The Philalethes

Contents
 
 

 From the Editor's Quarries                                                                     Notes and Queries

 The Philalethes Lecture: Brother Mozart                                                 Faith Without Works Is Dead:

 Thomas Paine 1737-1809                                                                      Patriotism in America

 The Silver Working Tools                                                                       The Town of Perth and True Britons' Lodge:

 Attack on the Albert Pike Statue                                                             Review

 Melrose and Its Lodge                                                                            Some Thoughts on the Spirit of Brotherhood

 Through Masonic Windows
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

the philalethes

The Journal of Masonic Research and Letters

Charles S. Guthrie, FPS Editor

1660 Normal Drive

Bowling Green, KY 42101 (502) 842-5415

FAX (502) 843-6678

OFFICERS

Wallace E. McLeod, FPS President

Victoria College - FAX 416/585-4584

73 Queen's Park Crescent - 416/585-4570

Toronto, Ontario Canada M5S 1K7

Forrest D. Haggard, FPS 1st Vice President

6815 W. 78th Terrace

Overland Park, KS 66204 (913) 642-5519

Royal C. Scofield, FPS 2nd Vice President

655 W. Maryland Ave.

Sebring, OH 44672 216/938-6240

Allen E Roberts, FPS Executive Secretary

P.O. Box 70, 110 Quince Ave.

Highland Springs, VA 23075 (804) 737 4498

FAX 804/328-2386

Henry G. Law, FPS. Treasurer

2608 E. Riding Dr. Wilmington, DE 19808

(302) 737-9083

Harold L. Davidson, FPS Librarian

The Philalethes Society 1903 10th St. W.

Billings, MT 59102 (406) 259-1552

LIVING PAST PRESIDENTS

Philalethes Society

Robert V. Osborne, FPS

Robert L Dillard Jr. FPS

Bruce H. Hunt, FPS

Allen E. Roberts, FPS

John Mauk Hilliard, FPS

Wallace MacLeod, FPS

CONTENTS

From the Editor's Quarries

Notes and Queries

Bulletin

The Philalethes Lecture - Brother Mozart

Faith Without Works Is Dead

Thomas Paine 1737-1809

Semi-Annual Meeting - October 23 Cleveland, Ohio

Patriotism in America

The Silver Working Tools

The Town of Perth and True Britons' Lodge: The Beginning

The Attack on the Albert Pike Statue, Washington, D. C.

Review

Masonic Stained Glass

Melrose and Its Lodge

Some Thoughts on the Spirit of Brotherhood

Through Masonic Windows

----o----

From the Editor's Quarries

Brother Ralph Castle, of M/S 71 Gingin, Queensland, 4671, Australia, has made a limited re-print of his Comprehensive Index to Ars Quatuor Coronatorum, Volumes 1-100. This is a 213-page, hardbound volume selling for $32.00 plus $20.00 air-mail postage. It provides alphabetical lists of titles, authors, notes, books, and other material. It is valuable for searching the first 100 volumes of AQC.

o0o

Brother S. Brent Morris, FPS, has a new book in the process of being published by the Supreme Council, 33d Southern Jurisdiction. It is entitled Cornerstones of Freedom: A Masonic Tradition. I have seen one chapter of it, entitled "The Northeast Corner." It will be a scholarly, historical discussion of various topics related to Masonic cornerstones, physical and symbolic.

o0o

The Southern Baptist Convention is past, and Freemasonry has fared better than it might have. Membership has at least been left to individual discretion. It has been said that this has united the various branches of Freemasonry in a way they have not been before. If we now have greater unity, that is good. It has also roused many Masons to a more serious appreciation of their membership.

No doubt some of those who oppose us are as sincere in their beliefs as we are. We can only hope that they will cease attacking us, but that is not likely. Meanwhile we lay ourselves open to charges of racism, which bothers many of us greatly. Our gentle Craft should be a healing force in today's violent society. Let us conduct ourselves as gentlemen, practice our Masonry, and the public will see that we do not have horns and tails despite many of the accusations against us.

Notes and Queries

Universal Accessibility: An Open Letter

This letter is written, not in anger, not for pity, not in a quest for recognition, certainly not out of greed; but simply because I and many of my brethren who are in similar circumstances, feel hurt, sometimes cheated, and often remorseful because we are perceived to be different; and we have the impression that our Brothers simply don't care. I have a handicap. I have osteoarthritis. Three years ago, I was confined--full-time--to a wheel chair. I say "fulltime" because many people are really convinced that such a device is merely a convenience, and if necessary, I could leave the chair and walk, run, jump, climb, and do all those things that a "normal" non-handicapped person can do. Believe me, I can't. All handicapped--or physically-stressed--people only want to have the same rights as everyone else. In official circles, wish is often expressed as "Access with Dignity."

So What? Where is all this going? What does it have to do with the Gentle Craft? Simply this: I cannot exercise my right, my duty, as a Mason to support my lodge in any physical way.

Why? Because I can't get into my Masonic Hall. I can't visit my lodge-room. I can't go through the chairs. I can't join the concordant orders. I short, I can't do those things that I promised to do on my entry into the Fraternity. Why?

Why can't I live up to my obligations? Because many of the lodge-rooms, at least in the rural area where I live, are located on the upper floors of the building. And for me, there is no way up. I'm not saying that we ought to have an elevator. There is a device known as a "stair-glide," but it appears that not every lodge is prepared to have one installed; at least not yet.

I can pay my dues, but that's not much comfort. Even a charity gives tax receipts, which are some consolation. Don't mistake me. I just want access, dignity, and my right to belong to my lodge, and to assist it.

Please give some thought to this problem. It affects many Masons. It would be helpful to see any comments that the brethren might care to make about how the situation can be improved.

W. B. L. Staples R. R. No. 2 Napanee, Ontario K7R 3K7

Anent the above letter, President Wallace McLeod writes:

".... The author is not a member of the Society. He is my brother-in-law. He did teach high school in Toronto for a number of years, but then moved, out of the city, to his father's recreational farm, and opened a machine shop there. About five years ago, he was initiated in a lodge there, became involved in Masonic education, but then got confined to a wheel chair. After asking around a bit, he got hold of the Master and asked if the lodge might look into the possibility of getting a stairway lift. He was assured that this would be done. Recently, after a lapse of several years, he ran into the brother in question. He asked how the "lift project" was progressing at the Lodge. The answer was, " Forget it ! I tried to get it started when I was W.M. But the good old boys said, 'It wasn't done in our day, so let's not be the first to start it now."'

Wallace McLeod, FPS Victoria College 73 Queen's Park Crescent Toronto, Canada M5S lK7

o0o

Comments on Recent Issues

A few comments regarding recent issues of The Philalethes:

Those readers who enjoyed "Freemasonry and the Development of the West " (February, 1993), might want to take a more detailed look into a small part of the topic via Al Dempsey' s excellent piece of historical fiction entitled What Law There Was, available from Macoy Publishing, P. O. Box 9759, Richmond, VA 23228. The work concerns the little band of Masonic vigilantes who brought law and order to the mining camp of Bannack, Montana in 1862.

Regarding Brother Crockett's comments in "Strain at a Gnat and Swallow a Camel" (April, 1993): he's right on the mark about Masonry's need to invest in itself. One thing we ought to be doing is using the collective buying power of two and a half million brothers to purchase insurance at group rates. We've also got to stop wasting time arguing with our detractors and blowing our own horn about our charities, and start concentrating on the thing that makes Masonry unique: the ritual. Let' s face it, brothers you can find fellowship at the local tavern, and there are a thousand organizations doing laudable charity work, but where else can you find something analogous to our beautiful Blue Lodge and appendant bodies' ritual?

Brother Crockett also states, regarding Prince Hall Masonry, that "the black race has undergone despicable unfairness in the past," and that he "hold[s] out [his] hand in friendship." What do past racism and his present proffered handshake have to do with lodge regularity and the established American concept of exclusive territorial jurisdiction? Moreover, the fact remains that the vast majority of Masons, whether "regular" or Prince Hall, prefer to associate with brothers of their own blood. The former Grand Master of Illinois (my mother jurisdiction) was soundly voted down when he tried to foist recognition of Prince Hall Masonry on the Land of Lincoln.

James McArthur, MPS

809 Poland Avenue, Apt.

A New Orleans, Louisiana 70117

o0o

Concerning the Covers of the December & February Issues

Brother Henry N. Scott has sent the editor a black and white enlargement of the Washington Statue in the foyer of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial for comparison with the pictures on the December and February covers. He comments that " . . . Each of these was taken on the fourth floor, and not in the main entrance.... The hat in the left hand is straight down toward the knee in the main entrance; while the hat is being held in a dainty or cocked position on the fourth floor as shown on the front covers. The Baker statue has a cordon from the right shoulder to the left hip, which is not on the fourth floor. The gavel is resting on the marble block on the pedestal on the fourth floor while the gavel is resting on the pedestal in front of the marble block in the main entrance.

Henry N. Scott, 33d

P. O. Box 355

Bunnell, FL 32110-0355

[It appears from the enlargement that the picture on the cover of the October, 1992 issue is of the statue found in the foyer] .

o0o

The Albert Pike Statue

As regional historian of the National Park Service, I have become engaged with the weekly protests by the Larouche organization at the Albert Pike statue here in Washington. I have been identified by Mr. Anton Chaitkin of that organization as a "Masonic historian" in the government, participating in a Masonic conspiracy.

When Mr. Chaitkin and his associate, Rev. Bevel, were on trial for climbing on the statue, I was told to appear as a witness by the defendant, as well as two Park Rangers who had done research on Pike, and the Park Superintendent. However, the Federal attorney argued that we were not relevant witnesses, since none of us had been at the statue during the Larouche rallies, and we did not have to testify.

Gary Scott, MPS

o0o

Three Generations

Star Lodge 187 F. & A. M. in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio has received five petitions. All are brothers. What is also amazing is that their father is an officer with Star Lodge and their grandfather is also a member of Star Lodge. This could be a first, but is at least rare.

Richard McMasters, MPS

----o----

Bulletin

The Masonic Service Association has sent out an appeal for disaster relief for the Mississippi flood swept areas. Let’s help. Send a check payable to The Philalethes Society/Disaster Relief to: The Philalethes Society, Disaster Relief, P.O. Box 70, Highland Springs, VA 23075. We’ll see that the MSA receives 100% of the contributions.

----o----

The Philalethes Lecture: Brother Mozart

Given February 19, 1993, Washington, D.C.

by John M. Boersma, MPS

I Introduction

I am conscious of the great honor bestowed on me, in being invited to address this Annual Assembly and Feast. It reflects the encouragement given to me by our President over the past dozen years. May I simply say, "Thank you, brother McLeod!" At the portals of Victoria College, Toronto, where Brother McLeod practices his private avocation, the following words are chiseled in stone: "The Truth shall make You Free. " "Free," as in Freemasonry, which tonight, under the aegis of the Philalethes Society, brings together men from the four corners of the earth to celebrate the great principles of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth.

It is in the nature of man to look for role models. Freemasonry has created many heroes, real and imaginary. Brother Mozart, the best known Mason for over two centuries, has left a mark on our civilization. Tune in on any wavelength, in any country, and sooner or later you will encounter his legacy of music--the international language of good will and harmony.

Mozart was down-to-earth, and had many friends. He was equally at home with the aristocracy and the common people. His wife Constanze had six children, four boys and two girls. Only two boys survived him.

As a wonder-child, Mozart was modest, and applause easily moved him to tears. Two weeks before his death he told his wife how happy he was that his Masonic Brethren had liked his new cantata, which was produced for the dedication of a temple, an event which would prove to be his final public appearance.

As a person, he was conscious of his small and pock-marked appearance, but equally aware of his genius as a musician. Mozart had little sympathy for mediocrity. He walked away from a comfortable life as a lackey court-composer, and chose instead the hazardous road of a free lance musician.

As a Mason, not only did he share his talents with the Fraternity; he had the courage to stay with the Craft when the chips were down.

The story of his being poisoned by Salieri is nonsense . Equally ludicrous are tales of his being killed by Masons. We will allude to his so-called poverty later. The myth of a pauper's funeral is contradicted by records, which show that a third-class funeral was paid for. The cost of approximately twelve guilders did include a hearse, which was only paid if the deceased had his own coffin. (In this paper, frequent reference will be made to guilders. I suggest you multiply guilders by 20 to arrive at today's comparable value in dollars; for example, a third class funeral cost 12 guilders, which corresponds to 240 dollars.)

Time keeps yielding treasures. Recently additional musical works have been discovered, and something else has come to light. In 1789 Mozart journeyed to Berlin to visit with the Rosicrucian monarch Frederick William II. He was in the company of Prince Carl Lichnowsky, who had been a Mason up to 1786, and who was married to one of the daughters of Count Thun. Stories abound about the trip. Some believe that Mozart and Lichnowsky--as Rosicrucians--were summoned to meet with Frederick William II, perhaps to discuss an opera to further the Rosicrucian cause? On this trip, Mozart wrote his wife Constanze, "I have lent the Prince 100 guilders; you know why. " We could not guess why, until recently when, in the Court Archives of Vienna, a lawsuit was discovered. It shows that on November 12, 1791--two weeks before his death--Mozart was ordered to repay the Prince a debt of 1435 guilders (roughly 30,000 dollars). Curiously, this item is not mentioned in the customary Suspense Order or list of debts, which was required by law after someone's death. Did Mozart pay, or did someone else? I shall leave you with this puzzle. It would have pleased Brother Mozart, who loved riddles.

From the extensive correspondence left us, it is clear that Mozart was always of frail health. In the 1991 Fall issue of the British journal Musical Times, Peter J. Davies, M.D., concludes that Mozart suffered from sudden rises in blood pressure, which are common in patients with chronic kidney failure. This explains his fainting fits and blackouts. Mere day-today existence must have been difficult under such painful circumstances. This makes his already incredible output of 626 known works the more remarkable.

Mozart himself, I believe, closely aligns with Tamino, the Candidate in his opera The Magic Flute, who with the musical sounds of his magic flute (which is carved out of a sacred oak, tames the elements of Fire and Water, and the wild beast of the field. He is a Prince, he is a Man, but he is more. During investigation prior to his admittance, it is noted that he is courageous and Wohltatig--or Beneficent. Moreover, Sarastro adds, Er ist ein Mensch--He is Human.

