The Portland daily press., 1880-02-16
Under the Obelisk.
Past Grand Master Hustled Delivers Some
Historical Doubts Concerning the ORR
gin of Masonry.
New York WOrld.l

Extending copy of the Sunday World, the
reporter waited until Gen. Hustled had read its
Alexandria dispatch, with the comments Of
New York Freemasons on the news of the pre-
vious day, and then said:
"Gen. Hustled, wish to get your opinion, as
Mason of high rank and large experience, in
regard to Commander Gorringe's discovery of
Masonic emblems under the pedestal of the
obelisk
1T is almost too early to give a decided
opinion" said the general oughtfully. "and
like Past Grand Master Simons, should have
preferred waiting for the drawings of the en-
blems before making statement for publica-
ton. But l am free to say that do not
believe the emblems have any direct con-
nection with operative Masonry as it is prac-
ticed at the present day. That the discovery
is wonderful and valuable is certain. They
will start up all the arch;eologists, and give
impetus to fraternity writers. Anything thai
concerns cryptology is interesting to me, but
have not yet been able to discover any con-
nection between Egyptian cryptology, and the
modern craft. / became Mason at the age OF
21, have reached the thirty-third degree and
have been grand master of the State. have
made Masonic history study, but have never
been able to trace Masonry more than 400 years
back-not step beyond the crusades. As
near as l can judge it had its origin on the con-
tinent Of Europe, with the builders of the great
European cathedrals, and was organized for
the protection of the workmen from the
bosses and the feudal leaders. 1t was purely
operative Masonry then, and it naturally
adopted the tools of the craft as emblematic of
their trade-union, and had grips and pass
words which were also intended to
guard from intrusion. Everything in
that day partook of the religious ele-
ment, and religion consequently entered
largely into the organization of the guild.
Tie belief in God was insisted upon-one God
which was broad enough to admit the Jew
as we'll as the Christian. But 1 fail to find
anything of the religious element which nee
essarily betokens great antiquity. King Solo
mon is recognized because the temple at Jeru-
salem was the Oldest building of which we
have any certain account. This is natural.
The Bible gives many interesting details of the
temple, and those who felt an interest in the
order incorporated these details with the work.
ing history of the order You know that
Knight Templarsm is of late date, and hun
dred years ago the chapter degrees were con-
ferred In the blue lodges. Indeed believe
that some Of the European lodges still confer
capitular degrees. Then, coming down to the
lodges, the fact that they have always had
John the Baptist and John the Evangelist as
their patrons is pretty conclusive evidence that
our Masonic ancestors never thought of dating
beyond the Christian era,
Now that's just the trouble with me
in regard to the Alexandria emblems.
| It's too long agoi OF course it Is to
| be expected that some MaSons will
| think otherwise. Iudeed some have written
| books in which they have endeavored to
| connect modern Masonry with cryptology. But
| everybody Knows how such books are made
| 'Plutarchs Lives cannot be relied upon as cor
| rect. l doubt if half of it Is true. 'Herodo-
| tus,' you know, is collection of old wives
| fables. Xenophen's 'Anabasis' and Thucy-
dides's Account of the Plague come under
| different rule because they profess to give ac-
| counts of matters which passed under the
writer's eyes. Livy, if you will remember, in
| the first chapter of his history takes the bull
| boldly by the horns and avows his inability to
| vouch for the truth of what he narrates con-
corning the past. Such is the case with Ma
| sonic writer's when they undertake to ascribe
| remote antiquity to t. order-they start out
| with determination to prove their theory land
| when the facts do not agree with it, why so
| much the worse for the facts
| "But do you not believe that these emblems
| were the insignia of an ancient organization?'
"Undoubtedly-and it may have been an Or
| ganzation which more or less resembled Ma
sorry. No doubt also, they laid the corner
1 stone OF the structure at Alexandria and per-
haps as we do nowadays, in substance. They
| may not have laid it in the northeast though
notice in the Worlds morning dispatch that a
/ perfect Masonic ashler, which was, perha ps a
l cornerstone, was found in the east angle.
| What would be more natural than that such an
organization should deposit emblems in the
foundation, as we do nowadays, in the cavity
/ IF a cornerstone? Egypt was celebrated for
| IT'S secret societies, AM seems to have had them
| as far back as the time of Noses, and there is
40 DOUBT that they had their signs and symbols.
| The Essenes had their secret organ,za ions at
/ Alexandria and through northern Africa before
true value OF Commander Gorringe's discover
les, in that they open new and promising
ied in cryptology."
ITO return to modern Masonry, general, how
far back do you trace the history of the craft in
Engand?"
About as far as on the continent Three or
| four hundred years-to the days OF the cathe-
| drai-builders. l have peculiar theory as to
Masonry i'll England. l think it altogether
| likely that it originated with some intelligent
Jack Cade or Wat Tyler, who organized the
working masses for resistance to feudal op-
preston. 1t was probably species of enlight-
ened communism-Qsu use the word in good
sense)--designed for self protection The tools
/ VI tHo lurHionou .io uduuicSt euDlelQS,
! or they may have been adapted from continent
Il lodges of Masons. 1t was all operative at
irst, as it is now purely speculative. You see,
| We know the history of England for the last
thousand years pretty accurately, aud it is i'm
possible that so important body as the Free
masons could have been in existence during all
| that time and left no mark in history for the
first six hundred years"
Then you do not believe that the Pharaohs
| were members of the craft?"
"No. am sorry to say that do not believe
there 10 any connecting link. We shall have
] to let the Pharaohs go.'T