Sword and shield. (Clinton, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1885-02-07
Masonic Circles Excited.


NEW York, Feb. Masonic circles in
New York City have been stirred to the
depths by the antics of DIR. Darius Wilson,
who desires r. r-ln M tha 1ae.-oce cf Ma-nlrY
from the time honorsd thirty third to the i'm
posing ninety-sixth
Old Masons have died happy in the thirty
third degree, and many brethren are now
living on that eminence which, according to
DR. Darius Wilson, is down i'll the valley,
compared to Royal Masonry's perch above the
clouds.
Dr. Darius Wilson, e T., thirty three de-
grees, ninety degrees, ninety-six degrees, as
his title reads, is Boston man. The rest of
his title is Most Illustrious Grand Master
General of the Sovereign Sanctuary, U. s. A.
In forming the order he took upon himself
the burden of the highest office in the gift of
himself.
AT the latest meetings of the various COM
manderies in the Masonic temple in this city
many eminent sir knights were surprised to
see their names signed to the following circu-
lar:
No. IA EAST FOURTEENTH STREET,
New YORK, JAN. 5, 1885.
DR.. Darious Wilson:
SIR: A large number Of Masonic brethren OF
this ETY. and vicinity desire to hear your explana
of which they have heard in a report Of a con-
vention held in Boston in December last, and
hereby invite you to address them in the lecture
room of the Grand opera house, corner Twenty
third street and Eighth avenue, on Friday even
ing, January 30, next.
OF the thirty-three names signed to this let
ter many of the owners Indignantly deny
having authorized their use and they were
willing to vouch for the denials of the ma
r fna Of "a
| nounced the Bostonian in very lively
language Among the names used on the
letter were those of the Rev. DR.. Deems, the
Rev. Stephen H. Tying, j. w. Bouton, ]. j.
! Little TheUphilus Pratt and Jerome Buck.
DR.. Wilson hastened to oblige the distin-
guished New Workers, and named Saturday
evening as the date of the exposition, free to
all Master Masons He added that he had
planned to be in Montreal to attend the
carnival and to participate in the sessions of
the Grand Lodge of Quebec and the Sovereign
Sanctuary, thirty-thir,l, ninetieth and ninety
sixth degrees of Royal and 0 iental Free
masonry for Canada But request from his
native state and Masonic home, coming as il
did from SO many eminent Masons, could not
be refused.
Mr.. Rawson, Of the Methodist Book
Laura Keene, introduced Dr. Wilson
The lecturer then proceeded to give th'
origin and history of high degree Masonry
and the proof that there was separate worl
and labor for every one Of the ninety six de
grees which were claimed for the EgyptiaI
Rite Of Memphis, and that the only legiti
mate source of authority to confer these rite
must come through either king or priest.
Ne ,,,,sf rive the dotae VpY,or oax.tain kinoya
and particularly Jesuit priests, conferre'
twenty-five degrees of Masonry, and wounC
up an interesting and well memorized lecture
full of dates, by exhibiting number OF char
ters and patents from various Grand Lodges i
Europe granting authority to confer thes
high degrees in America, among which ws
one from the Grand Orient Of France, wit
the signature Of Louis Napoleon.
Mr.. Wilson then informed those preseu
that a lodge would be opened in the Gran
opera house building, when any master maso
could receive a degree in the ancient rit
without any charge whatever, and exGende
the invitation for all master masons to
present.
One Of the solid ma sons whose name We
signed to Dr. Wilson's letter without b
knowledge said that it was an open seer
that some Of the influential members loane
their names to the Wilson invitation
bestow upon the fraternity little anus
ment Of the Count Johannes order. Still
is believed that other masonS stand benin
Darius Wilson with well-conceived conspi
acy toward mastery Of the governing bo
les of the ancient YoEk rite or the formatiC
, Of rival grand bodies.
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