Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1901-10-17
IFREEMASONARY AND ITS INFLUENCE
IN AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR

ed upon for an explanation, and he.
like a good Mason, made a clean breast
OF the whole AFFAIR. WhereupOn the
members OF the lodge took up a con
tribution for the fugitive brother. and.
though his enemy In war, assisted him
to- reach the American lines across the
Hudson river.
Another instance of Masonic mag
nanimity occurred when tue brave |
Baron DeKaib, our German ally. was
slain at the battle Of Camden In 1850. |
Although he had crossed the Atlantic |
tn take part In a quarrel that was not |
his. against the British. he was buried |
by them with both Masonic and mill |
tsry honors.
Armed Enemy, Masonic Friend.
These are illustrations which.
thanks to Masonic teaching, reveal the
foe In better light than We are wont
to think OF him. Let us notice some
expressions of the same spirit on the
american side. Lodge Unity, No. 1853,
was a Scottish military lodge in the
Seventeenth Foot of the British army.
In 1879, while the regiment was en-.
gagged In slirmish. the constitution
and jewels OF the lodge were lost, but
were returned to Il by Colonel Parsons
OF American Union Lodge in the oppos
ing army. A more striking instance
occurred when the Masonic chest OF
the Forty-sixth British Infantry was
captured by the Americans. When
General Washington heard Of II he
ordered the chest and other articles
OF value returned TO the owners. ac-
companied by a guard of honor. The
London Freemason's Magazine. com,
menting on the circumstances from an
English standpoint, says:
"The surprise, the feelings Of both
officers and men may be imagined
when they perceived the flag of truce
that announced this elegant compli-
ment from their noble opponent but
still more noble brother. The guard
of honor, their flutes playing sacred
march, the chest containing the con.
stitution and implements of the craft
borne aloft like another Ark Of the
Covenant. equally by Englishmen and
Americans. who. lately engaged In the
strife OF war. now marched through
the enfiladed ranks of the gallant reg
iment. that, with presented arms and
colors, hailed the glorious act by
cheers which the sentiment rendered
sacred as the hallelujahs of an angels
song"
But perhaps the most significant II
Illustration of the effect Of Masonry on
!, the wal Is the action taken by the
! yirand Lodge of Scotland. It is well
!, known that the war was unpopular In
J many parts of Great Britain, hut some
OF the subordinate Scottish lodges
! urged perhaps by Government officials
Z had offered bounties for recruits e
!. the army. When the Grand Lodg,
D met II condemned this practice in TN
: mistakable terms, and in its lnstruc
J. tons declared:
Masonry Is an order of peace and 4
locks on all mankind to he brethren
II and Masons. whether they BIO at peac,
e or at war with each other as subjects
It OF contending countries"
* Thus. above the storm and stress o
II armed strife the soothing spirit o
IL Masonic fellowship brooded like
It bird of calm. II Masons precipitate,
IN and promoted the struggle for indie
It pendence. they likewise mitigated II
b horrors and made possible the disclo,
y. ure of the nOblest traits In both Amer
Id lean and BritOn. II Is the yrOudes
II heritage of Revolutionary Masons o
w both sides that the fraternal tie wa
At one which not even the shock Of arm
could sever. and that amid the fierces
ID passions engeIdered by war they ne,
a. er quite forgot that they were brdNl
9, rem. The record Of this forms I'll
y, fairest, brightest page In the histor
Id of the Revolution.
g. In the Councils OF State.
n. When we turn from scenes of ca
ne mage to the more peaceful haunts {
- statesmen and diplomat, during tn
;n Revolution, we And Freemasons ther
nc active and Influential. IL Is a notabl
,h fact that the earliest suggestion Of
ne Federal union of the American Col
IN MES came from the first America
ed Grand Master. Daniel Cox, who
10 1870 received n deputation as Provi
ne cial Grand Master made this sugge
~. tion insa work published az early {
a l7l6. and may therefore properly
Sd called the first Federalist. II was tn
~ idea. adopted later and advocated
ne another eminent Mason and provinci
n Grand Master. Benjamin Frankli
ch that grew into the union establishs
by the constitution framed seyeni
ed years later.
g. The Declaration Of independence
IT. whether penned by Paine or JeffersO
ge was the work of Mason. and maj
at OF the signers OF that instrument a
he believed to have been members Of Il
e. order. Freemasors were foremost
to the Philadelphia Convention that fraI
ry ed the Federal Constitution and thu
d. completed the work of lie war. u
D. sides Washington. the president, al
Franklin. the Nestor of that bod
Hamilton, the genius oil the Conve
ton, was Mason.