My friends, to be Human is the true mark of an Initiate, it is the mark of a Mason. It recalls the words of that great playwright, Publius Terentius Afer. Homo sum, humani nil a me alienum puto. " I am human and I am of the opinion that nothing human is foreign to me." Perhaps Mozart left us a hidden message: Forget about titles, be human, and remember that we remain 'Candidates' until our final Raising to the Eternal East.

Background

The seventeenth century witnessed a gradual shift from Operative to Speculative Masonry. This process was accelerated by a meeting, in London, England, in February of 1717, of four Lodges, who constituted the first Grand Lodge. The first quarterly Assembly and Feast took place at the Goose and Gridiron Ale House in St. Paul's Churchyard on the 24th of June--the Feast of St John The Baptist .

These speculative masons were attracted by concepts of fraternity and freedom, a freedom within the bounds of morality delineated in the Hogarth Jewel by a circle, containing the square of morality, the level of equality and the plumb-rule of uprightness.

The imagination, which is stimulated by symbols, led to fantasies such as the clock on the cover. Here Cupid, Symbol of Desire, converted his Bow and Arrows into a gigantic Saw, to labor on the rough ashlar of time.

In 1731, in The Hague, Holland, the Father of Speculative Freemasonry, the Reverend Dr. Desaguliers, initiated the first Royal Mason, the Duke of Lorraine, who became Francis I, and who five years later Married the Empress Maria Theresa. She secured his election as Holy Roman Emperor and bore him sixteen children. Francis I was of great moral support to the Craft.

The first anti-masonic Bull, issued by Pope Clement XII in 1738, was blissfully ignored in the Holy Roman Empire, where forces were at work to separate church and state.

Within this same time frame, the Rite of Strict Observance was created by Baron von Hund. He claimed to have been initiated in the Ancient Order of the Templars, by an "unknown Superior" an ominous looking Knight, A Penna Rubra ("of the red feather")! Members were called Knights, which made them feel important, almost like nobility. The Rite was popular and widely practiced.

Young Mozart

We now take you to a charming place Salzburg. Archbishops had ruled it since 816 and were elevated to the rank of Imperial Princes by Rudolph of Hapsburg. Here, on the 27th of January 1756, Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilos Mozart was born. The Greek name Theophilos was later changed to the Latin Amadeus: both mean the same thing, " Loved by God . " Father Leopold Mozart was Assistant Choirmaster at the Princely Court, which held sway on the huge fortress on the mountain. He was well-educated and passed an extensive knowledge to the children.

We are grateful for his decision to share their talents with the world at large, and for maintaining travel notes and correspondence. As a result we possess almost 400 letters from Mozart himself, and another 300 from his family.

In 1762, at the Court in Vienna, the six-year-old Wolfgang jumped on Maria Theresa's lap, put his arms around her neck and kissed her heartily, and the Paymaster paid Leopold 450 guilders. Subsequent engagements were postponed for weeks, as Wolfgang developed a type of scarlet fever.

Less than two years later, in Paris, King Louis XV and his Queen lavished presents on the children. On New Year' s Day, 1764, they even dined at the Royal Table. In February Leopold wrote: "Wolfgang has an inflammation of the throat, is in danger of choking, and only got up after four days. "

In May of the same year, we learn: "We were with King George III [of England] and Queen Charlotte. Wolfgang accompanied the Queen while she sang! " For a while the Mozarts lived in Chelsea. The house, where the nine-year-old Wolfgang composed his first symphonies, is still standing. He also wrote music for the well-known text, "God is our refuge and our strength" (K. 20).

In September of 1765, at the insistence of the Prince of Orange, the Mozarts again crossed the Channel. In The Hague little Wolfgang caught a wretched illness, which in four weeks reduced him to skin and bones. That same year, the first Royal Mason, Francis I, passed to the Eternal East; and his son Joseph II became Holy Roman Emperor.

Meanwhile, the Mozarts sojourned amongst the high and mighty of Europe. From a small town near Vienna in 1767, Leopold reports: " Praised be God, Wolfgang has gotten over the smallpox, safely!" In 1768, Mozart wrote a Mass for the dedication of a Home for Orphans in Vienna. He conducted it himself.

In 1770 Wolfgang and Papa crisscrossed Italy, though rough the roads and dreary. From Rome Leopold writes: "With God's help we shall leave by coach for Naples. The roads thither have been very unsafe and a merchant was murdered, but the bloodthirsty papal soldiers were immediately sent and three robbers were killed! "

Wolfgang attended Easter Service in the Sistine Chapel, where under the frescos of Michelangelo, the Miserere of the composer Allegri was performed. It was deemed so sacred that music sheets were kept under lock and key. Afterwards, Mozart wrote the music down from memory. An admiring Pope recognized his talents by creating him Knight First Class of the Order of the Golden Spur. This made him, in effect, Sir Wolfgang.

His First Masonic Opera

Three years later, in 1773, the Pope disbanded the Jesuit Order. Leopold elaborated on this event in a letter from Vienna and added a postscript: "Wolfgang is composing something most enthusiastically." This "something" was probably the chorus for Thamos, King of Egypt, a Masonic drama. It is the first known exposure to Freemasonry by the now seventeen-year-old Mozart. The libretto follows:

Thamos King of Egypt (K. 345)--A Heroic Drama by Tobias Phillipp Baron von Gebler (1773)

Schon weichet dir Sonne, des Lichtes Feindin dir Nacht.

Schon wird from Agypten dir Neues Opfer gebracht (die Nacht)

Erhore die Wunsche! Dein ewig dauernder Lauf

Furheitere Tage zu Thamos' Volkern herauf!

Der Munter'n Jugend

Gib Lenksamkeit und Tugend, (Gib) den Mannern Mut!

Nach Tapfer'n Taten!

Weisheit zum Raten

Allen gib, Vaterlands Blut!

In translation, this gives:

Now yields to you O Sun, the enemy of Light, Darkness.

Now, by Egypt, a new victim is offered to you (Darkness).

Answer our Prayer! May your eternal course

Bring happy days to the subjects of Thamos.

Grant to our vigorous youth

Obedience and Virtue,

Grant Courage to our men!

And Deeds to our heroes!

Wisdom to our counselors and grant all

A Love for their Country.

II - Mozart In The Archbishop's Palace

Mysticism, especially the pyramid brand, was very much in competition with the spirit of rationalism. In this context we meet Brother Count Cagliostro, who was duly initiated in London. He conjured up a new and grandiose rite of Egyptian Freemasonry. Lampooned by most of his English Brethren, he exported his ideas to Europe and mesmerized thousands of enthusiastic and generous followers.

The American Declaration of Independence in 1776 added moral support to the European freedom movement, and Benjamin Franklin became a household name. In Bavaria a former Jesuit, Adam Weishaupt, had formed the Order of Illuminati. This obedience-oriented Order set out to infiltrate Freemasonry. The Prince Archbishop of Salzburg from 1772 on, Hieronymus Colloredo, was Mozart's nemesis. He neither paid him well, nor recognized his talents. As a result Mozart begged leave of absence and, chaperoned by his mother, toured the Courts of Europe looking for a rewarding assignment.

In Augsburg, in 1777, he met Maria Thekla Mozart, better known as The B'sle, or little Cousin. It led to a tomfoolery affair, and an amusing correspondence, so dear to puritans. It was fashionable to engage in backside humor and compose smell rhymes. Unfortunately in translation the jest of the rhyme is lost, and only the barnyard odor remains. It may remind you of the famous turtle degree:

Q. Are You a Turtle?

A. How Sweet it is !

Here is part of a letter to his cousin. It has something unique, a drawing by Mozart, and recalls one of his remarks: "Dear Papa, I can't write in verse, for I'm no poet. I can't arrange a speech and produce effects of Light and Shade, for I am no painter. Even by signs and gestures I can't express thought and feelings, for I'm no dancer. But I can do all this by means of sound, for I am a musician. "

In the spring of 1778, Mozart and Mama arrived in Paris. That summer, his mother, Maria Anna, rather suddenly passed away. His compassion shows in a long, carefully-worded letter, in which he prepares his father: "My dear mother is very ill. I have resigned myself wholly to the will of God . . . She is in the hands of the Almighty". To the Abb e Bullinger in Salzburg he sobs: "Mourn with me, my friend! It's been the saddest day of my life--I am writing you at two o'clock in the morning. My dear Mother, is no more! God has called her to Himself. Please prepare my poor father and my sister very gently. Go to them both at once, I implore you!"

The death of Maria Theresa, in November of 1780, put Joseph II firmly in power. By the Edict of Tolerance (1781), he abolished Serfdom, proclaimed Freedom of Religion and streamlined the Ecclesiastical System by closing hundreds of Convents and Monasteries. Joseph was determined to break the Power of both Nobility and Church.

Mozart Breaks Free

In the spring of 1781 Mozart, as a member of the Archbishop's household, was summoned from Munich to Vienna. He wrote Papa: "The Archbishop is a great hindrance: He has done me out of at least 500 guilders, by not permitting me to give a concert. What's more, I was not allowed to accept an invitation to visit the Home of the Countess Thun; and who should be there but the Emperor!" Some affluent members of the Nobility regularly held open house for the upper class. To add spice to these gatherings, musicians, artists, and poets were invited. The salon of Countess Thun was also famous for her three beautiful daughters. The long and short was that Mozart handed in his resignation, and as a result was literally booted out of the building by Count Arco.

Mozart wasted no time in finding lodgings with the musical Weber family, who resided in a building named The Eye of God. They were old friends from Mannheim. Aloysia, the oldest daughter had given Mozart the cold shoulder years before. He now started paying attention to the second daughter, Constanze. Gossip prompted him to leave. It was one of his many moves. No less than eighteen places in Vienna pride themselves on having sheltered Mozart. His wandering nature is hardly surprising, as almost thirteen years of his short life were spent on the highways and byways of Europe. But now, deeply in love with Constanze, he felt ready to settle down. He described her to Papa: "She is not ugly, but at the same time far from beautiful. Her entire charm consists of two little black eyes and a pretty figure. " Many times he asked Leopold for his paternal blessing. Always in vain. It must have shaken his motto, "Next to God comes Papa," and so, without Papa, Mozart and Constanze Weber were proclaimed man and wife at St. Stephan's Dome, under the watchful eye of Anton Pilgram, one of the great operative masons of the sixteenth century, whose exquisite craftsmanship adorns this Temple of Worship.

In 1784 Mozart started a diary of his compositions. However, his works were not properly classified until 1862, when Ludwig von Koch published his catalogue. This explains the K., followed by a number, after the title of a work.

A tantalizing Masonic-sounding song was written about this time. It is dedicated to that great Light in the East, very Soul of the Universe . K . 429 ( 17841 785?):

Dir, Seele des Weltalls, o Sonne, seit heut'

Das Erste der festlichen Lieder geweiht!

O Machtige, ohne dich lebten wir nicht;

Von dir nur kommt Fruchtbarkeit, Warme und Licht!

To You, O Sun, Soul of the Universe, be this day

The first of our festive songs dedicated !

O Mighty one, without Thee, we could not exist;

From thee alone come Fertility, Heat and Light!

Mozart The Mason

In the Fall of 1784 Mozart applied for membership in a small Lodge named "Charity". The lodge seal reads: "Beneficentia susceptibili" or "Good deeds, where appropriate."

The announcement of his entry into the Craft has survived. We are indebted to the State for having kept meticulous records of all they obtained. These include minutes of meetings, lists of names, inventories etc. In Lodge Charity, which worked the Rite of Strict Observance, Mozart and a priest, Wenzel Summer, were initiated on the 14th of December, 1784. Mozart's lodge number was twenty. Lodge Charity shared the premises of the much larger Lodge True Concord. It worked the English ritual and was dedicated to the arts and sciences. The Master, Ignaz von Born, a former Jesuit, had a magnetic personality, was a scientist, a writer, a mineralogist and a confidant of Joseph II. He was also a prominent member of the Illuminati, who were supporting a political plan to barter Bavaria for the Austrian Netherlands, a scheme of which the Emperor heartily approved.

Mozart visited 'True Concord' on Christmas Eve and it is no coincidence that Joseph Haydn applied to it for membership on December 29th. He was duly initiated on the 11th of February 1785. The next day at a celebration hosted by Mozart, Joseph Haydn told Leopold: "I tell You before God, and as an honest man that your son is the greatest composer I know, either personally or by reputation. " In April, by special dispensation, Leopold Mozart was initiated, passed, and raised. He then took the coach back to Salzburg. Father and son would not meet again.

In the spring, Ignaz von Born was ennobled for a scientific breakthrough to assist the mining industry. The Lodge Crowned Hope, known for its Rosicrucian membership, honored him, with Mozart's "Masonic Joy." The last line of the printed notice, "zum lesten des Armen," shows that the proceeds were to be given to the poor.

K. 471, "Die Maurerfreude, "The Masonic Joy"; Text by Brother Franz Petran (Vienna, April 20 1785):

Drum singet und jauchzet, ihr Bluder!

Lasst bis in die innersten Hallen

Des Tempels den Jubel der Lieder,

Lasst bis an die Wolken ihn schallen !

Singt, singt, singt!

Lorbeer, hat Joseph der Weise zusammengebunden,

Mit Lorbeer die Schlafe dem weisen Maurer umwunden.

Translated, this is:

Sing and rejoice, Brethren!

Even in the very Inner Court of the Temple

Let the Jubilation of Song resound,

Let it ring out to the clouds!

Sing, sing, sing!

Joseph the Wise has twined laurels together,

And with these laurels has he crowned all enlightened Masons.

1785 was not a good year for secret societies. In Bavaria, the Elector Carl Theodor outlawed them all. Adam Weishaupt, head of the Illuminati, was banned from Ingolstad; and membership was forbidden on penalty of death. Emperor Joseph had lost a political ally.

That year also closed with the Freemasons' Act, a sad note for Masonry. It struck like lightning. Emperor Joseph thundered: "The so-called Freemasons Societies, whose secrets are unknown to me and whose chicanery I have until now not taken seriously, continue to multiply and spread .... It's enough for me to know that they have engaged in some good work .... I hereby ordain them to be taken under the protection of the State!" On it went: registration of members, no more than three Lodges in any one location, etc.

As a result, lodges either merged or closed. Mozart's lodge merged with Newly Crowned Hope. Membership in Vienna dropped from 800 to 400. With few exceptions, the aristocracy and politically astute members left the Craft. Brother Mozart continued steadfast on his Masonic Journey.

