Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-02-02
Gen. Pike In Regard 10 the An
tiquity of MasOnry.

Washington Cor. n. Y, Herald.l
VIEWS OF GENERAL ALBERT PIKE.
General Albert Pike, whose con,
nection with Freemasonry is well
known throughout the United States,
said that when the first dispatch was
received relative to the discovery in
Egypt he naturally felt some curiosity
as to what the emblems we're. He
supposed they were the common ira
ditions among Masons, who had from
all time made their mark upon their
works. Later it appeared that
the symbols were solid represen-
t%ations, and taking the facts as
reported, he thought that the proper
way to approach the subject was to
say that it was "a mares nest" He
had read the description of the ar
ticles found and was free to say that
they did not bear any Semblance
whatever to Freemasonry.
TUE EMBLEMs CONSIDERED.
MI. Pike then took up the cable
telegram and said:
As tothe altar it is simply the He
brew altar, and has no relation to
modern Freemasonry whatever except
that its dimensions are recognized as
belonging to any degree of Masonry,
operative or speculative. The apren
is so peculiar that no FreemasOn of
any ordinary degree of intelligence
could possibly mistake its meaning.
1t would be unnecessary to say that in
its proportions it bore the
closest possible relation to mod
ern Masonry. If he went into
details it would be only a demonstra-
ton of the problems of Freemasonry
and would show what is accepted by
every Mason. The square said to
have been found was not a Masonic
square, because every Mason's square
represents the figures three and four
of the two arms, being a symbol used
BY Pythagoras, and before his time by
Zoroaster. AS to the symbols of
any higher degrees, nothing yet
published shows that they have
anything to do with them, General
Pike then said that he did not be-
lieye that the present system OF
Masonry or anything like it was in
existence at the time the obelisk was
put up. Some Of the symbols OF
Masonry are very ancient, because
they were used by PythagoraS and
we're borrowed from Babylon and
have been adapted to modern Mason
ry, and it was due in this connection
that some of the explanations
had really been forgotten. General
Pike then said that some of the sym.
bols now used b. Freemasons came
from the hermetic philosophers who
took a part in arranging the present
degrees, and among these are the
square and compass and the double
headed eagle, all Of which are old
hermetic symbols, while all the tri-
angles and double and triple triangles
are Pythagorean. Then there were
some other symbols entirely modern.
The crux ansata, the Egyptian Symbol
of life, which appears on Egyptian
monuments in the hands of many Of
the deities, is not a symbol of blue
masonry, but has been borrowed, and
is used in some of the higher degrees
Masonry, Mr.. Pike said, has not gol
any emblem of the sun, so that DR.
Tanton may have some peculiar
symbolism which it is not known
to use. We have the point
in the circle, but not as an emblem O
the sun, and we have the blazing stal
also, but not as an emblem of the sun
While DR.. F%anton's observations may
be correct, where he is, we lack OF
this side of the water the exacr
knowledge ofthe facts, aud in the alb.
sence of those facts it would be use
less to speculate.
NOTHING VALUABLE FOUND.
General Pike, in reply to the ques
ton whether he thought any gooC
would come out of the discoveries
said not a particle. Nothing yaluabl,
has yet been found, and he did not Sc,
where the Masonic fraternity could
possibly derive any advantage iron
these discoveries. In conclusion b.
said II have not the slightest idei
that Freemasonry, in its present form
or shape, had any existence older thai
the seventeenth century. Ali attempt
to prove that it existed at a
earlier date are nonsense. l have ex
pended a large sun Of money in tn
purchase of books, and have studio
the subject to see If there was any
thing in the records of history to sho'
close connection with Masonry, an
all | have ever been able to discove
is . bare relation Of the symbols. Tn
degrees, signs and symbols as now III
derstOOd among Masons, r compar'
lively modern. l think the Egyptia
relics belong to- a veritable mare
most ~