Daily Republican., 1880-05-20
THIRD EDITION.
MASONIC.
Yesterdays Proceedings Of the
COlOred MasOns.

Proceedings Of the
COlOred MasOns.
The colored Masons met in secret ses-
sion yesterday and adjourned in the af-
ternocn. The report Of The Committee On
Masonic origin, history, law and juris-
prudence showed that the COMMITTEES
have had under consideration, and
carefully examined The same, all, or
nearly all, of the most important Ma.
sonic law books which have been and
are now used among the Craft in this
and other countries, but, for want OF
time and space, it is needless to name
them all;thsrefore your committee only
deem it necessary to call the attention
of this Grand body to few Of the most
important Masonic authorities in refer
enoe to this important matter, namely !:
"Masonic Register of the world, Chase's
Digest of Masonic Law, ,Fremssons' Mon
itor, Mackey's Jurisprudence, Preston's
Illustration Of Freemasonry, General
Altman Reason, Sickles and Morris,
which ali the above named Masonic
Authorities, We, your Committee, find
to be works composed, written and
published by our white brethren Of the
Graft, and they have spared neither
time nor pains to carefully legislats
making rituals and Masonic Laws for
the stability, elevation and advance
rnent of Freemssonry among themselves
while, at the same time, there seem to
be nothing, or nearly nothing, said or
done by them in reference to the recog.
milton, elevation and the advancement
OF Freemasonry among us, as Masons Of
Color in the United States.
Indeed, it is a matter of fact, without
capability of contradiction, most pecu-
liar is it upon the part of some Of cur
white hrethern of the craft. especially
those in this country, how they careful
ly ignore the legal and Masonic rights
Of the colored Masons in this country,
when they are by common origin, yoke
fellows. Your committee therefore, find
it difficult TO conceive by what Masonic
rule, boundary, or authority of right,
have our white brsthern worked since
the Revolutionary War that should JUS
tify them as Masons in making laws and
regulations to establish their legal Ma
sonic status and elevate themselves in
the mysteries of Ancient Craft Masonry
and at the same time do all that lies
within their power to throw If possible
a dark gloom over the legal status Of
colored masons in this country, whose
common origin, whsn rightly under
stood, is not unlike their own-the
whites.
Your Committee, In consideration Of
the above facts, find it would be very
hard task to prove the true origin and
legal status OF Freemasonry among us,
as Masons of Color, in this country, if
we should adopt, as whole, the Ma
sonic Laws and doctrines as published
and practiced by our white brsthern in
this country since the sth day of March
l777.
Therefore, your Committee are COM
PEELED to look to some other legal source
to rebut these false pretentions which
have been set up against us, on account
Of prejudice of color, to prevent our
advancement and rights as true disci-
pies of Ancient Craft Masonry, and we,
your Committee, are pleased to inform
ycu that we have been successful in OBJ
tanning valuable Masonic book, the
i. "National Masonic Register of Free
Masonry" "owned by ou Grand Master,
William D. Matthews, containing a his
tory Of Masonry among colored men as
well as among the whites in this coun'
try. Indeed your Committee is pleased
to say that through the assistance of
this valuable book, and tire informa-
ton we have carefully gathered from
the other above named Masonic author
tiles, we are enabled to prove, without
fear of successful contradiction, the le-
gal origin and states of Free Masonry
among colofed men in this country.
We, your Committee, have examin-
ed true copy Of the first original war
rant granted to the Colored Masons in
this country from the Grand Lodge Of
England, together with copies of let
ters and other official documents Of
correspondence between the Grand
Secretary Of England and Prince Hall,
who was the Worshipful Master Of
the first Lodge Of Colored Masons in
this country. We, your Committee,
would further state, that in tracing
the history of Free Masonry in this
country, among the whites as well as
the colored men, the origin of both
emanates from the same grand head
namely, the Grand Lodge of England
i First, we find the introduction O.
Free Masonry in this country in Lodge
form dates from the 30th Of April, 1888
where number Of Masons residing in
Boston at that time, without even one
Subordinate Lodge, petitioned and OBJ
tanned authority from the Grand Lodge
of England appointing the Right Wor
shipful, Henry Price, Grand Master o
North America, with full power ant
authority to appoint his deputy anc
other grand officers, which he did, ant
opened and established at once, Gran'
Lodge, called St. Johns Grand Lodg
OF Massachu usetts, without single Sub
+ ordinate Lodge. He, Grand Maste
Price, then proceeded TO grant warrant
and dispensations and constituted sub
ordinate Lodges in Massachusetts,, Nev
Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut
New Jersey, Pennsylvania and othe
< provinces ia this country.
< The report traces the origin and his
!, tory of Freemasonry among both tn
i white and colored men from its origi
in this county up TO the present time
2 and after carefully summing up the or
!. igin and status OF each from a Ma
sonic legal stand point, comes to tn