In March of 1786 Mozart composed a Piano concerto (K. 491). The following events may well explain its moody tone. The Emperor had again shocked his subjects. A nobleman, Franz Zahlheim, had slashed the throat of his girl friend to steal 1,000 guilders. Joseph ordered him taken to the marketplace, where redhot pincers were applied to his sides. He was then tied to a wheel, and his bones were slowly broken from the feet upward. His body was finally displayed on the gibbet. The execution lasted an agonizing four hours and was witnessed by 30,000 people. This relapse into barbarism led to a shattering of confidence in the Emperor's reform policies, from which he would not recover. That same afternoon Brother Ignaz von Born and Brother Kratter had a showdown on the subject of the Illuminati, which Brother Kratter insisted had no place in the Craft. It proved an almost violent encounter which the Brethren referred to as Kratter's Auto-da-Fe.

The Premiere of The Marriage of Figaro took place on May 1 at the Burgt-theater. It was a parody on the Droits du Seigneur (The Rights of the Master), and many nobles were not amused. Basilio's part was sung by the famous Irish tenor, Michael Kelly, who left us this description of his friend Mozart: "He was a remarkably small man, very thin and pale, with a profusion of fine hair of which he was rather vain. He always received me with kindness and hospitality. He was fond of punch and drank heartily thereof. He enjoyed playing billiards and I always came off second best. He was kindhearted and ready to oblige, but so particular when he played. If the slightest noise was made, he instantly left off. "

World events reached Vienna by scores of newspapers, including the London Chronicle. Anglomania was widespread. Mozart professed himself to be an arch Englishman and his entry in a guestbook, kept by Brother Kronauer, reads in English "Patience and tranquility of mind contribute more to cure our distemper than the whole Art of Medicine." Another brother wrote sarcastically: "Unity among brethren is rare!" It alluded to bitter strife among brethren, as the Masonic teaching to prefer honor and virtue above the external advantages of rank and fortune was put to the test. Ignaz von Born, the spiritual leader of Viennese Masons, left the Craft.

In early April, 1787, Mozart wrote the last-known letter to his father. It is the only one which alludes to Freemasonry: "Papa, I hear you are really ill. Death is the true goal of existence. His image no longer terrifies me. I thank God for graciously granting me the opportunity-you know what I mean--of learning that death is the key which unlocks our true happiness. "

Later that month, Mozart met with the sixteen-year-old Beethoven. A print shows Beethoven at the keyboard and Mozart holding a finger to his mouth to instill silence. The same year, Brother Leopold Mozart, age 68, passed to the Eternal East on the 28th of May. Mozart directed his part of the Estate, 10 guilders, to be forwarded to Michael Puchberg, a merchant, attorney, and Brother Mason.

In September, Mozart journeyed to Prague to complete his opera Don Giovanni. In a castle near the city, another Mason, the legendary Giovanni Jacopo Casanova was writing his memoirs with sneering frankness. On October 29, Prague--the pawn of Europe-celebrated the premiere of Don Giovanni. Here they idolized Mozart, whom many considered a native Bohemian.

The year 1787 was marked by the outbreak of the Turkish war. A British cartoon commented on the "temptation" of Catharina the Great, who was Austria's ally. The nobility left for the front, inflation soared, the music salons closed, and a free lance musician like Mozart felt the pinch and moved to smaller quarters.

In the summer of 1789 both Mozart and Constanze became quite ill. Mozart spent a fortune on doctor's fees, and Constanze, moreover, was ordered to take the expensive "cure" in Baden, a mineral-hot-spring resort, a day's drive by coach from Vienna. During this period Mozart wrote his Brother Mason, Micha Puchberg for assistance, in letters which reflect the wretchedness of his health and the heavy financial burden caused by his wife's illness. He borrowed approximately 1000 guilders, which was repaid after his death. Mozart meanwhile dedicated his Symphony in C Flat (K. 543) to his friend, Puchberg.

The steady correspondence which Mozart, during periods of separation, kept with his beloved Constanze, can leave no doubt of his sincere love and desire.

Just after Christmas, the Prince of Spurious Masonic Degrees, Count Cagliostro was caught red-handed by the Holy Inquisition when he opened another Egyptian Lodge--in Rome, of all places! He was incarcerated in the Castel Sant' Angelo and his books were burned.

On the 20th of February, 1790, Joseph II died. A pamphlet shows his accomplishments, in Pyramid form, of course. The stones represent: Freedom of Religion and Press, Establishment of an Academy for Surgeons and of an Institute for the Deaf and Dumb, Abolition of Serfdom, etc. Joseph, equally aware of his many failures, had also ordered his own epitaph to read: "Here lies Joseph II, who was unfortunate in all his enterprises. "

In September Mozart journeyed to Frankfurt for the coronation of Joseph's successor, Leopold II, who, given the French revolution, may well be forgiven for having been paranoid about secret societies. In the meantime, the Mozart family had moved to an elegant fiveroom apartment at the Rauesteingasse. It had its own billiard room and fails to suggest that Mozart was poor or destitute.

III - A Religious Question

Mozart spent many a day with Constanze in Baden. The choirmaster of the local Church, Anton Stoll, asked his friend to compose music for an old sacred hymn, the "Ave Verum." It seems curious that this motet is included in every album which is marked: Mozart's Complete Masonic Music. This demands the question, Why?

Alfred Einstein, one of his eminent biographers, observes: "To Mozart, Religion and Masonry were concentric circles!" To which one may add, it thus follows that the center of these circles is the same. This Center to the Jew spells Shekinah, or His Presence, between the out-stretched wings of the Cherubs. To the Christian it portrays His Presence, real or symbolic in Communion, and to the Free-Mason it represents that Point Within the Circle from which he cannot err and of which he is reminded in every obligation as he repeats: "I in the Presence of . . . !

Ave Verum K. 618 (Summer 1791, Feast of Corpus Christi)

Ave Verum Corpus natum de Maria virgine

Vere passum immolatum in cruce pro homine

Cujus latus, perforatum unda fluxit et sanguine

Esto nobis praegustatum in mortis examine.

In translation, this reads:

Hail True Flesh born of the Virgin Mary

Truly suffered, immolated on the cross for man

From whose pierced side flowed water and blood

Be for us a final supper prior to our trial of death.

During his last summer, a stranger called on Mozart to order a Mass for the Dead. It was Franz Leitgeb, who acted as messenger for an amateur composer, Count Walsegg-Stuppach, whose wife had died and who wanted a Requiem for which, not unusual for those days, he himself could and would take credit.

In Mid-September Mozart and Constanze were in Prague, where the wife of the New Emperor, Leopold, greeted the performance of La Clemenza di Tito by shouting in Italian from the balcony: "What a German Hogwash." It was well-known that Leopold disliked Mozart intensely.

The Magic Flute

We now take you to the Theater auf der Wieden, of which a contemporary, John Pezzl, warns: "You had better take some tobacco with you, or you will not be able to stand the smell of the lamps, of spilled beer and of garlic sausages." Here Vienna witnessed on September 30th the premiere of The Magic Flute.

One almost dare not challenge its deep Masonic contents. However, the simple Masonic initiate is hard-pressed to discover more than three knocks and the uttering of the words: wisdom, strength, beauty, and fortitude. Trials by fire and water belong to a fantasy land of initiation in the Pyramids. Mozart and Schikaneder clearly question the path taken by the leading philosophers of the Enlightenment. Note how the initiates shy away from the Temples of Reason and Nature and enter instead the Temple of Wisdom.

So far as I am concerned, The Magic Flute could only have been written by an Initiate; and suffice it to say, that by his very music, Mozart knowingly comments on the libretto. There are no heroes as the main characters are all flawed. Pamina and Papageno display suicidal tendencies by stabbing and strangulation, Sarastro is a mixture of tyrant and benefactor, and the Queen of Night has murder in her heart. Yet, the whole is steeped in such a wealth of emblems and symbolism that Rosicrucians, Masons, Members of Adoptive Orders, and initiates of all descriptions can find parts to identify with. This makes The Magic Flute a profound and universal treatise on the process of initiation.

The Last Complete Work

The final completed work entered by Mozart in his catalogue is dated November 15, 1791, and titled A Little Masonic Cantata. It portrays the Architect of the Universe in simple terms far removed from the splendor and celebration of The Magic Flute. God's Power does not depend On noise of pomp and pageantry,

But quietly bestows its blessings on mankind.

To you, silent Godhead, do we Masons pay homage.

This composition ends with the famous chain-song, which in 1947 became the tune for the Austrian National Anthem.

K. 623 Appendix (On the night of November 18th 179 , three weeks before his spirit returned to God)

Lasst uns mit geschlungnen H'nden,

Bluder, diese Arbeit enden

Unter frohem Jubenschall.

Es umschlinge diese Kette,

So wie diese heil'ge Statte,

Auch den ganzen Erdenball

Tugend und die Menscheit ehren,

Sich und andern Liebe lehren

Sei uns stets die erste Pflicht.

Dann stromt nicht allein in Osten,

Dann stromt nicht allein in Westen,

Auch in Siid und Norden Licht.

Let us hand in hand,

Brethren, finish our labor,

With joyful music.

May this living chain encircle,

As it does this sacred place,

Ultimately the whole of our globe.

To honor virtue and mankind,

To teach ourselves and others love,

Let this always remain our first duty.

Then streams, not just from the East,

Then streams, not just from the West,

But also from South and North Light.

Mozart's final, painful illness lasted about two weeks. He continued to work on his Requiern, assisted by his pupil Franz Xaver Sussmayer. He was cheerful even during his last day. Constanze her sister Sophie, and Sussmayer were with him as, finally, he turned on his side and puffed up his cheeksperhaps to mimic the miraculous trumpet which will scatter its sound over countless graveyards to summon all before the Throne? On the night of December 4-5, 1791, at 12.55 a.m. Brother Mozart had finished his allotted task.

In Vienna crowds of people passed by his corpse, weeping and wailing. In Prague, the famous Soprano Josepha Duschek sang from the Organ Loft of St Nicholas Church, which was crowded with well over four thousand people, who bade Mozart a magnificent and tearful farewell.

His name has joined the Immortals. Two death-masks were made and lost. Paintings, no two alike, would spring up. After two decades, even his common grave could no longer be identified. It seems as though the Genius of the Universe caused all traces of Mozart's terrestrial form to be lost, the better to illuminate his incomparable legacy of pure sound, an echo of the music of creation, when the morning stars sang together. Mozart's universality reflects in the roll-call of Nations who have honored him with postage stamps. There are at least twenty-five that I am aware of: Chile, The Congo, India, Senegal, Turkey, Belgium, Andorra, Israel, Islamic Federation of Comores, Czechoslovakia, Italy, Antigua Barbuda, Uganda, Hungary, France, Mexico, Liechtenstein, Guyana, Maldives, Sierra Leone, St Vincent, Albania, Tanzania, Germany and of course Austria. Also, today, thirty-four Masonic Lodges bear his name.

Shortly after his death the Lodge Crowned Hope hosted a Lodge of Sorrows. The Eulogy by Brother Karl Friedrich Hensler was published. It praises Brother Mozart for his charity, for being a husband and a father, a friend to his friends and brother to his brethren and continues: "It has pleased the Eternal Builder of the Universe, to raise from our brotherly chain one of its dearest and most deserving links. Who knew him not? Who treasured him not? Who loved him not? Our worthy Brother Mozart. Only a few weeks ago, he stood in our midst, glorifying with his magic sound the dedication of our Temple . The Great of the World called him their Darling; we call him Brother! "

When Joseph Haydn received the sad news in London, he immediately offered his assistance to Constanze and the children and remarked: It will be at least a hundred years before a similar talent appears.

We are still waiting!

Bibliography

Anderson, Emily . The Ld tas of Mozart and his family.

Braunbehrens, Volkmar. Mozart in Vienna.

Carr, Francis. Mozart and Constanze.

Davenport, Marcia. Mozart.

Einstein, Alfred. Mozart, his Character, his Work.

Freimawer Solange die Welt Bcstcht Sonderaustellung Historischen Museum Vienna.

Hellard, Susan and Ann Rachlin. Famous Children.

Hildesheimer, Wolfgang. Mozart.

Hutchins, Arthur. Mozart, the Man, the Musician.

Kupferberg, Herbert. Amadeus, a Mozart Mosaie.

Landon, H. C. Robbins. Mozart and Vienna-Mozart and the Masons-The Mozart Companion.

Mozart in Wien. Zauberfone-Ausstellung Historischen Museum Vienna.

Nettl, Paul. Mozart and Masonry.

Osborne, Charles. The Complete Operas of Mozart.

Rosinger, Dr. Sigurd. Mozart, Mensch, Musiker, Freimaurer.

Schloss Roseneau. Bruder Mozart 250 Jahre Frcimaurcrci in Ostcrrcich.

Smyth, Frederick H. "Brother Mozart," Q. C. C. C. Talks, # 7.

Till, Nicholas. Mozart and thc Enlightenment.

Woodford, Peggy. Mozart.

The Editor acknowledges the assistance of Brother Wallace McLeod, FPS, president of The Philalethes Society, for putting this article on disk for final editing.

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Faith Without Works Is Dead:

Freemasonry as the Hand-maid of Religion

by Michael Sykuta, MPS

Anyone who reads this magazine is no doubt aware of the recent persecutions Freemasonry has faced from certain religious denominations. Such attacks are not new or even unique in the history of Masonry. These attacks are, in part no doubt, due to a genuine misunderstanding of Freemasonry and its role in society. Unlike Dr. Holley's zealous campaign, most religious objections to Freemasonry are not that our fraternity is a satanic organization. Rather, antagonists contend that Freemasonry is an alternate religion or that its teachings of salvation are not consistent with Christian beliefs. If a person is a member of the Masonic religion, then how can he be a sincere member of a Christian Church? This alleged inconsistency is the reason for incompatibility.

Such arguments may well be true of other religions as well. Being a Christian myself, and having talked with authorities in several Christian denominations, I will restrict my comments to the Christian faith. However, I have little doubt that what I'm about to say of Freemasonry's role in relation to Christianity will hold equally well for all the great religions of the world.

