The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1870-09-15

| auOptlOl, Ie-o--A
| tons:
Resolved. That the recent murders, by off
GERS of the Spanish Government, On the ISLAND
, | of Cuba. of a large number OF persons, with
out trial for being Free Masons, and the i'm
| prisonment of many others, for the SAINT
offence, il barbarity of which we had no
supposed any Government, protesting TO b
| civilized could have been capable; and W.
denounce its cold-hearted and malignant
| atrOcity, al scarcely equaled in the annals o
murder, and brands mark of Cain upon the
perpetrators, their sympathizers and abettors
that time can never eface, or humanity forge
| or forgive, and we pronounce upon them Oul
| bitterest denunciations.
Resolved, That we are of opinion that s
meeting Of Grand Masters, charged with th'
special duty of considering this subject, is no
| necessary, bat that Masonic bodies every
where, should denounee the great deed o.
| barbarism, by branding the criminals a. hey
deserve, and holding them up TO the exeeratior
Of the world. We do not; Masons, make
war or seek revenge, but quietly rest ouI
cause-that ofLiberty, of liberation of OPT Mon
of Faith, Hope and Charity on an appeal Il
the reason, the conscience and humanity Of The
civilized world.
Resolved, That the friends and relatives OF
the dead, and also brethren in prison,
have our warmest sympathy and eommisera-
| ton.
Resolved, That for the murdered dead our
martyrs, we mourn with deepest anguish, and
| To commemorate their sad fate, that in our
published proceedings memorial tablet be
inscribed TO their memory.
A beautiful tablet is inscribed sacred" 10
their memory in the printed proceedings.
In the absence of official data, refrain
| from an opinion on this subject.
The TwoFoLD CHARACTER or THE GRAND
| MASTERS OFFICE.-The Grand Lodge of
/ Indiana puts its Grand Master on double
duty. Aside from his duties as Grand Mas
/ ter he is expected to do up the work of
! Foreign CORES Ondence, and he very wisely
/ asks the Grand Lodge to relieve him of the
/ labors of this last mentioned office.
! In acknowledging the receipt Of the pro-
| ceedings of thirtv-eight Grand Lodges,
Mississippi for 1853 and 1870, among the
| number, he says:
! "Having had but little time to devote to an
examination OF these proceedings, l am not
able to present to you extended review of
Masonry in other Jurisdictions, OF The bust
ness transacted by other Grand Lodges.
regret that this is the case, for | think a full
report should he presented ut each Annual
Communication. In every State but ours, this
labor is performed by committee appointed
for that purpose, who present ct each annual
meeting a summary of the business and work
of all the other Jurisdictions. These reports
are printed with tine proceedings of the Grand
Lodges, and thus furnish 10 the Craft a knowl-
edge of the working of Masonry abroad as
well as At home. There can be no good rea son
why should stand as single exception 10
a practice that has so long and so universally
prevailed There seems to me to he selfish
ness "A coldness and an almost want of court
esy in this exelusiveness. Ours is one of the
largest Grand Lodges in this country, and we
like to be remembered members Of the
great Masonic family. Let MS cultivate the
social virtues and strengthen the bond Of
union by reciprocating this fraternal inter
course.
CHARTERS AND DIsPENs TIoNS.-TWcnty
five Charters, nineteen DispcnSations for the
formation of new Lodges, and sixteen Dis
pensatiOns for special elections were granted
during the year.
This Grand ntloa ON Traces eleven Dis
tricts, and has two Deputies, and the Grand
Master says that the reports made to him by
these Deputies "shOw that there is a dispo-
sition on the part ofvery many ofthe Lodges
to perfect themselves in the work and
lectures, and | am more than ever satisfied
of the utility ofthis system ofappOintmentS."
DISCIPLINE PROPERLY ADMINISTERED
1t is sometimes the case that unworthy
men are placed in positions where the only
use they make of their station and power is
TO abuse them. When such is the case. dis
cipline becomes necessary 10 prevent the
exercise of such power and to guard the in
alienable rights of others.
We doubt whether Il case can be found on
record which shows amore wanton violation
of the laws, rules and regulations of Masonry
which every w. Master has solemnly bound
himself to obey, or a more total disregard of
the sacredness of obligations, than that eX-
hibited in the complaint against the w.
Master of Laurel Lodge, No. 30. Being
satisfied that the W. Master was the guilty
party, and that the Lodge such was in
nocent of the affair, the NJ. w. Grand
Master suspended the W. Master from dis
charging the duties of that office for the
remainder of the term for which he had
been elected. The punishment was just, rs
we think all will be persuaded, upon bare
statement of the case. The papers in the
case were all placed in the hands OF the
committee on Charters, and as their report
covers the whole ground we give 1t entire
that each one may see for himself that the
punishment was merited To the last degree.
The report is as follows
LAUREL Lopez, No. 29.-From the Adj
dress of the NJ W. Grand Master as well as
from the papers presented to us, in the matter
of complaint against the W. Master OF this
Lodge. we learn that at n Stated Communica-
ton of the Lodge, held on the 18th day of
April, 1870, q ballot was had on a petition
for initiation, when two negative votes APP
pearing, the W. Master, in violation of the
laws of the Grand Lodge, ordered a second
ballot to be had. On the second ballot, there
still appearing two negative votes the ".
Master proceeded to close the Lodge, and the
members dispersed, about one-halt of those
present returning to their homes. The others,
with the W. Master and Secretary then re-
turned. opened the Lodge, took a third ballot,
declared the candidate elected, and then pro-
ceeded to initiate him in this irregular man
ner; and then after his initiation, proceeded
TO spread the ballot again, and declared him
elected TO the second degree of Masonry.
With such q sta tement of facts before us, we
night nationally begin TO have some doubts as
TO whether we are really living in civilized !
age, where the sacredness of obligations are |
revered, or whether we may not yet be living |
in the barbarOus ages of the past, where might |
alone was considered right.
That there is found within the jurisdiction !
of this Grand Lodge Mason Who has 50 little |
regard for his obligations to not only stand |
to and abide by, but also to support and main |
tain the laws, rules and regulations of the |
Order, as to wantonly violate them, the |
w. Master of Laurel Lodge, No. -, has done in |
the case now before us, may well challenge /
the degree of civilization We claim to have |
arrived at.
The only excuse offered for such outrageous /
conduct upon the part of the W. Master, is that /
he knew he was violating his obligations as |
well as the laws of the Grand Lodge, YET he |
could see no other way by which the applicant /
could be made a Mason.
We are much pleased TO learn that the M.
w. Grand Master has exercised his authority t
by promptly removing him from his office, and |
we trust it viii be long before any one who
has so little regard for the obligations resting !
upon him, will again be placed in a position |
where he can wantonly violate the rules of
the Order and intiict upon the body of Mason
ry such an outrage.
We therefore recommend that the action of |
the NJ. w. Grand Master, in removing Bro.
Israel Burris from the office of W Master OF |
hereby approved, and further, that il is his |
duty to speedily put the said Burris upon trial
before his Lodge, upon proper charges and
specifications, for his grossly unmasoRic con-
duet, that the penalty justly due the moral
turpitude may be melted out to him..
GRIEvANCEs.-Thisc committee disposed of /
seventeen cases in a manner creditable to /
and in perfect accordance with /
what we believe to be strict justice in each |
case. From this report we clip the follow
ing, w hich show how perfectly the Grand |
Lodge and its Subordinates agree in Judg- |