The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1870-03-24

n lew years ago he filled the office OF Oranu
Master of Odd Fellows, and for several years
has been Secretary ofthe Grand Chapter and
Recorder of the Grand Council of Freema-
sons; the duties of which ofhces'he dis
charged with an ability that elected praise
from all. For twenty-four successive years
he has published an annual known as ''Kee-
lers Mississippi Almanac" and through
that and other mediums, furnished the
public, from year to year, with much valu-
able information. His bereaved family will
have the hearty sympathy of the great
brotherhood of which he was a member.
Letter from Past Grand Master
Cartwright.
GHoLsoN. Miss, March IL 1870.
Brother Poorer in your last ISSUE you
endorse the opinion Of Pomeroy's Democrat,
that in my late Address to the Grand
Lodge of Mississippi, did injustice to the
Masonic Fraternity of the State, in fixing
the moral and intellectual status of the
Order in our Jurisdiction. / am willing to
throw myself upon the candid judgment of
the Craft, and to that end, win be pleased
tosee, in your masonic column, the portions
ofmy Address, that are obnoxious to your
sense of justice. My Address was penned
u
true condition of the Fraternity, that proper
and legitimate steps might be taken to puri-
fy the organization, and illustrate our prin-
ciples. NV position as Grand Master made
me the Chief Overseer of the work; and /
do not believe that you are prepared to say,
that failed in proper effort to understand
and discharge my duty, no matter how in
adequate my abilities. You were Grand
Secretary and ought to know.
Whatever may be my shortcomings,
have never been guilty Of flattering immor-
al members or ignorant members of ''the |
most moral institution known to man. in |
the belief that they were all right. Our |
monitors, in the second or Fellow Crafts |
Degree, teach the Craft and the world, that |
a study of the Seven Liberal Arts and Sci
ences and profound and real, and humble |
reverence for God and his name, constitute |
distinctive traits of the Freemason's life. /
would haven't so; and when am called by
the duties of an Office report upon the
condition of things, hope l shall always
speak candidly, looking to the general good
i did so in January last.
1 regard the paragraph, to which allusion
was made in the beginning of this note, as
an invitation from the Grand Secretary to
expressions-at least, 1 regard it as well
calculated to weaken the good effect of my
Address, If it had any. If my report was
incorrect, my estimate unjust, neither
arose from lack of opportunities tor inform
ing myself,s inferior to those enjoyed by
yourself or Pomeroy's Democrat-it was
weakness. of judgment, and for that, let me
be pardoned.
THos. 5. GATHRIGHT
=. q. Master.
We confess to reluctance to be drawn
into anything having the semblance of a
controversy with Past Grand Master Gath
right, for there is no Brother for whom we
have higher personal or official regard
And we utterly disclaim that the paragraph
which we penned, and to which he refers.
was designed as san invitation from the
Grand Secretary to the Masons of Mississip-
pi to censure" his expressions. Complying
with his requst, we republish that portion
of the Address which is obnoxious to our
sense ofiustice
Man is gregarious in his nature, and out
of this condition of his organization arises
much of the impulse that drives him to our
doors. In these degenerate times, when
incense rises from most unhOly sacrifice, to
the Masonic East and to the Pulpit it is
feared that this gregariOus nature of man.
taken with some other elements, not more ,
ennobling, impel more votaries to Masonry ,
than are urged forward by those high in )
ceutives ayowed by every one who seeks .
membership in our grand and glorious fra :
ternity. The result is, we see no work done :
by Masonry akin to what the outside world :
has right to expect. If we were better
men, wiser men, among whom charges of
lying and swindling, and other kindred
denominations did not exist, we might de-
clare that our objective point had been :
I,l1
accusing each other of bad faith and of ey-
cry wrong 10 Ridden by the laws of con-
the laws of man-and by the
laws ofGod. Masons are heard to profane
The name of God, as frequently as other men ,
do. Masons are not more intelligent than
other men are. in the same communitv A
Masons devote as little time to the study Of e,
literature science and art, as do any other II
class of men. Masons can be found. if not II
Pin the floor of this Grand Lodge, through o,
)ut our jurisdiction, trho are not able to defRe
IA angle or a circle. Masons gather in the ac- r.
of the year, and dispense, in
lets OF benevolence, as little as other men.
t must be understood, that these structures
Ipply to Mas0ns as whole body, and that
hey cannot offend a conscience which does
lot reproaeh itself.
We submit to the candid reader that what
he Grand Master designed as admonition 4
to the level of a scold. We do not he
elieve that ''Masons are constantly accu- G.
ing eacn Obner OF DAD falth. We do not -
elieve that they "are heard to profane the eli
anne of God as frequently as other men do pr
Re believe that Masons can be intelligent IN
nd possess large stock of strong, common A.
snse, and yet not be 'abie to define an an co
lie or a circle" And we totally dissent su
ON the statement that Masons dispense. Nl'
acts OF benevolenee, as little as other men, rsr
id not our reading and observation Justify
contrary conclusion, we should think that
lie institution of Freemasonry was ofno
'actical benefit to mankind, and that vast
Mount of time is wasted in attendance nm -
meetings and ceremonies
We did not intimate that the Grand Mas
r failed in proper effort to understand \
d discharge his duty. None could have -
Ell more Jealous or faithful in the dis
arge of all the duties of the high Office of On
and Master than was Brother Gathripbt
ring the two years of his service. But
N Grand Masters may be falIible. and ,
y err in their judgment as we think our rs
tinguished Brother has done in penning i G
paragraphs quoted above. Cor.