An acquaintance of mine once approached me about becoming a Freemason. He didn't have to ask me twice before I enthusiastically told him about my love of the fraternity and its importance in my life. We talked at length about what Freemasonry was about, what membership involved, and what the organization worked for. After discussing the subject on several occasions, he informed me that he wouldn't be able to petition for membership. It seems an elder in his church, a fundamentalist branch of a church in which his father-in-law was a minister, told him that Freemasonry preached salvation by works and not by faith. Although I believe he understood that not to be true, he was afraid he couldn't convince his wife and family.

"Salvation by works? Where did this come from?" I thought. I began reflecting on the Masonic lectures, I found what I believe to be the answer, or an answer, to my question. After all, do we not tell our candidates that all good Freemasons hope to achieve a state of perfection, like the perfect ashlar, by "virtuous education, our own endeavors, and the blessing of God." Do we not contend that it is "purity of life and conduct which is so essentially necessary" for gaining admission into the Celestial Lodge above? " Could this not be misconstrued to mean that these works alone guarantee salvation?

Without a more thorough understanding of Freemasonry, perhaps such an interpretation is not so far-fetched. After all, we do emphasize good works. We are known in the community for out good works. We support children's charities. We invest in drug awareness and prevention programs for our youth. We offer scholarships for deserving students. We offer assistance to those in need: members, widows, orphans, and nonmembers alike. And perhaps most of all, we take care of our own elderly through the various Masonic Home systems throughout the country. Yes good works are definitely our strong suit. But is this all? To the extent that we discuss salvation at all, do we claim salvation based upon these works alone?

Opponents claim salvation comes only by faith, not by works. Well, faith is the starting point of Freemasonry. One must have faith in Deity before he can be regularly made a Freemason. That is the necessary criterion. Freemasonry does not ignore the importance of faith, but rather glorifies it. Freemasonry does not put actions above faith; quite the contrary. Freemasonry teaches that faith is most important. In the first degree we are taught a lesson in charity, which, as we are told, "next to a belief in Deity, lies at the foundation of Masonry. " The belief in Deity comes first. From there, the good works of charity flow.

So what is the role of Freemasonry with regard to religion? We are not a religion in the true sense, and we do not sell ourselves as such. We do not offer salvation because the first step to salvation, faith, must be taken before a man becomes a member in our lodges. Instead, we claim Freemasonry is a hand-maid of religion. But how so? If Freemasonry is not a religion, how does it support the teachings of religion? I suggest that it is by encouraging the same good works our persecutors point to as our downfall.

Faith without works is dead. Faith alone does not guarantee salvation, for how does one's faith show itself except by its works? A Christian need look no further than to the Holy Bible in the Book of James to see this argument applied to the Christian faith. I expect other religions hold similar views. It is only by the actions of our faith that our faith is made known. To quote James (2:21-22, 26 NIV), "Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did .... As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead. "

Freemasonry does not offer a man salvation, but instead gives him a forum in which to do these good works which support and evidence his faith. It offers lessons which encourage him to do so by reinforcing the need for such good works as evidence of our faith in God and our belief in the Brotherhood of Man. In so doing, Freemasonry supports and reaffirms some of those important teachings of the church. Perhaps this is why so many ministers are members of our fraternity. Instead of conflicting with the teachings of the church, Freemasonry complements those teachings and draws out their importance by allegory and example. That is the role of Freemasonry. That is how Freemasonry serves as a hand-maid of religion.

Where then is the conflict? There should be no doubt that Freemasonry serves only to reinforce the teachings of the church and to offer one opportunity of being " serviceable to your fellow creatures. " The only remaining point of potential conflict is the refusal of Freemasonry to embrace one particular set of religious or denominational beliefs over another. And it is on the point where Freemasonry is most glorious. Almost all religions recommend the practice of charity to all mankind. Because Freemasonry embraces this one element of a Freemason's beliefs, it allows all men-regardless of their particular faith--to practice their faith by doing good works in concert, thereby doing more than any one of them could do alone.

It is sad that an organization which holds the noblest of ideals and objectives should be the subject of so much misunderstanding and reproof. Perhaps the resolution of some of these misconceptions will open the eyes and minds of those who, through their ignorance, ridicule our fraternity. But it is up to us to clear up these misunderstandings. It is up to each one of us to inform those who lack understanding as well as to live our lives such that "the honor, glory, and reputation of the Institution may be firmly established and the world at large convinced of its good effects. "

Don't let the faith you profess be a dead faith. Do good unto all.

----o----

Thomas Paine 1737-1809

The following is a protest against an error--that Thomas Paine was a Mason. Two Grand Lodges, those of North Carolina and Wisconsin report that Paine was indeed a Mason. Wisconsin issued a lecture on the Entered Apprentice Degree stating on page 25, "Other Revolutionary heroes who were Masons include Tom Paine, Patrick Henry, etc., etc. " The Grand Lodge A.F.A.M. of North Carolina Masonic Public Relations Committee recently published a very fine brochure designed to attract new members. It is titled The Real Secret of Freemasonry--Making Good Men Better. It states on page 1, "The Pantheon of Masons holds George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Paine."

My research has not produced any evidence that Thomas Paine was a Mason. On the contrary, Mackey's Encyclopedia of Freemasonry states that he was" a political writer of eminence during the Revolutionary War in America. He greatly injured his reputation by his attacks on the Christian religion. He was not a Freemason, but wrote An Essay on the Origin of Freemasonry with no other knowledge of the institution than that derived from the writings of Smith and Dodd .... Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia, p. 461, states that Paine "was one of the most effective political writers who ever lived. Born in England 1737, died in New York, 1809. Author of Common Sense and other pamphlets. He was not a Freemason but for some reason elected to write An Essay on the Origins of Freemasonry in which he traced the society to the Druids, which neither elucidated the origin of Masonry nor elevated Paine's reputation as a writer." Let us look at some highlights of Thomas Paine's life and determine if this was a man worthy or qualified for membership in the Masonic fraternity.

Paine was born in England in 1737, with no record of being baptized; however, an aunt, Mistress Cocke, filled with orthodox zeal for the Church of England, arranged for his confirmation by the Bishop of Norwich (Paine's father was a Quaker). He attended school at Thedford from age seven to age thirteen. He attended Quaker meetings from age six, generally eight hours a week. It would appear he had a joyless childhood, but he applied himself to his studies.

At fifteen he became an apprentice corset maker. In search of excitement, he spent a year at sea as an apprentice seaman aboard the King of Prussia, a privateer. He returned to London and worked as a corset maker for two years. Paine married Mary Lambert on September 27, 1754. Mary fell ill and died in 1760. He married an Elizabeth Oliver on March 27, 1771.

In 1774 he separated from his wife and shipped out to America, arriving in New York November 29, leaving at once for Philadelphia. His trip to America was arranged by Benjamin Franklin, who had befriended him and was impressed with his early writings. Upon his arrival in Philadelphia, Franklin's son-in-law, Richard Bache took him in hand and found him lodging.

Bache introduced Paine to Robert Aitkin, proprietor of the city's largest bookstore and a printer who had published some of Franklin's work. Aitkin offered Paine five pounds to write an article for his new magazine. This allowed Paine to have a base from which he could launch his own ideas of government, liberty, and revolution. By the time he had spent six months in America, Paine had enthusiastically embraced the radical group. He agreed with Samuel Adams that American subjects were entitled to the same rights as Englishmen. Paine became an American and in a few months became one of the leaders, highly respected; a man who could mold public opinion.

Paine realized that Tories in Parliament were demanding the imprisonment of such radicals as Samuel Adams and John Hancock. Paine' s advocacy of the radical cause, soon to be referred to as the patriotic cause, placed his name on the same list. He became friendly with Jefferson, Samuel and John Adams, and Richard Henry Lee, and renewed his friendship with Franklin. He anticipated the colonies' having a direct confrontation with Great Britain and directed all his energies towards preparation for that struggle. Most Americans were still reluctant to take the plunge into revolution. In late 1775, Washington was advocating moderation.

Paine's fifty-page pamphlet, Common Sense, written with great clarity of style for the common man, and easily understood and easily read by all, was released on January 10, 1776. This pamphlet caused many who were wavering to throw their support to the patriotic cause. It is an understatement to say it was the most successful political pamphlet in history. Published in Philadelphia, it was republished in many places throughout the colonies from South Carolina to Salem Massachusetts. Overseas it was translated into German, French, and Dutch. It was estimated that more than 120,000 copies were sold and passed from hand to hand. A conservative estimate would be that at least 1,000,000 Americans read it. Common Sense served the revolutionary cause by solidifying the patriots' position in the minds of the non-committed.

Paine resigned his position of editor and enlisted as a private in the Pennsylvania militia. During this time he wrote the first of sixteen pamphlets that became known as The American Crisis. Everyone is familiar with the opening sentence, "These are the times that try men's souls. " The first of the series bolstered American resolve to continue the war in the days of Washington's attack on Trenton. Paine then left the military to become secretary for the Philadelphia Council of Safety.

After the surrender of Lord Cornwallis, Paine was sent to France to help negotiate a loan. He was accompanied by a Colonel Laurens. He continually upset Laurens by the teen-age ladies with whom he kept company. Franklin assisted in arranging the loan and Paine returned to America.

Paine, who had no real roots, tried to settle down in Bordentown, New Jersey. He applied to the national government for a pension, but it was rejected by Congress.

Finally he received an award of $3,000 in devalued paper money.

Paine returned to Paris in 1787. Though he was busy, he always found time to visit the "girls of St. Germain. " He had developed a distinct preference for young ladies in their late teens. He kept this side of his life secret to the point that early biographers believed he had lost all interest in women when he left his wife. Gradually the truth emerged.

Paine spent most of this time in Paris meeting with the various leaders of the French Revolution. He misjudged the anarchistic element of these people and clung to the belief that the American and French Revolutions were identical. To his chagrin, the upheaval of the Revolution action finally put him in prison on December 29, 1793 . Paine claimed it was George Washington's duty to extract him from prison. Washington felt American neutrality prevented him from interfering. He was released in November, 1794.

During the signing of the Jay Treaty in 1795, which Washington supported, his opposition released "A Letter to Washington" written by Paine. During the Revolution, Washington had supported and befriended Paine. Now Paine went over Washington's career in a tone of insult, quote: "As to you, sir, treacherous in private friendship (for you have been to me and that in a day of danger) and hypocrite in public life, the world will be puzzled to decide whether you are an apostate or an imposter, or whether you abandoned good principles or whether you ever had any. "

In January, 1794, Paine released The Age of Reason (1) . He made the mistake of thinking that since reason might move people to change their political direction, it would also be able to change their faith and beliefs in their religions. The Age of Reason antagonized the majority of the people who read it. In it, Paine attacks and ridicules the basic Christian tenets. He assaulted the Old Testament. He ridiculed the creation of the world as set forth in Genesis. He referred to the Bible as a history of wickedness. He stated, "Those who believe the Bible the most know the least about it. "

He also states, "I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish Church, by the Roman Church, by the Greek Church, by the Protestant Church, nor any church that I know of. " He derides the resurrection of the dead and the virgin birth, and found it difficult to account for the credit given to the story that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. He states that Jesus was born at a time when heathen mythology was in fashion in the world. Further, he refused to believe in any of the miracles related in the New Testament.

God-fearing Americans reacted violently; even his supporters were shocked. He was denounced from hundreds of pulpits. In Part Two of The Age of Reason, Paine resumed his attack on Christianity and Judaism. Ecclesiastes, he said, consisted of the solitary reflections of a worn-out debauchee. The Book of Ruth he called a foolish story about a "strolling country girl creeping into bed with her cousin, Boaz. "

People now turned away from Paine in vast numbers. This marked his decline in public favor.

While all of this was going on, Paine was in France. In 1779 he accepted an invitation from Nicolas de Bonneville and his wife, Magurite Brazier, to move into their home. De Bonneville was a publisher and had published several of Paine's pamphlets. De Bonneville was also an active Freemason who was convinced that the principles and aims of Freemasonry, if applied to world's ailments, would bring peace and prosperity to all nations.

During this period, Paine wrote the Essay on the Origins of Freemasonry, which managed to avoid all the known facts of the origins of the order.

From 1794 through 1805 Paine, who had been a moderate drinker, began to use alcohol to a great excess. Visitors reported his face blotched from excessive use of wine and his hand shaking while holding his favorite beverage, brandy.

Late in 1802, Paine returned to the United States. Later Madame Bonneville left her husband and followed Paine to the United States, bringing her three children with her. Paine was now sixtyfive; Madame Bonneville had not turned thirty. In due time she and her three sons moved in with Paine in his home in New Rochelle, New York.

Late in 1806, Paine suffered a fit of apoplexy, but after a long confinement he recovered. In February, 1808, he had an attack of influenza and became unable to care for himself. He died in his sleep on June 5, 1809 .

Thomas Paine, while a great political writer and supporter of the cause for American independence, was also a person who seemed to be angry with the world as he found it.

He was not a Mason. This is another example of the tendency to credit men with Masonic membership after their death. This is especially true of prominent Americans of the Revolutionary period. It comes out as a way of improving on the reputation of the Fraternity. Freemasonry's reputation does not need historical improvement; what is needed in more attention to the present and future of the organization.

Note

1. Paine was a deist. This means he was a believer in deism, defined by Webster as a movement or system of thought advocating natural religion based on human reason rather than on revelation, emphasizing morality and in the eighteenth century denying the interference of the Creator with the laws of the universe.

Bibliography

Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia.

Edwards, Samuel. Rebel, Biography of Tom Paine.

Flexner, James T. Washington.

Mackey 's Encyclopedia of Freemasonry.

Smith, Page. A New Age Begins, Vol. 1.

Editor's Note: There is no proof that Patrick Henry was a Mason.

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Fanning the Flame of Masonry

Semi-Annual Meeting of

The Philalethes Society

Sponsored by the Western Reserve Chapter

Saturday, October 2, 1993

Harley of Cleveland, West Motel

17000 Bagley Rd - Cleveland, Ohio 44130 – 216-243-5200

(Rooms $55 + tax - Write or call for reservations by 9-19)

Registration $59 per person (includes luncheon & banquet)

Saturday - Ladies will join the men for luncheon & banquet

Send registration fee to:

William F. Koeckert, FPS, Secretary

14413 S. Woodland Rd. - Shaker Heights, OH 44120

Luncheon Speaker: Royal C. Scofleld, FPS, Int'l Vice President

Banquet Speaker M:W: H. Ray Evans, Grand Master of Masons in Ohm

Assembly speakers will include International Officers

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Patriotism in America

by Otis V. Jones MPS

Patriotism ! What a beautiful word . How it has rung out down through the years expressing the love of country and proud spirit of America through the 300 years of our country. How did Patriotism and the United States of America happen, what is patriotism really, and can we here preserve it as we have inherited it? I hope and pray with God's help we can, and I feel sure that Freemasonry can contribute to its future.

