The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-02-05


had nothing to gain by the pretension,
and if the relics exhumed by the removal
of the obelisk were valuable then they
would be examined by those skilled in
research and history and their value
properly estimated. 1t was regarded as
somewhat strange that like discovery
was not made when the obelisk was re-
moved by the British engineers. In ex-
planation, however, one member of the
order remarked that English engineers
were not so inquistive as the Americans,
aud that Commander Gorringe had
probably gone deeper in his work than
the English officials had.
DIR. MAcKEY's VIEWS.
There is in Washington one of the
most eminent among the Free Masons of
the world, q gentleman whose scholarly
aLtainments and erudition have given
his work prominence equal to that en-
joyed by those of the highest Free Ma
sons of the world, DR.. Albert G. Mackey,
who is in appearance very patriarch.
DR.. Mackey is the Secretary-General of
the Scottish Rites, and Past General
Grand High Priest of the United States
He is the author of the Encyclopedia of
Freemasonry and its kindred sciences, as
we'll as many other works upon Free
masonry of a standard character. After
considerable discussion about the nature
of the telegram, and taking into consid-
Grafton that Lieut.. Gorringe is young
man, and, if Mason, not as far ad-
vanced as some of the brethren of the
craft, be expressed his doubts whether
the relics discovered by Lieut. Com.
Gorringe, in the pedestal of the Alexan-
drian obelisk, were, in the generally un-
derstood sense of the word, Masonic en-
blems, as he does not trace Freemasonry
of the present time to Egypt or as exist
ing when those obelisks were erected.
He thinks it possible that the emblems
have been deposited there by the Egypt
ian priests, and as the Egyptian mystic.
ries over which they presided are well
known to have some resemblance in their
secret doctrines to those taught by the
Free Masons of the present day, these
might be, and probably were, symbols
common to both institutions. This is the
only theory DR.. Mackey in the present
early state of the discovery feels prepared
to venture upon. He thinks, however,
that The discovery is of great interest to
the world, and especially to the Masonic
fraternity, in view of what has been
written upon the subject of Egyptian
Masonry by learned men, both of Eng
land, France and Germany. If Lieut..
Gorringe had said that he had discovered
emblems resembling those in use by the
Free Masons of the present day DIR.
Mackey says he would only have been
adding another to the numerous instances
of the same kind which are to be found
in the Egyptian monuments which have
been brought to light by Champollion,
Wilkinson and other Psychologists.
HIGH MAsoNs DELIGHTED.
Upon the receipt of information to-day
at the headquarters of the Order of Scot
land that naval officer of the United
States had discovered relics Of Masonic
character beneath the Alexandrian ODE.
lisk, instructions were given by the head
of the Order to communicate immediate
ly with the head of the Masonic fraterni-
ty in Egypt and request him to obtain
photographs of the emblems unearthed
by the removal of the shaft. 1t appears
that there is division of opinion among
prominent members of the Masonic
Order as to the origin of Freemasonry-
some maintaining that it is descended
from the seat of ancient civilization,
while others are content to recognize its
origin in the Middle Ages. Among the
latter are those who have given the SUBJ
ject great attention and have accumu-
lated large number of valuable works
bearing upon all the points in contro-
versy. The advocates of the theory of
the ancient order of Masonry are delight
ed with the announcement that our gov
ernment has received, as it were, official
information of the existence Of Masonry
among the Romans.