The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-08-21
A vENoMoUS LETTER AND A PRO
PER RERUKE.
n DOcumemf'aII Southern Papers
should Publish

! From the Richmond Dispatch. Aug. T.
/ INTERESTING ILLUSTRATION or NORTuFIts
Literally. 49, The Junior Order Unite,
American Mechanics has not been known
| IN TINS city Tor any considerable length o
tllne. Rescue Council. No. |. was one OF th,
! first lodges established in Richmond. Ats
stated meeting OF that council ON the 15U
OF June last, information was given thai
Mr. ;. Iammett Allen had applied for 4
charter to opn new council here. IA,
name Of which was to have been Lee Couu-
ell. No. 2.
10 this application for n charter Mr.
Allen received the following reply:
"OFFIcE or THE NATIONAL SECRETARY
AND STATE COUNCIL OF PENNsYLVANIA
JR. o. u. A. NJ. T
PHILADELPHIA, june If, 1873.
Mr.. :. IIammett Allen:
- Dear SIR and Brother. | will send YOU
to-day three blank applications tor charters.
but l will tell you IA advance that no char
ter for a council To be named after General
Lee VIII be granted. Hundreds of the mem
bers Of onr Order ehlisted to pr, serve the
country from General Lees treason. MANY
of them gave up their lives in that causc.
At that time our ritual contained some
very severe illusions To traitors but at the
close Of the rebellion. with the desire Of re-
moving all remembrance Of that civil strife.
We revised our ritull. We are willing now
to bury the past, hut we will never allow
to be perpctuated in the history of our Or
der. " Yours, tTaternally.
" EDWARD :. DEFNFER,
. National Secretary"
This communication was received by Res
cue Council, but held by them for some lit
tie time for careful consideration and dis
cussion At the stated meeting held on The
10Th OF June ~ was resolved TO invite Col.
w. G. Darlington, of the Southern Cross
Brotherhood, 70 meet the members Of the
Council and discuss the matter on the 9th
of June. At that meeting Colonel Caring
ton was appointed 10 draw mp "A reply 10 the
foregoing letter.
On Friday. July 18th. Rescue Council met
again and resolved 10 return ~ charter aud
all property Ia which the National Council
had claim, and renounce all connection with
the Order. IL was also ordered that the fol-
lowing reply be sent 10 the letter Of the
National Secretary:
Richmond, VA, July 10, 1873.
Edward :. Dencer. National Secretary
Philadelphia, Pa:
Yours Of Ith June was duly received,
aud reply delayed for mature con-idcra-
tion.
' The sentiments of your letter awaken
our profouude-t Indignation and contempt.
because IL contains false and dsreputable
all"sions 10 the nOhlest, purest and best
msn who has honorcd this continent or the
Wofld Tor ages. All brave ana GniFalrO Us
men, even OF your section. who met Gen.
u. j.. Lee in our recent strife. acknowledge
his superior merit rs a soldier, hero, and
a Christian gentleman. and III the Order you
represent has sunk so low as TO allow sec
tional hate to obscure and absorb admira-
tion for the noble and the good, then our
demands that We repudiate all
connection with il. The ritual, even as You
say it is altered, has illusions looking Oh
scurely To such sentiments a you avOw, yet
we had not supposed such malignant venom
was concealed behind II, or we would ia the
start have taken our present action.
We return TO you by express, with the
charges prepaid, our charter. rituals, aud
everything TO which your body have claim, !
and with them our reputation aud con
iemnation of the unmauly sentiments you
announce,
You say your order is willing TO bury (
he past. but unwilling to perpetuatc the
memory of any Of the Southern leaders. We
90 are willing to bury the past, but not at
he price Of our honor, which forbids the
of such noble names and deeds
- fill the history of our recent struggle /
when we come to that degradation we will
lot desire 70 and trust we will not longer
ive-ft objects for the slow, unerring fin |
ger OF scOrn TO point at.
LAS evidence of official act, we hereto ap-
pend the last impression of a seal we hope 4
will ever disgrace decent Southern hands, |
and to that end shall seek to publish this 1
80 As 10 prevent the spTtau 4
lmOng honorable men Of SO ignoble an 1
Order
with contempt for your views and I'M
lying admiration of Gen. Robert r. Lee. /
lnd like honorable heroes Of all times and \
lations, Rescue Council bids you and your
Order final frewell.
lotto +. WISE, Sec'y."
1t is stated that Rescue Council has re-
eved another communication from Phila-
lelphia on the subject of the establishment
If new council here, but 1t is hardly
probable that the proposition will meet
With much favor after the above cOrrespon-
Ience has been ventilated by the press.