American's conception came with the hardy adventurers, the homeless, the destitute, and the poor of Europe leaving the weighty problems of the old world to face the unknown wilderness of far-off America to start a new life--different in every way from the land they left--England, Scotland, Ireland, northern Italy, Spain, France, and Germany. It was the men and women that came with Sir Walter Raleigh to North Carolina in 1585 to lose the first battle of settlement on the Outer Banks. It was those with John Smith at Jamestown in 1607 and with the Puritans at Plymouth Rock in 1620. Hardy men and strong women ventured everything in their determination to govern themselves and find room to live in freedom they never enjoyed in the old world: friendship, peace, love of God, the right to worship as they pleased, and to own a small piece of land of their own: this is Americanism.

They were later joined by a different breed of men and women, those who sought to organize, trade, and rule--in short, the middle class that come seeking to take their place as organizers, traders, doctors, and others seeking to improve themselves in this new land of great promise across the distant seas.

For 150 years they worked and struggled to gain a foothold, and slowly grew to fewer than one million souls in over 100 years. These few had, nevertheless, set up in the new world a spirit of Americanism, a breed of people fiercely attached to their individual rights as they saw them as free men, and who were most happy in working without hindrance from the established ideas of the Old World. They were slowly changing from Scots, English, etc., to Americans and were proud of it.

They were steadily moving westward for more land and more freedom; and in their place in the East were arriving the tradesmen and professional men and the younger sons of great families to set up their plantations and large holdings consolidated in the East; but they, too, were being caught up in the new experience of freedom, and a free trade system, that made them a part of the American scene: Americanism, if you will. From the wealthy to the poor they realized that here in our country people were not so fervent toward the great landowner, and found that only a man' s ability limited his growth. There was freedom to live, speak and breathe without fear of prison or punishment as had been the case in the Old World. What did all those people think, what do Americans of recent years call Americanism? I think now, before we get into our history again, that it may be wise to quote from others their belief in patriotism and the freedom of America. * George Allot quotes his belief, "A patriot will lend all of his strength and all of his talents to setting national goals according to his own beliefs. He just as stoutly defends the rights of his countrymen to work toward different goals. But once the goals are determined, the course set, the true patriot will defend them with the every fiber of his being against all enemies, foreign or domestic. "

Thomas M. Brady said, "Patriotism is courage' s guarantee that tyranny, oppression, and slavery will never become the masters of mankind. "

George Newberry, a prominent New Jersey Mason, believes, "Patriotism is no fair-weather quality of a citizen. It is one of the noblest attributes of a man and of our people. No nation can grow or long endure without it. No man deserves the title of ' citizen' unless he wholeheartedly accepts its responsibilities. "

The above quotations are given here to outline in a way what was gradually developing in the minds of the colonial American people. It was inevitable that things were to change a great deal in the days from the opening of the eighteenth century to the 1770s. Americanism was finding itself. Surprising changes came from abroad, and to the colonists, they were harsh and unnecessary. Arbitrary in the minds of many, they cut back the rather free and independent way in which the colonies in America had been governed to date.

England found itself engulfed in wars the world over; it found itself taxed to death at home. It had to find a way by which the colonies could and should support their own system of laws and defense to protect themselves from the Indians on the west, the French on the north, and the Spanish on the south. So England, not without those who disagreed in England, turned to the colonies to raise monies through taxation that the colonies were not used to. The growing wealth of the American colonies was a large temptation to the English Parliament, which was already taxing the home folks all it could. Parliament started to impose taxes on the colonies without taking their counsel or advice. The Stamp Act, the Tea Tax, and others made the colonies balk, loudly and strongly, with protests that still ring out around the world among free people, No tax without representation, " and so on and on: the rebirth of Americanism. The cross section of rebellion and protest ran from the extremely wealthy to the very poor indentured servant.

Many great and good men on both sides of the Atlantic did everything in their power to reach a conclusion to alleviate the growing problem of war, but it was not to be. Prime ministers and the working class in England and the rich traders and landowners of Massachusetts and Virginia were found on both sides of the thinking; the schism of revolution was developing; and Americanism was born in the cauldron of war that followed. This war split families and brought brother against brother, Americanism standing strong in a faith and brotherhood that produced the Declaration of Independence and later the Constitution and Bill of Rights. But even these strong currents also bred a Freemasonry that did not perish, on both the British and American sides. This enhanced America and perhaps made Britain even a greater nation.

The labor pains of America were heard from New Hampshire and Vermont in the North to Georgia in the South. Virginia instructed her delegates to the Continental Congress to offer a motion to the effect that "All men should be and have a right to be free." North Carolina in their meeting at Halifax instructed their delegates to support any motion of independence that might be offered, and, out of the womb of necessity our Great Declaration of Independence was brought forth and proclaimed to the people on July 4, 1776.

America was born, the United States of America, a tiny baby of fewer than four million people. Men, women, and children scattered up and down the coast of the Atlantic and westward to the Blue Ridge Mountains of the South and the head-waters of the Ohio and the Great Lakes of the West. Stretched so widely in miles, opinions, and doctrines that in the normal course of events, the new nation could have very easily died in childbirth. So frail it was that there was little hope of winning its independence from Britain. But it did--with a patriotism and an Americanism that we still hold good to this day. Fifty-six new Americans signed that great Declaration, and at least nine of them are proven Masons, and perhaps more.

And what did these brave souls give to us here in America, even unto this day? In leaving Constitution Hall, Benjamin Franklin has been quoted as saying, "A Republic if you can keep it." He also advised the delegates at the time of signing that "Surely we must all hang together or surely we will hang separately. "

These signers were for the most part young men, Washington and Franklin being among the older. But they established Americanism and Patriotism, and held high the torch of freedom to be won on the battlefields and to be handed down from generation to generation until today.

And we, as Masons, must render it more than just lip service, for I believe it is more needed today than even during the Civil War of our grandfathers' time. The Civil War solidified the states, but today we see on every hand a breaking down of our ideals and standards and morals that have made us the great nation of the earth--if we can keep it that way with Americanism as did our forefathers. Freemasons must preserve it.

The Revolution was truly a fraternal fight, brother against brother, as men and Masons; but in the crucible of war they never forgot they were Freemasons Washington, Cornwallis, Howe, Arnold, DeKalb and many others. Cornwallis, a Freemason whose descendants are great Freemasons of England, buried Baron DeKalb with full Masonic and military honors when he was killed at Monmouth, having come to America to help with our war. When Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, he sent the necessary papers to Washington who had them received by our Brother Benjamin Lincoln, also a Freemason. Lord Mara, a Freemason in charge of His Majesty's troops in the South, gave the order to release little Andrew Jackson after the Battle of Cowpens. Jackson went on to be Grand Master of Masons in Tennessee and President of the United States.

The war years from 1771 through 1781 were the years that gave birth to Americanism; the afterbirth came with the troubled years of our "Confederation" and its weak central government . The Bill of Rights (the first ten amendments to the Constitution) was proposed by another Freemason, James Mason of Virginia, a friend of Washington.

This gave us our Constitution as we know it when it was ratified by a majority of the states. Americanism was still marching toward today with Freemasonry leading the way. But war-clouds were still overhead. France had helped America and recognized us, but after a short interval England was again at war with us on the seas to stop our shipping and to harass us in many ways. Thus came the War of 1812. The Treaty of Ghent was finally signed and the official wars were finally over. But after this, the Battle of New Orleans was fought by a young veteran of the Revolution, now General Andrew Jackson. With the help of a pirate, Lafitte, Jackson defeated a fine British army under General Pakenham, a Freemason from England.

America was spreading her wings and Americanism at its best was growing with it. We reached out to the Mississippi and Freemasons Lewis and Clark were on their way to the West Coast. Others like Austin, Houston, and Davy Crockett were in Texas. In mentioning these great American pioneers, I like also to mention again that Freemasonry is world-wide, for the Mexican General Santa Ana, who finally made peace with Austin and Houston, kept his bargain. Simon Bolivar, the great liberator of Central and South America was a Freemason. Freemasons, Americans, brothers all, contributed so that all America would eventually break all the ties with the old world and become free and independent on its own. Many of the leaders of our country and of theirs were members of the Mystic Circle.

Americanism is not always born in war or bred in defense of liberty. The defense of ideas is of equal importance, and the great conciliator, Henry Clay, sitting under a great oak tree wrote his famous letter of firm beliefs that ended his pursuit of the presidency, "I had rather be right than President. " He was never our President, but he was a great senator for many years, and also a Grand Master of Masons in Kentucky.

The heroic stories we hear and read about the Civil War or the War Between the States only cemented Americanism as we know it today. Bitterness lingered for many years, but the breach was healed in great measure by another Masonic President, Andrew Jackson. As a great upholder of the law, he resisted any attempts to treat the South any way other than that prescribed by the Constitution. He was impeached, but held his office and his work together to make the South again part of the nation. The House Undivided stood under the severe strain of the war. An instance of the importance of Freemasonry was the action of the lodge in Winchester Virginia opening regularly, although the town changed hands many times during the war, and soldiers and civilians alike attended this lodge. ~lere a future President of the United States, William McKinley, knelt and took his obligation with soldiers from both armies in the stations.

Americanism was evident in Sherman's march through the South to the sea. Many homes were spared, and in many places, the only building left standing was the Masonic Lodge. A hundred generals or more wore the blue or the gray, but also wore the Square and Compasses. Americanism at its best!

Americanism is the swelling of feeling within us when we see our flags flying high; it is the tear in our eye when we sing the "The Star Spangled Banner" and "America the Beautiful." It is "Yankee Doodle" and "Dixie." Americanism is the feeling that enabled Audie Murphy to stand his forward observation post to direct the shelling on his own position when the Germans were surrounding him and when questioned as to how close they were, answered, "Hold the phone and I'll let you speak to them." Almost twenty he was at the time. Americanism is Jonas Salk working alone in a box-like laboratory for years to conquer polio; it is the Yankees and Angels playing in the World Series; its freedom to walk the streets feeling safe and freedom to work where you want to if qualified. It is advancing to the top if your ability permits; it is the help of friends, the trust in God, and our being reared to adulthood by our parents instead of the government. It is the teacher who flies our flag every day in school for everyone to see; it is the fairness that permits us to stop short when we step on others' toes; it is the right to own land and buy and sell it; the right to speak out our opinions and to insist on the rights of others to do the same--under the law.

Americanism was righteous anger at the time of Pearl Harbor and pride in the day General MacArthur asked General Wainwright (both Masons) to step up and be with him when the Japanese signed the surrender documents on the Battleship Missouri.

Americanism is above all the will and right to give rather than to receive; to be a part of solutions to problems rather to be a problem. It is Freemasonry, accepted by friends and brothers the world over; it is trust, earned and expected. It is our love for country and family, now and forevermore.

So mote it be.

[Permission to quote the statements on Americanism has been granted by Nelsen O. Newcomb, National Secretary of the National Sojourners, a group of veterans who are also Freemasons].

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The Silver Working Tools

by Herbert G. Gardiner, MPS

His Majesty, Hawaiian King David Kalakaua, * selected December 31, 1879, the forty-fifth birthday of his wife, Queen Julia Kapi'olani, to lay the cornerstone of the new Royal residence, 'Iolani Palace. The cornerstone-laying ceremony was performed in accordance with the ceremonies and tradition of the Masonic Fraternity. King Kalakaua was a Freemason and was the master of Lodge le Progres de l'Oceanie No. 124, AASR in 1876, about two years after he ascended the throne as the seventh King of Hawaii.

The brethren of Hawaiian Lodge 21, Free and Accepted Masons (California) and Lodge le Progres de l'Oceanie (AASR) were invited by King Kalakaua to conduct the ceremony. These were the only two Masonic lodges in Hawaii at the time. Lodge le Progres de l'Oceanie was constituted by Captain Georges Le Tellier of the French whaling bark Ajax in Honolulu on April 8, 1843. In 1905 the lodge would transfer its allegiance to the Grand Lodge, F. & A. M. of California. It is the oldest lodge in Hawaii, and quite likely the oldest west of the Rocky Mountains. Hawaiian No. 21, F. & A. M. was chartered on May 5, 1852, by the Grand Lodge of California. It was the first American-chartered lodge in Hawaii.

The cornerstone-laying ceremony of 'Iolani Palace was conducted in grand style. The Royal Hawaiian Band heralded the procession to the palace grounds, and at high noon the ceremony began. By command of His Majesty, the King's Masonic brethren were requested to lay the cornerstone in accordance with the traditional custom of the Craft. The Working Tools--plumb, level, square, and trowel--were specially wrought in silver by the King for this occasion and were subsequently given to his lodge, Lodge le Progres de l'Oceanie. King Kalakaua concluded the ceremony by descending from the dais and giving the cornerstone three sharp raps with a gavel. The Freemasons in attendance responded with Grand Public Honors. After the ceremony, Acting Grand Treasurer John A. Hassinger, Past Master of Hawaiian Lodge No. 21, walked to the cornerstone and addressed James S. Lemon, master of Lodge le Progres de I'Oceanie No. 124 as follows: "Worshipful Sir, by command of His Majesty, I have a pleasant duty to perform--that of presenting upon this cornerstone and in his name to Lodge le Progres de l'Oceanie, No. 124, of which you are the Worshipful Master, these working tools of a Master Mason--the Plumb, Level, Square, and Trowel. I feel assured that you will prize and carefully guard in the archives of your lodge these beautiful jewels. To you they will be valued by a three-fold tie. First, that they are the working tools of an operative mason, and as symbols to speculative Masons they inculcate some of the most beautiful lessons of our Order. Secondly, they have been used today, both operatively and theoretically, in the ceremony of laying this cornerstone. And, thirdly, they are to you the token of sincere aloha from your Brother, your Patron, and your Sovereign. "

As he received the silver working tools, Worshipful Master Lemon replied as follows: "Past Master Hassinger, Dear Sir and Brother, on behalf of Lodge le Progres de l'Oceanie No. 124, over which I have the honor to preside as Worshipful Master, I receive through you from His Majesty, our Royal brother, these working tools of a Master Mason, and as used in laying the cornerstone of the building for a new palace on the 31st day of December, 1879. You will allow me to return to his majesty our heartfelt thanks for this valuable gift to our lodge, of which His Majesty is a member and Past Master; and I would say to my lodge that this Royal gift shall be kept for their good purpose and as a remembrance of our Royal Brother, His Majesty Kalakaua, the giver of such a noble gift. These tools--that trowel now lying before me is used by operative masons to lay the cement which unites the building into one common mass of strength, but we as Free and Accepted Masons make use of it for the noble purpose of laying the cement of brotherly love which unites us into one band to do good toward all mankind. And, I hope that this trowel will lay the cement of love and duty from the hearts of all assembled here toward His Majesty, our brother; that we may under the Supreme Architect of the Universe guard and protect His Majesty through a long and prosperous reign to enjoy the comforts of this building when completed, for the great good of the Hawaiian Kingdom, our island home. Again, my Dear Sir, I would say on behalf of Lodge le Progres de l'Oceanie, I must return to His Majesty our heartfelt thanks for so beautiful and honorable a gift, on the 31 st of December, 1879. "

Through the years the brethren of Lodge le Progres de l'Oceanie have protected and cared for the set of silver working tools. Although these precious working tools have not been used very often since December 31, 1879, neither have they been relegated to the dust-bin of history.

