the Order.
BY the Grand Master;
ALFRED BLANCHE, Deputy Grand Master.
REPORT.
To the Grand Master Of the Order, on the applics-
ton of the Supreme Council of New Orleans.
looking to the establishment Of official relations
with the Grand Orient of France
Mosr ILL. GRAND MASTER:
You have confded to me the duty of present.
ing TO you report on the application of the Su-
preme Council of the A. and A. 5. Rite for the
sovereign and independent State of Louisiana, at
spondence and to appoint mutual representatives..
In the discharge of this duty, it has been neces-
ssry to consult the precedents in this case and to
take into consideration the circumstances under
which the application is made. The following,
M. III. Grand Master, is the result Of my investi-
cation, and the proposition have the honor to
submit.
In the United States of America, Freemssonry
has attained its greatest development; there also,
by an increasing immigration from every quarter
of fha o.
unprecedented ratio. Masonry landed there from
Europe with civilization; but, as was inevitable
in country teeming with resources OF ell kinds,
and endowed with an activity and genius pecu.
liarly its own, institution was modified in the
course of time and has received an original char
acter diversified by local customs and the pro-
gress of events.
The York and the A. and A. s. Rites were sue.
cessively introduced there towards the close Of
the eighteenth century. The latter, being organ
lied by virtue of the consttution of l7S6, attrib
saed to King Frederick ii of Prussia, soon
acquired control of Masonry In the United States.
Grand Lodge of this Rite had been organized at
Charleston In 1888. This Lodge, in order TO COM
ply with article of the constitution Of Frederick,
which provides for tsoo Supreme Councils for the
whole OF North America, merged itself 10 the Su-
preme Council founded In the same city 10 1901
and the latter established the second Supreme
Council in 1878, at New YORK. whence it was
afterward transferred to Boston.
As State after State was added 10 the Union ard
the population augmented, the number of Lodges
and of Masons also increased. II would be too
tedious and altogether useless to relate the efforts
made at various times to establish rival bodies TO
these two Supreme Councils ii will be suh-
Gent to say that the most serious attempts were
founded principally upon the assertion that the
pretended constitution of Frederick was spocry-
phal that at best il possessed only provisional
character and that the new wants Of Masonry re-
CURED an Independent authority in each iadepen
dent State.
On the 9th Of October, 1889, Supreme Coun-
eli vas esfsbifrhed Now orlsens- by the Mar
quis de Santiago (5antagelo,) who, while intro
ducing an innovation, pretended to constitute this
Council by virtue Of the constitution of l7s6. TIE
Supreme Council of France refused to recognize
this Masonic power. but the Grand Orient DON
sented to treaty of alliance and friendship, by
VIII tue of which the name Of the Supreme Council
Of New Orleans appeared for several years In the
"Annuaire Maconnlque" of the Grand Orient.
Nevertheless, by the side Of this Supreme Coun'
ell and at the same East Of New Orleans, there
was in existence Grand Lodge deriving its pow
ers from the Supreme Council az Charleston, and
claiming jurisdiction over all the MasoDs of Louis
| isna. AS matter of course, this Grand Lodge
held as irregular the Supreme Council just men
| toned. This condition Of affairs was terminated
| by Conccrdat entered into February, 1855, be-
tween the two rival bodies, and in consequence Of
- nNIA do