Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-07-25
From the New Orleans Republican.
Masonic HOnOrS.

ROYAL CONTINENT To THE CHIEF or TIE
KNIGHTS TUrLAR ~ TIE UNITED STATES.
The circumstances which led to the con
lcrring of the order Of the Grand Gross on
J. q. A. Fellows are very interesting.
In 1850 he was Grand Master of Loui,i-
ana. In this capacity he dedicated the
CLAY statue. His remarks on this occasion
attracted attention because Of his pointed
reference TO Clay's often expressed idea on
the unity of the country. Mr.. Fellows held
his position six years, and saved the Grand
Lodge intact when il was distressed hy dis
scnsiou- both internal and external. At
the time of the breaking out of the war all
the Masonic records of the Grand Comman-
derv of Knights Templar wee in this city.
Mr. Fellows preserved them and forwarded
them, after the war was over, North. lie
was elected subordinate officer OF the
/ Grand Commandery of Knights Iemplar OF
/ the United States in 1862. In lo65, at Co
lumbus, Ohio, he was elected third officer OF
| Knights Templar Of the United States.
In ls6s he was ordained at st. Louis
second officer by regular promotion In
| Is7l. nj Baltimore he was elected chief OH
| Ger. In 1861 the prisoners captured by
| the Confcderates at Bull Run, some 500 In
number. were brought to New Orleans.
| Eight of them, being Masons, addressed as
| communication to Mr.. Fellows, he then
/ being Grand Master of this State. He re-
! lieved them in prison, ana communicated to
/ the Grand Lodge of New York the fact, OF
/ which nearly every one in the North was
ignorant. that these men were confined here.
He received under the frank of Secretary
| Cameron, from Holland Lodge, No. s, that
of De Witt Clinton, the first Grand Com
mander of the United States, resolution OF
thanks The Grand Lodge of Ireland passed
similar resolutions, and ordered them circu-
lated throughout the world wherever they
were in communication. All these fact
contributed to bringing Mr. Fellows to the
honor he has had conferred on him.
Sir Patrick Colquhoun in 1867 conceived
the idea Of uniting the divided lodge:
of Knights Iemplar of England, IRELAND
and Scotland. This was TO be accom-
plished on the same plan whlci
unites the lodges in the Unitei States
and was originated by De Witt Clinton II
IsIG-the Grand Encampment of the UniteC
States. On the 7th of April, 1873, thi
union was consummated, and the Prince o
Wales was installed Most Eminent Grani
Commander Of the Unity of Lodges. Ol
this occasion he conferred the order of th
Grand Cross, specially created for the oc
casion, on the Emperor William of Prussia
T King Oscar of Sweden, Sir J. z. A. Eel
lows, Grand Commander of the Unite
States, and some others,
,, The following is a copy Of the order con
ferring the homer:
Quod bonum felix fausturuque sit mih tihiqu
nostrisque commlitionibus sub auspeiis lllu
trissim Albert fdoardo, Cambria, Princip ipls Sun
! mi ct Supreni Christi ct Temph Salomonis Hieros
! | lymisaniin Angli;e ct Hiberni1 regns Magistri.
Pa.ricius de Colquhoun
Ordonis Archiregistrarius
= JOHANN q. A. FELLOWS,
: Summo ct Supreme Confederate
- Republics Ainerican9 MagistrO.
Salutem
l Ccrtiorem te flcere-g gaudes ut Prineipi Cambri
nero motu ct grata sua propra die VII. Id. April
a | placueris in te fraterem ct committeeman SUI
! Insignia Magma Crucis 0rdonis conferre ita
D ligamina amoris fraterni inter gentes sanguil
| cdnfunctos nrctius constriurantur.