In laying the cornerstone of the Honolulu Scottish Rite Cathedral on November 3, 1922, the silver working tools in the hands of Acting Grand Master Governor Wallace R. Farrington were the same ones used in the 1879 ceremony of 'Iolani Palace.

The wrought silver working tools have fared better than the cornerstone of 'Iolani Palace. The working tools are still among the archives of Lodge le Progres de l'Oceanie, while the original cornerstone of 'Iolani Palace has never been located.

The Friends of 'Iolani Palace, an organization founded by the late Liliuiokalani Kawananakoa Morris, the daughter of Prince David and Abigail Kawananakoa Morris, the grandniece of King David Kalakaua and Queen Kapiolana, and namesake of Queen Liliuokalani, learned in 1969 when the restoration of the Palace was undertaken, that the cornerstone could not be found. Architects have reviewed the available drawings, archeologists have probed the foundation structure, and the U. S. Army assigned a metal detection unit to assist in the search--but the cornerstone could not be located.

The Friends of 'Iolani Palace decided that since the original cornerstone could not be found after extensive searching the solution to the problem was to build another stone. On Monday, December 31, 1979, about 1,000 people attended the laying of the replacement cornerstone of 'Iolani Palace. This event, like the original ceremony, was conducted in the tradition of the Masonic Fraternity by Hawaii Freemasons. The same wrought silver working tools donated by His Majesty, Brother David Kalakaua, were used at this Centennial Cornerstone Commemorative Ceremony. This was the third occasion on which the silver working tools were used and displayed.

In July, 1987, the Honolulu Masonic Temple Association held a rededication service commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the Honolulu Masonic Temple by Hawaiian Lodge No. 21. The silver working tools were on display during the open-house portion of the program.

On Sunday, November 11, 1990, the Grand Lodge of Hawaii had the privilege of performing the cornerstone laying ceremony for the new addition to the Shrine Hospital for Crippled Children on Punahoa Street in Honolulu. Once again the silver working tools were used. This was the second occasion on which Past Grand Master William K. McKee, Jr. used the silver working tools; the first time at the Centennial Cornerstone Commemorative Ceremony of 'Iolani Palace in 1979.

On February 1 , 1992 , the Grand Lodge of Hawaii conducted a re-dedication cornerstone laying for the newly completed addition to the Honolulu Shrine Hospital. On this occasion, the silver trowel was used by Most Worshipful Ernest Y. Yemane, Grand Master of Masons in Hawaii, who was Master of Hawaiian Lodge No. 21 in 1979.

On May 20, 1989, the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Hawaii was instituted in Honolulu, Hawaii, with all lodges in Hawaii pledging their allegiance to the newly establish Grand Lodge. The lodges in Hawaii are identified by name only, numbers are not used

At the invitation of Captain James E. Taylor, Commanding Officer of the Pearl Harbor Naval Station, the Grand Lodge of Hawaii conducted a Masonic Memorial Service at the Pearl Harbor Memorial Fountain on Saturday, May 23, 1992. Brother Jack McGarrity, the actual architect of the Memorial Fountain, and a member of the Lodge le Progres de l'Oceanie, served as the Principal Architect for the ceremony patterned after a cornerstone-laying ceremony. He described the working tools and told how he was inspired and conceived the design of the Memorial Fountain. The Fountain memorializes twelve U. S. Naval Vessels sunk on December 7, 1941, which were raised and returned to service during the war. Yes, the same silver working tools were again used.

The venerable Hawaiian Lodge celebrated its 140th anniversary with a gala banquet. A collection of Hawaiian Lodge and Masonic memorabilia was displayed in the banquet room. Through the courtesy of Lodge le Progres de l'Oceanie, the old silver working tools, originally used on 'Iolani Palace in 1879, were also on view for the guests.

On April 8, 1993, Lodge le Progres de l'Oceanie celebrated its 150th anniversary with a festive affair. And the wrought silver working tools, donated by our late brother King David Kalakaua, were on display for the many guests to see. As usual, they attracted many viewers .

*His Majesty's full name was David Laamea Kamanakapuu Mahinulani Naloiaehuokkalani Lumialani Kalakaua.

Bibliography

Clemens, Roy H. Thc Cornerstone of the Palace. " Honolulu: Honolulu Masonic Public Library 1979

Friends of 'lolani Palace. Centennial Cornerstone Commemoration Ceremony, December 31, 1979.

Gardiner, Herbert G. "The Silver Working Tools." Cable Tow, 4th Qtr, 1992.

Historical Records of the Grand Lodge of Hawaii Hawaiian Lodge, and Lodge Progres de l'Oceanie.

Wilson, James D. Highlights of the History of Lodge le Progres de l'Oceanie Presented at the 150th Anniversary Celebration, April 8, 1993.

Zambucka, Kristin. Kalakaua, Hawaii's Last King. Honolulu: ana Publishing Company and Marvin Richards Enterprises, Inc. 1983.

Note: The author is Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Hawaii.

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The Town of Perth and True Britons' Lodge:

The Beginning

by Nelson King, MPS

Copyright, Nelson King 1993

On February 22, 1815, a proclamation was issued at Edinburgh, Scotland which set forth the government's plan "to encourage settlers to proceed to the British Provinces in North America." This was the first time emigration had been given organized assistance by the government. Extracts from the Proclamation make the plan quite clear:

"It is the intention of His Majesty's Government to encourage settlers to proceed to . . . the British Provinces in North America and for this purpose, a certain number of vessels will be appropriated for the conveyance of such persons as may be properly recommended. Lands will be granted to them, either in Upper or Lower Canada where there is a choice climate and a soil adapted for every branch of cultivation.

"A grant of one hundred acres of land will be secured to each family and all their male children will be entitled on attaining the age of twenty-one years, to a similar grant. For the first six or eight months .... in order to enable the settlers to establish themselves . . . they will be allowed rations from the public stores.

"Axes and other necessary implements will also be furnished . . . at a fixed price not exceeding the prime cost. Should any number of families be desirous of settling in the same neighbourhood in Canada, care will be taken to allot them lands as nearly as possible contiguous to each other; and a sufficient portion of land will be appropriated in the midst of such settlers for a church and for the maintenance of a clergyman and a schoolmaster; and in case a sufficient number of settlers so united should be accompanied . . . by a person of either of the above functions, who possesses their confidence and can be well recommended, a salary will be provided 100 pounds per annum to such minister and 50 pounds per annum to the schoolmaster. In order to prevent persons from making an . . . improper use of the liberality of the Government, it will be required that every person embarking for Quebec, should at the time of embarkation deposit the following sums: Every male above sixteen years of age, 16 pounds sterling; every woman, being the wife of any person so embarking, two guineas. Children under sixteen years of age will be conveyed free of expense. Settlers . . . will do well to send by post their proposals and certificates without delay. These testimonials must certify the general good character of applicants, their professions, former pursuits, whether married or widowers, the number of their children, . . . and the ages of all. These must be obtained either from a justice of the peace, clergyman or elders of the parish, or other respectable persons. "

No reasons are set forth in this proclamation for the liberal assistance offered to encourage people to emigrate to Canada. However, the plan was a very attractive one. It offered a relief from the unsatisfactory conditions that prevailed for many in Scotland and a reasonably good prospect of better conditions in Canada.

An ocean voyage in 1815 was less than a pleasure trip. Both the accommodations and the length of the voyage made it somewhat of an endurance test. H. M. S. Atlas, under the command of Captain Joseph Thornbill, had been previously used as a troopship, and the civilian emigrants now on board were treated in the same manner. They were given the same type of accommodations and rations that the earlier troops had been given. For families made up of adults and children, this left much to be desired. An epidemic of whooping cough broke out among the children and several of them died. Finally on Monday, September 4, 1815, H. M. S. Atlas landed at Quebec, after a voyage that lasted 62 days.

By 1816 these Scottish settlers established themselves on what is now called the Scotch Line (1st concession of Bathurst and the 10th of Burgess). The Town of Perth proper was originally dominantly populated by half-pay officers and discharged noncommissioned officers and men. The book entitled Upper Canada Located Settlers, is supplemented by an appendix, "Perth Military Settlement, 25th December, 1822, Return of persons Located by the Military Settling Department Entitled to Patent Grants and Who Will Become Entitled on the Expiration of the Prescribed Terms of Settlement. " The Register is divided into two parts: monthly lists of discharged soldiers who became settlers and monthly lists of emigrants who also became settlers. Between March 1816 and December 1822, over 4,000 men, women, and children settled in the Perth area; of this number, about 1,000 were discharged settlers.

In 1817 the first native of the town was born, James Bell, the son of Reverend and Mrs. William Bell. Reverend Bell, a Presbyterian minister, was the first Protestant clergyman in the Town of Perth.

The first record of a Masonic meeting in Perth is dated September 24, 1818, when the following brethren met at the home of Brother John Adamson:

- Alex Matheson, clerk, age 36, Lodge No. 661, Ireland

- Angus Cameron, innkeeper, age 50, lodge No. 221, Scotland

- John Parker, farmer, age 45, Lodge No. 17, England

- John Adamson, Innkeepeer, age 42, Lodge No. 11, Ireland

- William Matheson, Blacksmith, age 28, Lodge 20, England

At this meeting Bro. Angus Cameron (acting as secretary) was instructed to write to the lodges in Brockville and York for information as to the procedures to follow to secure a warrant.

The brethren received advice from both Kingston and York, and on October 24, 1818, drafted the following petition to the Grand Lodge of Lower Canada for a Dispensation to meet as a lodge: "Perth, Upper Canada 24th October 1818.

"To the Right Worshipful Grand Master and Brethren composing the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, Lower Canada. "The Petition of the undermentioned Free and Accepted Masons, inhabitants of Perth, Upper Canada

Humbly Sheweth

"That your Petitioners, impressed with a sincere Love for the Craft and wishing to obtain a Warrant for the purpose of uniting Masons from all parts of the Globe which is together in this place.

"We humbly solicit you will grant us a Warrant for this great and good purpose.

"We beg leave to state for your information that we have made several applications to the Officers as we understood comprising the Grand Lodge of Upper Canada but owing to the decease of Mr. Jervis [sic] and the premature death of Mr. McKay we have been informed by the Brothers at Kingston and York that our application should be made to your Right Worshipful Lodge. We likewise have a letter from Bro. Phillips Secretary to the Grand Convention and beg leave to enclose his last letter to us on the subject. We have the happiness to inform you that the best and most respectable of the Settlement, i.e., Masons, for the good of the Order dined last St. John's and met monthly since, but of course could go no further without Lawful Authority, the many casualties that occur in this life among all, and distress call for a regular masters Lodge to be formed here. At the first meeting the Brethren mentioned in the margin (Alex Matheson, Master; John Hughes, S.W; David Bog, J.W.) was proposed to fill the stations annexed to their names when a warrant could be obtained.

"We humbly and earnestly request you will be pleased to answer our prayer as soon as possible and take such steps prior to St. John's as in your Wisdom seems meet.

"I am directed, Right Worshipful Sir, to subscribe in the name of the Freemasons of Perth.

"Signed

Hy Graham. "

The required dispensation was granted on December 14, 1818.

The minutes of December 28, 1818 state:

"Proceedings of True Britons' Lodge held under Dispensation from the Grand Lodge of Lower Canada, dated December 14, 1818, held at the home of Bro. John Adamson, the following brethren met to compose the same.

- Bro. A. Matheson, Clerk, age 36, No. 661, Ireland

- Bro. John Hughes, Carpenter, age 36, No. 6, England

- Bro. William Adam, ?, age ? No. 29, America

- Bro. Hy Graham, Farmer, age 22, No. 77, England

- Bro. William Reid, Farmer, age ?, No. 9, England

- Bro. James Miller, Carpenter, age 40, No. 50, England

- Bro. Dan Fraser, Farmer, age 40, No. 9, England

- Bro. William Matheson, Blacksmith, age 28, No. 20, England

- Bro. John Adamson, Innkeeper, age 42,, No. 11, Ireland

- Bro. David Bog, Farmer, age?, No. 68, Scotland

- Bro. Hugh Sprule, Clerk, Age 37, No. 763, Ireland

- Bro. David Hogg, Shoemaker, age ?, No. 459, England

- Bro. James Powell, Farmer, age 40, No. 626, Ireland

- Bro. Angus Cameron, Innkeeper, age 50, No. 121, England

- Bro. John Parker, Farmer, age 45, No. 17, England. "

The lodge met again on December 28, 1818, opening in the first degree with Brothers A. Matheson, Master; John Hughes, Senior Warden; David Bog, Junior Warden, and Hugh Sprule as Secretary and passed the following resolutions .

"I . Resolved that the thanks of this Body be returned to Brother Graham for the warm interest he took in procuring the Dispensation. "

"II. Resolved that Bro. Miller be ordered to make a box for the use of the lodge, with columns, Bible stand, and Flow Cloth.

"III. Resolved that all Brethren hereafter wishing to join this Lodge shall pay the sum of 5/and deposit their certificates after being accepted by ballot.

"IV. Resolved that each member of the lodge shall pay each monthly night 2s/6d half to be spent and the other to go into the box.

