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Article FREEMASONRY IN FRANCE. Page 1 of 2 →
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Freemasonry In France.
FREEMASONRY IN FRANCE .
LONDON , SATURDAY , JVNE 1 , 1861 .
PEIJTCE JITTBAT . AJTD PEES - NAPOZ , " . In the present notoriously disordered state of Prencb Ereemasonry , arising from political subjects being mixed np with our Order , a course of proceeding jiresenting in novelty to Continental Masons , ive feel it our duty to
place before oxtr readers a p lain statement of tbe facts of tbe case , abstaining as much as possible from any comments of our own , and utterly repudiating , for ourselves and the great body of Ereemasons of all countries , any interference with states , sovereigns , or
rulers , as being totally opposed to the principles of the Craft , "whose course of action is loyalty to the Supreme Power , an jitter disregard of all intrigue , and , as a body , strict non-intervention in affairs of State . Prince Murat , Grand Master of Masons in Erance ,
has certain pretensions to the throne of Naples , although the Emperor Napoleon has set his face against any such ambitious designs , and the Mm-atist party in Naples is confined to a few needy adventurers , whose hopes are founded chiefly on the familiar illusion of
" something turning up . " Prince Murat ' s politics are in accordance with the Papal system , and opposed to the Piedmontese ; ancl , as the Papacy has ever been the intolerant foe of Masonry , the French Masons are not at all satisfied with their Grand Master ' s defence of the
Pope . Accordingly , Bro . Eiche-Gordon , 'in the Masonic periodical of which he is editor , Ii Initiation Ancienne ct Ifoderne , addressed a letter to the G-rand Master , pointing out that Freemasonry is not a political society , and blaming him for allying himself with its most vindictive perseciitoi'S ; and the following decrees were issued by the Grand Master in ansiver to that letter : —
"GRAND OKIE : * ' ! OI > FRANCE . " SUPREME COUNCIL 1 * 011 EKANCE AND THE ERENCL . POSSESSIONS . "Considering the article published , in the number of March-April , 1861 , of the journal TJInitiation , under the ' Grand Orient of France , ' and signed Eiche-Gordon ;
" Considering that the said article contains allegations contrary to truth ; that it ascribes more or less gratuitously to certain acts an anti-masonic character aud spiz-it ; that it is in the highest degree wanting in respect to the Grand Master with his ' council , as well as to the Grand Master personally , whose acts it allows itself to discuss ; " Considering that in no ease can it be permitted to
introduce into Masonry the discussion of the political or religious conduct of its members , and a , fortiori of tho Grand Master of the Order , inasmuch as tho security of the Order would he directly menaced thereby ; " Taking into consideration Arts . 2 ( par . 2 ) and 32 of thc constitution and 296 of the general statutes , we , after consulting our council , have decreed and do hereb y decree .-
—'" Art . 1 . The journal U Initiation Ancienne ct Moderne is provisionally suspended . '" Art 2 . Brother Eiche-Gordon , who signed the above-Hientioned article , and who is responsible editor of that
journal , and who is also Yenerable of thc loclge called the Temple of Families , is likewise provisionally suspended . "' Art 3 . Our special representative , Grand Officer of the Honour of the Order , & c ., is charged with the notification and execution of the present decree . " Given at the Orient at Paris , this 2 nd day of May , 1861 . "L . MUHAT , Grand Master ofthe Masonic Order of France .
"EEXES , 33 . " Special "Representative of thc Grand Master , Grand Officer of Honour ofthe Order , & o . " The second decree is as follows .- — " Considering our decree of this day pronouncing the suspension of Brother Eichc-Gorcion , ' Yenerable of the Loclge the Temple of Families : —
" Considering that the said brother has sent to the Grand Master a communication in which—speaking in the name of the 'sympathising brothers' who support the journal TJ'Initiation , which has also been suspended by the above decree—arc expressed the same sentiments and ideas as those in the article of the said journal ; Considering that most of tho brothers above referred to
form part of tho lodge , the Temple of Families , of which Bro . Eiche-Gordon was the Yenerable ; Desiring that fhe Masonic institution given to lodges shall not , in any caso , cover any interference more or loss direct in matters which arc in thc domain of politics or religion ; " Considering besides that thc direction given to the
operations of that lodge has been thc object of different comjilaints with which tho Grand Master in his council had to occupy himself in the sittings of the 18 th February and 18 th March last ; " Looking at Arts . 2 and 32 of tho constitution , and 14 of the general statutes ; " "Weafter consulting- our councilhave decreed and do
, , decree"Art . 1 . The Loclge of St . John , constituted in the Orient of Paris under the distinctive title of the Temple of Families , is provisionally suspended , & e"L . MURAT . "
It is now the practice to elect the Grand Master in Prance septennially , ancl the period of election is now arrived ; so the brethren thought this a fitting opportunity to get rid of one who seemed bent , by his acts ,
to use the strongest poivers lie could wield against those that might differ from him , and a number of them proposed Prince Napoleon as his successor . Prince Murat enraged at this manifestation , attempted a COUJJ d'etat ? ancl declared the election of Grand Master adjourned ,
upon which a report was presented by the brethren to Prince Napoleon on the subject ; and ivhen the election was to bave come on , Prince Murat , of his own personal authority , and without the advice of his Masonic Council , posted a decree on the Grand Lodge door ,
adjourning the meeting , but recommending the brethren to go on with their work in the bureaux in the interval . Thereupon the brethren , with a feigned obedience , resolved that by far the , most important work before them was the election of a Grand Master , and they proceeded
"in their bureaux " to collect the votes in writing of all the qualified electors . The result ivas that out of 140 electors , 96 votes were polled for Prince Napoleon , and only M < for Murat . Out of this minority of 44 , it is to be observed that 21 belonged to the Grand Master ' - .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Freemasonry In France.
