Morning journal and courier., 1883-01-17
SoiraaI arlA Gourier.
Wednesday, Jan. 17, 1883.
Masonic.

mistakes In order to correct these errors, l and for the benefit of all brethren who may feel interested in the subject, the following l explanation is given.
 The Sup. Or. Council for the United States
 of America, their Territories and Dependen-
 cies, is not c s'Neso Council" as many have
 supposed. It was originally established on 1 October 28, 1907, by the Ill. Bro. Joseph
 Cerneau, under authority derived from the Grand Orient of France, and has had an un- l interrupted and unbroken existence of over
 seventy years with the exception of period
 of four years, commencing in 1928, on ac- count of the Anti-Masouic excitement, and
 reviving again in 1882 under the Count St. Laurent and H. Bro. Elias Hicks. It took | the name of the Limited Satp. Council for tue 1 Western Henstsphere'' on account of the union of the Sup. Or. Council for the United States
 of America with the Sup. Or. Council of
 South America, New Spain, Porto Rico, the Canary Isles etc., embracing upwards of ! eighty members. In 1846 it changed it's name to the original, viz: The Sup. Or. Council 1 for the United States of America, their Ter ritories and Dependencies. From this date | it continued until 1868, when the Ray
 mond Council'' merged into it the Sup. Gr.sCouncil for the United States of Ameri- ca, etc., retaining it's name, status and ju-
 risdiction. In 1865 it changed it's name to the Northern Jurisdiction" and so contin- ued for one year, viz: December l3th' 1866, on which day the council was dEssot0ed ! by it's Sov. Or. Commander, Simon w. Rob- inson and all it's members G6s0IUed from their | Ooth Of Fe1Zty. Thus the members of the Ancient Council we-e left alone, their com- mander Robinson torsGttng them taking up- on himself the 'tsuccessOrSltip'' of Edward A. Raymond, deceased, for the purpose of re-
 suscitating the ''Gourgas Raymond Council" '" as it was 6etore its unio1a aoith tue Hays Coun- cz. This act of treachery toward the Ger neau members was carried out, the Gourgas
 Raymond Council was revived, and is now the "Sup Gr Council for the Northern Ju- risdiction.''
 In consequence of this base act of Robin
 son, the Sup. Or. Council for the United
 States of America, their Territories and De-
 pendencies has been resuseitated by it's an
 cient members and is now in active and
 successful operation. The members are not
 adventurers or spectators, but mainly old men who have been active laborers in the
 field of Masonry for thirty years or more
 They do not peddle degrees, nor have any
 Masonic charges ever been preferred against
 them except that one, viz: ''that they have
 resuscitated the Ancient Council"
 The Northern Jurisdiction has lately issued
 s.Red Letter'' against the Sup. Or. Council
 for the United States of America, their Ter
 ritories and Dependencies, after the manner
 of the Jew De La Motta, which
 is, without exception, one of the most infamous and defamatory papers ever issued to the Masonic fraternity
 because it is utterly .tazse in it's charges and
 faZse in it's history. It would appear to be
 published more for efect than anything else,
 being regardless of the truth and is well cal culated to mislead the uninformed. A full
 answer to it is now in press and will be issued
 in few days It is gratifying to know how
 ever, that this 'tRed Letter. is e-properly ap-
 preciated and understood by many of their | old members, who have given notice to their ! own Council, as well as to the Sup. Or. Coun- ! Gil for the United States of America, their
 Territories and Dependencies. "that they do ' AASs NS~A~-O"- - hold themselves bound by that t7.fdnaous pre-
 Gzuctoaa"
 The Sup. Gr Council for the United
 States of America, their Territories and De- pendencies, does not '.pet7dze tAe Degrees tor gain," nor do they pretend to confer any
 other degrees than those of the Anc.
 and Acc. Scottish Rite, in their an-
 cient, pure and simple form, for constitu- tional initiation fee. They do not make any money by so doing, as their annual report of proceedings will fully show when issued from the press. The object of the ' Sup Gr Council is to establish bodies on | the ancient system, on purely Republican \ principles and with view to the best inter | ests of our Sublime institution. All the1r | proceedings are orderly and constitutional. ' Already they have established nineteen sub ' ordinate bodies in several States, which num- \ Der over five hundred members. All the ! bodies are we'll established, the members are well contented and harmonious in their pro- ceedings, with as much patronage as they ! can well attend to. As it regards the monies received for charters dues, patents, expenses attending delegations for the establishment II of bodies and contingent expenses, the books ! of the Sup Council are always open for the ! inspection of all the members who may feel | interested and the entire disposition of the ! same will appearsln the pupllsneo proceed | ings of the annual meeting.
 ! The assertion which they make concerning
 "Usioaa of GU the Councils" is without any | foundation in truth, such an event never having taken place, as their own reprint of proceedings from page 227 to 232 will prove. ! The Raymond Council did unite with the Gourgas Van Rensselaer, Council, but the Ancient Cerneau Hays Council ne0er- The principles of the Sup. Or. Council for the United States of America, their Territories and Dependencies and the Sup. Gr. Council for the Northern Jurisdiction, are diametri- cally opposed to each other. The former IS
 representative body and is based upon purely republican principles. The latter is monarchical, autocratic, exclusive and vim dictive. The former espouses the doctrine of liberty, equality, fraternity the latter supports the ''one man power," with severe punishment for differing in opinion. The former cIings fast hold of Revelation and ayers the Scriptures to be the great light of Masonry the latter repudiates them alto gether, as may be seen by the rituals which they practice and the speeches which they make in public. With this great disparity of opinion and teaching, how can it be sup posed that @ union of the two councils can ever be brought about?
 The fees for the degrees are moderate and uniform. They are placed within the reach of nll brethren, master Masons ir good stand ing and very careful scrutiny is made in re. ceiving members. A large number of appl | cations have been rejected, who could not produce the required evidence of character and morals. The Sup. Council does not seek for popularity from ''7auDadeTs," nor does 1t reject any application made by worthy members of the fraternity"
 In conclusion it may be stated that the Sup Gr Council for the United State of America, their Territories and Dependencies is well established. It will hold on it's way under it's ancient banner, notwithstanding all the venom, defamation and falsehood that may be launched at them by the so called Sup. Council for the Northern Jurisdiction It extends it's invitation to all worthy Masons, as well as to all stAncient CerpeGU members" ]" to come with us and help, in these times of deception and fraud by our opponents, to build up the pure and ancient system of Scottish Rite.-Chorlestoas Mass. NeSos