"V. Resolved that any member present this night shall deposit their certificate the next monthly night.

"VI. Resolved that this Lodge meet on the full moon Sunday excepted, then to fall on Monday and that our next meeting shall be on the full moon of February ensuing. "

True Britons' first Church Service was held on July 24, 1819, and the minutes of the meeting of May 10, 1819 show payment of 3 pounds and 10 shillings for a Bible which is still on display in the lodge. The first degrees were conferred on March 19, 1819. In June of that year a request for legislative representation was made, and the following document was signed by twenty-seven of the leading settlers and Masons: "June 1, 1819

"To the Honourable the Commons House of the Province of Upper Canada in Parliament Assembled, etc.

The humble petition of the Magistrates, Half Pay Officers and other inhabitants of the Perth settlement, County of, Carleton, District of Johnstown, Upper Canada.

Your petitioners beg leave to state that the population of this County already exceeds five thousand souls and is daily increasing.

"That the settlement suffers many great disadvantages from its not being represented in the Commons House of Assembly.

"That in a few months a large proportion of the settlers will have received the title deeds for their land, which making them eligible to vote, we humbly pray that the Honourable the Commons House of Assembly will take our case into their favourable consideration so that we may be permitted to return a member or members to the House of Commons at the first General Election for the Province, and your petitioners will ever pray. "

In June of the following year the commission was issued and Perth prepared for its first election.

Benevolence has always been an attribute of True Britons' Lodge, for in 1820 a weekly sum of 15 shillings was given to a worthy Brother, to be paid until he was able to once again work. But money was not the only charity dispensed by the Lodge, because it is also noted that it was decided to buy a cow, the price not to exceed ten pounds, and present it to the widow of the late Brother Motherwell for the benefit of herself and her family.

On the festival of St. John, June 24, 1822, the Lodge met "to lay the foundation stone of the Court house and gaol of this place, when the brethren proceeded in procession to the spot and the ceremonies were gone through with the greatest decorum and ceremony; the Brethren returned to the Lodge Room, where they dined and passed the evening in the greatest harmony. "

However, not all the minutes tell of such great harmony, for on July 5, 1822, Bro. Scott was "ordered to leave his office as J.W.," and was suspended for three months for " taking a book from the lodge, " and in August his successor was elected. During this meeting the lodge changed its meeting place from the house of Brother Joshua Adams to that of Brother David Hogg.

In 1823 the Reverend William Bell described Perth as follows:

" Perth is pleasantly situated on both banks of the Tay, formerly called the Pike River. The length of the town is seven-eighths of a mile, the breadth is somewhat less. The streets are regularly laid out, and cross each other at right angles, at a distance of 140 yards from each other.

''The streets are six-six fleet wide, and by their intersections, divide the site of the town into squares of four acres each. Each building contains an acre; so that the gardens are large, and the houses at considerable distance from each other.

"The river runs through the town, and varies from thirty to fifty yards in breadth. At the upper side of town it contains an island, measuring about ten acres, and connected with the two sides of town by two wooden bridges. On this island the militia are annually mustered on St. George' s Day. Near the centre of the town there is a hill, on which are erected the jail, the courthouse and two of the churches.

"Perth is the capital of the district; and the courts of law and justice are held in the town. It contains a jail and courthouse, four churches, seven merchants' stores, five taverns, besides between fifty and a hundred private houses. The houses are built of wood, except the jail and courthouse and one merchant's store, which are of brick. There is also a stone house erecting this summer, by one of our merchants. "

In January of the same year (1823), True Britons' Lodge made application for a warrant from the Provincial Grand Lodge at York. In February, Simon McGillivary, Provincial Grand Master of the Province of Upper Canada, acting under the authority of His Royal Highness, Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex . . . Most Worshipful Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of England, granted the request. True Britons' Lodge was now Lodge No. 74 E.R. and No. 21 P.R. The minute book contains the record of only one meeting in 1823, that of the 3rd of March. On February 2, 1824, the records commence anew, and show that the lodge now met regularly at the house of Bro. Matheson.

Early in 1824 the Warrant from England was delivered. The receipt of this long-awaited document gave quite a boost to the lodge. In June of 1824, Right Worshipful Brother James Fitzgibbon, the Deputy Provincial Grand Master made an official visit at Perth. The minutes of that meeting read:

"In Consequence of the R.W.D. Grand Master, Colonel Fitzgibbon's arrival at this place, the Worshipful Master ordered a Lodge of Emergency to be called and the Grand Master invited to attend, which he was pleased to attend, when the W. Master vacated the chair after the lodge was opened on the third degree, after which the lodge was called off from labour to refreshment, when the brethren sat down to a sumptuous supper prepared by Bro. William Matheson, after which the lodge was called to labour. Nothing appearing for the good of Masonry, the D.G. Master closed the lodge and the Brethren parted in harmony. "

There is no reason given in the Lodge' s Minutes for the visit of R. W. Bro. Fitzgibbon.

At the March 6, 1826 meeting of the lodge, it was "resolved that the sum of one pound for the admission of every regular Mason is too exorbitant. They are of the opinion that the sum of five shillings is sufficient. " In December the lodge moved to Bro. George Graham's on Drummond Street, and officers for the following six months were elected. During 1827 the lodge met regularly, and on July 27 Bro. William Matheson was elected Master. During the meeting of November 12, 1827, " It was unanimously agreed that the lodge should be removed to the other end of the village. A committee to meet on next Saturday to arrange matters with regard to the moving of the lodge to Bro. Coleman's. "

In 1828 the first Ottawa Valley newspaper went into print, The Bathurst Independent Examiner, founded by John Stewart, the schoolmaster of the Bathurst District grammar school, which was located in Perth.

At the meeting of June 9, 1828, the lodge again elected the officers for the ensuing six months and also elected to attend a Divine Service on St. John's Day. So on June 24, 1828 (St. John's Day), the lodge not only conferred the Third Degree, but proceeded to the Presbyterian Church to hear the Reverend William Bell deliver his sermon. The installation of officers that was to take place in December was postponed because of the weather conditions and the bad state of the roads. The installation was held the following month.

This is but a short history of the first years of the Town of Perth and True Britons' Lodge, now No. 14 on the Register of the Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario.

Bibliography

Brown, Howard Morton. Lanark Legacy. Lanark: Corporation of the County of Lanark, 1984.

Historical Atlas of Lanark and Renfrew Counties. H. Belden and Company. 1863, Rept. 1972. Herrington, Walter S. and Roy S. Foley.

History of the Grand Lodge A.F.&A.M. of Canada in the Province of Ontario 1855-1955. Lanark Legacy.

Perth Remembered. The Perth Museum, 1967.

Robertson, J. Ross. The History of Freemasonry in Canada, 1900.

St. Lawrence District Then and Now 17831987: A Concise History of Freemasonry in St. Lawrence District A. F. & A. M., 1987 .

True Britons' Lodge 1818-1968: One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary, 1968.

Whence Come We?: Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario, 1980.

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Attack on the Albert Pike Statue

Washington, D.C.

by Gary Scott, MPS

The Albert Pike Statue is located at 3rd and D Streets, N.W. in downtown Washington, D.C. It is administered by the National Park Service. Congress authorized the placement of a statue to Albert Pike on Federal land in Washington, D.C. on April 9, 1898, in Joint Resolution 20 (30 stat. 737). The Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction, which Pike led for 32 years, sponsored and paid for the statue's erection, as recognition for his long service to the Scottish Rite. At the time of erection, the statue stood in front of the Scottish Rite House of the Temple. The enabling legislation does not refer to Pike's service in the Confederate Army.

Pike, an early advocate of native American rights, led Confederate Indian troops at the Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas. Even though he had severe disagreements with Jefferson Davis over use of Indian troops and left Confederate service, the statue was for many years the scene of ceremonies by the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

In this eleven-foot bronze statue by Italian sculptor Gaetano Trentaove, Pike is presented in civilian dress as a Masonic leader, not as a Confederate General. He carries a copy of his famed but long out of print Morals and Dogma in his left hand. The large granite pedestal below him contains a bronze lady in Greek dress who sits on one level of the pedestal and holds the banner of the Scottish Rite.

The statue was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 20, 1978, in a National Register nomination of the Civil War Monuments in Washington, D .C . Pike's statue is the only Confederate officer represented among the outdoor Civil War statuary of Washington .

Since September, 1992, protesters have held rallies at the Pike statue contending that he was "the chief founder" of the Ku Klux Klan in Arkansas. The protesters are led and organized by and consist mainly of supporters of political figure Lyndon LaRouche. The protesters' main organizer is Anton Chaitkin who is affiliated with the Shiller Institute, a LaRouche organization. Messrs. LaRouche, Chaitkin, and their supporters contend that the Klan was founded as the terrorist arm of the Scottish Rite as part of a wide Masonic conspiracy to keep the South in Confederate hands.

Mr. Chaitkin appears to believe that Masonic historians have been actively rewriting American history as part of a Masonic conspiracy." He believes that the Scottish Rite is a British Imperial plot, hatched in Charleston, South Carolina, to perpetuate slavery, and then failing that, to perpetuate the Ku Klux Klan; and that the whole American legal system is largely controlled by the Scottish Rite, which is responsible for the imprisonment of Lyndon LaRouche on credit card fraud charges.

During this period of weekly rallies by the LaRouche organization, the statue has been painted, chipped, and decorated with Klan costume, the latter to appear on a Lyndon LaRouche for President poster. Several posters have appeared in the vicinity of the current House of the Temple in Washington.

On April 20, 1993, Mr. Chaitkin and his associate, Rev. James Bevel, were convicted of climbing on the statue after a police official had asked them to step down. At the trial, the two defendants attacked the sitting judge for having reputedly been a member of an Albert Pike DeMolay Chapter in San Antonio, Texas, a confirmation of their Masonic conspiracy thesis in the legal system. Outside the courtroom, LaRouche followers carried large banners stating, " Down with Pike ! "

There is one recent biography of Pike, written by Robert Duncan and published in 1961, and another currently being prepared by Dr. Walter lee Brown, a retired professor of history at the University of Arkansas. Dr. Brown's Ph.D. dissertation was on Pike, and he is considered a leading authority on the subject. Dr. Brown has stated that there are no primary sources which provide evidence that Pike was involved with the Klan.

There are no records extant from the late 1860s-early 1870s period which connect Pike with the Klan. A Congressional investigation (U. S. House of Representatives, Report No. 2, 42nd Congress, 2nd Session, Condition of Affairs in the Late Insurrectionary States Washington, D.C., U. S. Printing Office, 1872) into the activities of the Reconstruction Era Klan includes material from 1868 to 1871. There are references to alleged Klan leaders in several states, but no mention of Pike.

Published works cited by Mr. Chaitkin and the LaRouche organization involving Pike with the Klan are secondary sources written years after the active Reconstruction Klan period. Ku Klux Klan, by Walter Fleming (1905) states that Pike was the Chief Judicial Officer of the Klan. A lurid pro-Klan history, the Authentic History Ku Klux Klan, 1865-77, written by Susan Lawrence Davis in 1924, cites Pike as the Grand Dragon of the Klan for the state of Arkansas and Chief Judicial Officer appointed by Klan founder, Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest. This work is not footnoted, and the author does not cite her sources. All books which cite his alleged Klan activity were written after Pike's death.

Pike' s biographer, Fred W. Allsopp states that Pike only spent brief times in Arkansas after his Confederate service.

In 1867-1868, Pike worked in Memphis, Tennessee as editor of the Memphis Daily Appeal. In 1868 he moved to Washington, D.C. to become editor of The Patriot, a democratic newspaper, and to preside over the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, whose chief officer he remained until his death in Washington in 1891. Alleged involvement with the Arkansas Klan would have been very brief, if at all. Pike died at the old Scottish Rite House of the Temple near the current location of his statue. Sufficient documentation to record Pike's Klan activity is lacking. We may never find proof for the allegations of his involvement in the historical records.

Pike was prominent in Masonic circles, a prolific Masonic writer, and was well known in late 19th century Washington, D.C. Pike was pardoned for his actions as a Confederate general by President Andrew Johnson. Petitions of Masons from all over the country requested his pardon. He spoke his mind freely, expressing the beliefs and attitudes of his age. His statue reflects the ambiguities of the tragic Civil War Reconstruction Era.

The statue was originally erected on a Federal triangle at Third and Indiana Avenue, N.E. In 1975 the statue was moved slightly to its present location near the Department of Labor building after its original triangle had been removed to accommodate the Third Street underpass of the Federal mall. The statue is still on Federal property and maintained by the National Park Service.

The national Park Service does not have the authority to selectively remove authorized memorials from public view. Any proposal to remove a statue from the city would violate the authorizing legislation, and thus would have to be accomplished by a new act of Congress. The National Park Service maintains memorials to Lincoln, Grant, Frederick Douglass, and Robert E. Lee in the Washington area. There are monuments to both Union and Confederate military leaders on all the Civil War battlefields maintained by the Park Service across the country.

When informed of the allegations against Pike, noted Civil War historian Shelby Foote stated, "I don't believe in judging a man 100 years after his death. You have to look at him in his own time. " If Pike is condemned and demands are made for the removal of his statue because he may have been a member of the Ku Klux Klan, then the park Service may be asked to condemn and remove statues of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and many other Americans who owned slaves.

The Park Service in administering its historical sites is charged with presenting all sides of American history, and that sometimes includes interpreting long ago attitudes that are not popular or "politically correct" today. The public expression of all phases of our history is crucial if we are to maintain our cherished rights of freedom of expression, and if we are to understand our complex past. Otherwise, we become like totalitarian states, constantly revising history to justify tearing down statues of previous generations of leaders just to facilitate currently ideologies. Many of his rituals are known only to the Scottish Rite, and many are rarely performed today. All plead for toleration and acceptance of all religious viewpoints, and the absolute right of an individual to approach God in his own way, unimpaired by governmental interference. This is a much needed lesson in this era, when militant fundamentalists are attempting to manipulate government to establish as norm their own political viewpoint.

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Review

Chains of Empire: English Public Schools, Masonic Cabalism, Historical Causality, and Imperial Clubdom. By P[aul] J[ohn] Rich. Pp. 266. 73 illustrations. London: Regency Press, 1991. May be ordered from the publisher, 125 High Holborn, London, England WC lV 6QA. 9.95 pounds sterling plus postage and handling. Reviewed by Wallace McLeod, FPS.