FREEMASONRY IN FRANCE .
LONDON , SATURDAY , JVNE 1 , 1861 .
PEIJTCE JITTBAT . AJTD PEES - NAPOZ , " . In the present notoriously disordered state of Prencb Ereemasonry , arising from political subjects being mixed np with our Order , a course of proceeding jiresenting in novelty to Continental Masons , ive feel it our duty to
place before oxtr readers a p lain statement of tbe facts of tbe case , abstaining as much as possible from any comments of our own , and utterly repudiating , for ourselves and the great body of Ereemasons of all countries , any interference with states , sovereigns , or
rulers , as being totally opposed to the principles of the Craft , "whose course of action is loyalty to the Supreme Power , an jitter disregard of all intrigue , and , as a body , strict non-intervention in affairs of State . Prince Murat , Grand Master of Masons in Erance ,
has certain pretensions to the throne of Naples , although the Emperor Napoleon has set his face against any such ambitious designs , and the Mm-atist party in Naples is confined to a few needy adventurers , whose hopes are founded chiefly on the familiar illusion of
" something turning up . " Prince Murat ' s politics are in accordance with the Papal system , and opposed to the Piedmontese ; ancl , as the Papacy has ever been the intolerant foe of Masonry , the French Masons are not at all satisfied with their Grand Master ' s defence of the
Pope . Accordingly , Bro . Eiche-Gordon , 'in the Masonic periodical of which he is editor , Ii Initiation Ancienne ct Ifoderne , addressed a letter to the G-rand Master , pointing out that Freemasonry is not a political society , and blaming him for allying himself with its most vindictive perseciitoi'S ; and the following decrees were issued by the Grand Master in ansiver to that letter : —
"GRAND OKIE : * ' ! OI > FRANCE . " SUPREME COUNCIL 1 * 011 EKANCE AND THE ERENCL . POSSESSIONS . "Considering the article published , in the number of March-April , 1861 , of the journal TJInitiation , under the ' Grand Orient of France , ' and signed Eiche-Gordon ;
" Considering that the said article contains allegations contrary to truth ; that it ascribes more or less gratuitously to certain acts an anti-masonic character aud spiz-it ; that it is in the highest degree wanting in respect to the Grand Master with his ' council , as well as to the Grand Master personally , whose acts it allows itself to discuss ; " Considering that in no ease can it be permitted to
introduce into Masonry the discussion of the political or religious conduct of its members , and a , fortiori of tho Grand Master of the Order , inasmuch as tho security of the Order would he directly menaced thereby ; " Taking into consideration Arts . 2 ( par . 2 ) and 32 of thc constitution and 296 of the general statutes , we , after consulting our council , have decreed and do hereb y decree .-
—'" Art . 1 . The journal U Initiation Ancienne ct Moderne is provisionally suspended . '" Art 2 . Brother Eiche-Gordon , who signed the above-Hientioned article , and who is responsible editor of that
journal , and who is also Yenerable of thc loclge called the Temple of Families , is likewise provisionally suspended . "' Art 3 . Our special representative , Grand Officer of the Honour of the Order , & c ., is charged with the notification and execution of the present decree . " Given at the Orient at Paris , this 2 nd day of May , 1861 . "L . MUHAT , Grand Master ofthe Masonic Order of France .
"EEXES , 33 . " Special "Representative of thc Grand Master , Grand Officer of Honour ofthe Order , & o . " The second decree is as follows .- — " Considering our decree of this day pronouncing the suspension of Brother Eichc-Gorcion , ' Yenerable of the Loclge the Temple of Families : —
" Considering that the said brother has sent to the Grand Master a communication in which—speaking in the name of the 'sympathising brothers' who support the journal TJ'Initiation , which has also been suspended by the above decree—arc expressed the same sentiments and ideas as those in the article of the said journal ; Considering that most of tho brothers above referred to
form part of tho lodge , the Temple of Families , of which Bro . Eiche-Gordon was the Yenerable ; Desiring that fhe Masonic institution given to lodges shall not , in any caso , cover any interference more or loss direct in matters which arc in thc domain of politics or religion ; " Considering besides that thc direction given to the
operations of that lodge has been thc object of different comjilaints with which tho Grand Master in his council had to occupy himself in the sittings of the 18 th February and 18 th March last ; " Looking at Arts . 2 and 32 of tho constitution , and 14 of the general statutes ; " "Weafter consulting- our councilhave decreed and do
, , decree"Art . 1 . The Loclge of St . John , constituted in the Orient of Paris under the distinctive title of the Temple of Families , is provisionally suspended , & e"L . MURAT . "
It is now the practice to elect the Grand Master in Prance septennially , ancl the period of election is now arrived ; so the brethren thought this a fitting opportunity to get rid of one who seemed bent , by his acts ,
to use the strongest poivers lie could wield against those that might differ from him , and a number of them proposed Prince Napoleon as his successor . Prince Murat enraged at this manifestation , attempted a COUJJ d'etat ? ancl declared the election of Grand Master adjourned ,
upon which a report was presented by the brethren to Prince Napoleon on the subject ; and ivhen the election was to bave come on , Prince Murat , of his own personal authority , and without the advice of his Masonic Council , posted a decree on the Grand Lodge door ,
adjourning the meeting , but recommending the brethren to go on with their work in the bureaux in the interval . Thereupon the brethren , with a feigned obedience , resolved that by far the , most important work before them was the election of a Grand Master , and they proceeded
"in their bureaux " to collect the votes in writing of all the qualified electors . The result ivas that out of 140 electors , 96 votes were polled for Prince Napoleon , and only M < for Murat . Out of this minority of 44 , it is to be observed that 21 belonged to the Grand Master ' - .