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


he'd nothing 20 gain by she pretension.
aud If the relics exhamed by the removal
of the obelisk we're valuable then tbey
would be examined by those skilled ia
research ard history and their value
properly Estimated. It was regarded as
somewhat strange that like discovery
Was not made when the obelisk was re-
moved by the British engineers. In ex-
planRtiou, however, one member Of tho
order remarked that English engineers
were not SO inquisitive as the Americans.
aud chat Commander Gorringe had
probably gone deeper in his work than
tho English officials had.
Iaat' DIR. MAcKEY's VIEWS.
There is in Washington one Of the
most eminent among the FREQ Masons of
the world, o gentleman whose scholarly
Gtta;nwents and eruditiop have given
his work q prominence equal to that en-
joyed by those of tae highest Free Ma.
sons Of the world, DR.. Albert G. Mackey,
who Is in appearance a very patriarch,
DR.. Mackey is the Secretary. General os
the Scottish Rites, and Past Gene.al
Grand High Priest Of the United States.
He is the author Of the Encyclopedias of
Freemasonry and its kindred sciences, as
well az many other works upon Free.
masonry of standard character, Alter
considerable discussion about the nature
OF the telegram, and taking into consid-
Grafton that Lieut.. Gorrlnge lie. o young
man, and, If O Mason, not as far adj
vanced' as some of the brethren of the
craft, he expressed his doubts whether
the relics discovered by Lieut.. Com
Gorringe, in the pedestal of the Alexan-l ]
drian ohelisk, were, in the generally un-
derstood aense of the word, Masonic en-.
b!sms, as he does not trace FreemasOnry
OF the present time to Egypt or as exist
ing when those obeiisks 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 we'll
known to havs como em5lance in their
secret doctrines TO those taught bv the
Free Masons Of the present day, these
might be, and probably were symbols
common to both institutions. This 70 the
only theory Or. 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. II Lieut..
Gorringe had said that,he had discovered
EN- olsms resembling those in use by the
Free Masons of the present day DR..
Meckey says he would only have been
| adding another to tho numerous instances
OF the same Kind which are 70 be found
in the Egyptian monuments which have
been brought to light by Champollion,
Wilkinson and other Psychologists.
Is HIGH NfAsoNs DELIGHTED.
e Upou the receipt of information to. day
at tho headquarters the Order of Scot
land that Q naval officer of the United
States had discovered relics of Masonic
character beneath the Alexandrian obe-
lisk, instructions were given by the head
OF the Order to communicate Immediate
iy with the lead of the Masonic ft.1terni-
ty in Egypt and request him To OBTAIN
photographs OF the emblems uneapthed
by the removal of the shaft. It appears
that there is a 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 ancien' civilization,
while others are content 10 recognizes ite
origin in the Middle Ages. Among the
latter ere those who have given the SUBJ
ject great attention and have accumu-
lated largo 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
ernnent has received, as it were, official
Information of the existence CT Masonry
among the Romans.