The author of this book has impeccable academic credentials; he has earned a Ph.D., and he writes out of the University of Western Australia. The subtitle includes the word "Masonic," and the illustration on the dustjacket pictures the allegorical figure Britannia wearing a Masonic Apron. We naturally expect that the brethren will find something of interest here.

Actually this is the second volume in a set of three, collectively entitled English Public Schools and Ritualistic Imperialism. In brief, the author's thesis runs something like this: The English public schools (i.e, private schools) implanted in their students a system of ritualistic symbolism and procedures, which served ultimately to inculcate strong feelings of loyalty. These characteristics were perpetuated and reinforced in later life by membership in exclusive men's clubs and Masonic lodges. By and large, the colonial administrators and civil servants of the British Empire were the products of these institutions and had been thoroughly indoctrinated. It follows that the discipline and personal relationships that arose out of their training had a tremendous effect on the growth and maintenance of the Empire.

At first glance, the idea has a sort of plausibility. In order to substantiate it, all that we would need is a list of the colonial officers, together with their schools, clubs, and lodges. Indeed, Dr. Rich refers to such a listing as "A Needed Study. " But apparently he would rather deal in lofty theories than stoop to gather mere facts. There would of course be problems in conducting some of the research. He repeatedly bemoans the fact that "membership in a secret society is one of the hardest bits of information to ferret out. "

But even apart from the main argument, surely we can all learn something from his other references to Masonry. The author acknowledges that he has "enjoyed the hospitality of . . . the Library of the United Grand Lodge of England. " One would like to assume that he gets his facts right. But, alas, no. He lists 349 books that he has consulted, and only six of them concern Freemasonry. In short, his acquaintance with the craft is superficial, and most of the details he provides are wrong. He refers to Masonic equipment, regalia, paraphernalia, working tools, and so on as "totems"--not a meaning that I find in my dictionary. He tells us that initiates learn a secret cipher--actually the Harris code.

(I ask you, was it part of your examination?) Several times he calls Masonry a counterfeit religion. It claims to go back, in an unbroken tradition to the time of King Solomon.

The political structure of the United States was "postulated by certain rites of Freemasonry," which in turn transmitted certain Egyptian elements onto its symbolism. He refers to the regulations and practices of the Great Priory and Scottish Rite, as if they applied to all Masonic groups. In order to substantiate the close connection between the Craft and the public schools, he points out that in England in 1930 thirty-five lodges were named after schools--out of a total of five thousand. Not a promising harvest!

As well as the factual shortcomings, there are a number of stylistic irritations. All eight chapters begin with the letter P (Preludes, Perplexities, Prosopography, and so on). The author chooses to emphasize certain words and phrases by printing them in a different type-style; the procedure is familiar, but here we find variously small capitals, bold face and italics, with no hint as to why one is used rather than another. And he labors to prove his post-secondary education by using unfamiliar jargon, such as " praxes, " " chiliastic, " " cliometrics, " and "epanorthic. " He also likes to throw in foreign words and phrases, but makes more mistakes in them than one would expect.

In short, one wonders why it is necessary to write three books to set forth a theory, and then make no attempt to corroborate it. The thesis is unproven, and its presentation here seriously flawed. One is inevitably reminded of the put-down from the English television series, Fawlty Towers: "Pretentious? Moi? The answer must be a resounding "Yes! "

Wallace McLeod, FPS

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Masonic Stained Glass

The Robert R. Livingston Masonic Library and Museum of the Grand Lodge, F. & A. M., of the Sate of New York is taking a census of Masonic stained glass in New York State which will culminate in an exhibition and publication. Any information concerning stained glass in New York State related to Freemasonry and its appendant bodies would be greatly appreciated. The Library and Museum is particularly interested in identifying the designers and firms responsible for producing these works. If anyone can help to locate such windows, please contact William D. Moore, Director, Livingston Masonic Library and Museum, 71 West 23rd Street, New York NY 10010-4171 or call (212) 741-4505.

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Melrose and Its Lodge

by Thomas J. Berry, MPS

Melrose, nestled in the hills of the Scottish Borders, is truly the Masonic town par excellence. The very name itself is self-explanatory.

In the late eleventh and twelfth centuries, the Cistercian Monks came from Riveaux Abbey in Yorkshire to Scotland at the invitation of King David I. The Cistercians were the great sheep farmers of the time, and they settled in what became Melrose for that reason. The surrounding hills are still covered with sheep, happily munching the grass and growing fat. Rapidly a town grew up, especially when the monks started to build an abbey in 1136, and from the Masons employed and from the religious order, the Cistercians, the town got its name in the following manner: "Mel" came from the masons' "mel" ("maul" in English), and "rose" came from the Cistercian emblem of the rose; thus Melrose.

The beautiful Melrose Abbey was greatly banged about over the centuries by the raiding from the English and also from the Scottish Reivers or border raiders. It was all quite impartial and blame can be put on both sides. The abbey is still quite something to see, especially the several stone engravings of Masonic symbols on its walls. One in particular, dating from the late thirteenth century, has the symbols of our present Third Degree engraved within a pastos, or coffin.

The Lodge of Melrose St. John No. 1 [3], under the Grand Lodge of Scotland, got its start when the Cistercian monks at Melrose decided to build an abbey. The Master Mason employed for the building was Peter Morow, a Frenchman who had been building Riveaux Abbey in Yorkshire. He left a stone, which is still in Melrose Abbey, engraved in Scots as follows:

John Morow sum tyme callit was i and born in parysse certainly and had in keping al mason work of santan droysye hye kirk of glas gw melrose and pasley of nyddysdayl and of galway pray to god and Mari baith and sweet sanct john to keep, this haly kirk fra skaith

Translated, this reads: John Morrow some time I was called And truly born in Paris And had in my keeping all the Mason work of High Church of Glasgow, Melrose and Paisley And of Niddesdale and of Galoway Pray to God and the Virgin Mary both And Sweet Saint John To keep this holy church from damage.

John Morow's original name was probably John Morreau. The lodge names him as their first Master.

The lodge was first located at the village of Newstead about a mile and a half from Melrose, where the stone for the Abbey was quarried. It continued there for the first hundred or so years. The lodge then moved into the top floor of the Master Mason's house and remained there until the seventeenth century, when the building had become so decrepit that they had to move. For six or seven months the brethren met in the choir loft of the Abbey when the Earl of Dalkeith, who owned the town of Melrose and was a member of the lodge, donated their premises on the High Street.

Two names dominated the lodge for over six hundred years: Mein and Bunzie. These two families provided most of the masters during the time. During the Napoleonic Wars, several French prisoners were held in the Borders region. Many of these were about Melrose, and the Melrose brethren assisted them in forming a Masonic Lodge. One prisoner of war married a local girl, and he and his family have provided several masters of the lodge.

There is one unusual practice of this lodge. Every St. John's Day in winter (December 27) the lodge meets, calls off and the brethren, wearing regalia and carrying the Great Lights and Working Tools, march in procession to the site of the old lodge room in Newstead, now a ruin. There they hold a memorial service for all their departed brethren, and then march back to the lodge in Melrose, and close the lodge.

Lodge Melrose St. John has an unusual item. It has no charter from the Grand Lodge of Scotland, but instead has Articles of Agreement with the Grand Lodge, recognizing Grand Lodge authority. In 1736 the Grand Lodge of Scotland was erected, following the examples of the Grand Lodges of England and Ireland. The several lodges then in existence, including the Lodge at Melrose, were invited to meet and erect the Grand John, however, decided that they did not want anything to do wit h this newfangled Grand Lodge, deeming it an innovation to Masonry. So, of the lodges invited, Melrose remained out. Because of the Schaw Statutes, they were legally the Lodge of Melrose, Grand Lodge had to recognize them as such, and could not intrude on their jurisdiction within the township of Melrose. This state of affairs continued, with several unsuccessful attempts by Grand Lodge to get the brethren to change their minds.

Gradually the advantages of Grand Lodge membership came to be seen, and the first approaches to Grand Lodge were made. These were viewed with indifference by Grand Lodge and no action was taken. The brethren of the Lodge of Melrose thereupon decided to warrant other lodges, as they were legally entitled to do, and with the establishment of four daughter lodges, Grand Lodge woke up and the present agreement was made and signed in 1886, 150 years after Grand Lodge was formed. The Lodge of Melrose St. John was give n the number 1 because of its antiquity, along with the Lodge of Edinburgh and the Lodge of Aberdeen. The number 3 in brackets indicates that it was the third lodge bearing the number 1. *

The Lodge celebrated its 850th anniversary in 1986, with the Grand Master Mason and the Grand Lodge in Attendance. It was a memorable occasion.

[Editor's Note: According to the Yearbook of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, Melrose St. John bears the number 1 bis, meaning the second lodge with the number 2.]

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Some Thoughts on the Spirit of Brotherhood

I am a confirmed optimist as to the growth of the spirit of brotherhood. Science and genius are lending their aid to the removal of the obstacles to intercourse and attending understanding among the peoples of the world. We do rise to heights, at times, when we look for the good rather than the evil in others, and give consideration to the views of all. The inherent love of fellowship is banding men together, and when envy and suspicion are vanquished, fraternity records a triumph, and brotherhood brings new blessings to men and to peoples in the larger sense.

Warren G. Harding

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Through Masonic Windows

by Allen E. Roberts, FPS

Not all jurisdictions have a "seafaring man" in the drama of the Master Mason degree. Maine does, and a Past Master tells us it's a coveted part in his Lodge. For many years one of the members did the role wearing a sou'wester hat and speaking with a thick Maine accent. He recently passed away. His widow fondly presented the sou'wester to the Lodge. It's a memorial that brings a smile as well as a tear," says an old timer in the Lodge.

oOo

Congratulations! Ronald D. Mertens, MPS, and Richard C. Friedman, MPS, received the Charles Tohnson and Chancellor Livingston Medars respectively. Both are members of Fingers Lake Chapter in Rochester, New York, of The Philalethes Society. Continuing to prove that the cream of the Masonic crop are members of this Society. Let's keep pluggin'.

oOo

The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania will place a monument at Gettysburg on August 21. It's titled "Friend to Friend--Brotherhood Undivided. " It depicts Two Freemasons, a prostrate Confederate General Lewis A. Armistead with Union Captain Henry Bingham receiving his possessions to be passed on to General and Brother Winfield S. Hancock. The Grand Lodge is the only private organization ever to receive permission to erect a monument in a national park. For more information on this episode, and hundreds of others involving Masonic Brotherhood in action during the Civil War, see House Undivided: The Story of Freemasonry and the Civil War available from Macoy Publishing Co.

oOo

The Grand Master of Masons in Arizona, writing for Arizona Masonry, offered to help his members achieve their goal -get smaller OR grow larger and better! "We must start doing things differently, we must plan and work together as a team to make Arizona Freemasonry an organization that each of us will always be proud of, " he said. "And we must do it with quality and excellence in everything we do. It must start with you." He closed by wisely saying: "It will be hard work, but it will be fun. " And, if they (and we) work as a TEAM toward growth and knowledge, it will be FUN.

oOo

During the Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Montana the delegates were separated into small groups. The purpose? To brain-storm. They were asked to suggest positive ways to make improvements in their Lodges, Grand Lodge and Freemasonry in general. Congratulations. It's good to know there are those who aren't satisfied to continue to work in the " same old way. "

oOo

D. Sam Tennyson, MPS, writing as Senior Grand Warden in Masonic Light of South Carolina, quotes Dwight McAlister, PGM and Grand Secretary, who became an Ordained Minister AND a Master Mason in 1938. "I have found no conflict whatsoever between my Church and my Lodge, " said McAlister, as any honest man must. "I think that because I am a Mason I am a better man, a better Christian and a better Minister. " Can anyone emphasize that truth about Freemasonry any stronger?

oOo

Jack Worrell, the long-time Local Secretary for Australia, has been elected a Fellow of The Philalethes Society. He replaces William R. Denslow, Past President of the Society (a memorial will be in the next issue). Over the years Jack has written several articles for The Philalethes and has performed an excellent job in obtaining and holding Australian members for the Society. His Masonic attributes will be recorded in a later issue.

oOo

Flash! There will be no change in the Masonic membership requirements for entrance into the Shrine. This is learned as we go to press. The perpetual motion to change the long-time requirement was again defeated during the annual session. Perhaps those who have been instigating changing Masonic connection will now get the message its members have been conveying.

oOo

Over the years The Philalethes and other Masonic publications have been endeavoring to spread the truth about Freemasonry and Freemasons. These publications have been trying to differentiate myth from fact. Are they succeeding? Yes and no. A recent example: The monthly publication of a well known appendant body printed two items of interest. One tells the story of the Marquis de Lafayette. It didn't have much to say about him as a Freemason, but it did mention (as this periodical has on a couple of occasions) that Lafayette is buried in France under American soil, and the American flag perpetually flies over his grave. Another article tries to cover information about Presidents of the United States who were, or are, Freemasons. The writer makes Thomas Jefferson a Mason, even though it has been proven over and over again that Jefferson never received a degree in the Craft. And so it goes.

oOo

The convention that united this sleeping giant called Freemasonry has ended. It was composed of Southern Baptist churches and their parishioners. The actions of one James Holly and his handful of followers in condemning Freemasonry brought into being a Masonic Clearing House--something several of us have pleaded for decades to have established. It made some within our Craft famous. It joined together Grand Lodges and appendant bodies as nothing else ever has. As happened with the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, it divided the members, the ministers and the hierarchy belonging to this Convention.

Who won? In my opinion--no one. But I reckon it depends on how one looks at it. There are those within Freemasonry who believe the Craft won. They point out the proposed resolution was adopted by a 5-1 majority which said that membership in Masonry is left to the conscience of the individual. So, how did Freemasonry win? Hasn't membership in the Craft always been left to a man's conscience? Within that resolution were many unfounded charges. In the long run the intolerable members of the SBC won--it saved its churches from being decimated. The true Christians among them, Freemasons and others, would never acquiesce to the persecution of so-called Christians.

oOo

Update. John J. Robinson, MPS, continues in poor health. But in June he was wheeled in a chair to speak during a Cincinnati meeting of the Ohio Council of Deliberation. During his address he said he regretted his entrance to a hospital kept him from finishing a Christmas Carol he was working on. He got as far as the opening: "Deck the halls with balls of Holly!" The balance would have proved interesting!