were spread about in all directions, and different Grand Councils and Royal Arch Chapters were established. A very deplorable influence on American Masonry was exercised by Br. Jeremy L. Cross, born in 1783 at Haverhill, a man, who about the year 1815 began to lecture in the States of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland &c. on his work and to disseminate the "ineffable degrees" of the Ancient and Accepted Rite of 33 degrees and other humbug. In 1818 he was nominated Grand Lecturer of the Grand Chapter of Connecticut, and in 1819 he published "The true masonic Chart, or Hieroglyphic Monitor, containing all the emblems", &c., a work of which in 1851 the 16th edition was printed.

The celebrated statesman de Witt Clinton, born March 2, 1769, and died February 11, 1828, was chosen in 1814 Grand Master of the newly founded Grand Encampment of New York in the Supreme Council of the 33d degree, established by J. Cerneau in New York in 1807. He was Deputy Grand Commander from 1807-1823 and 1823-1828 Grand Commander; in 1816 he became General Grand High Priest of the United States and General Grand Master of the Knights Templars.

Amidst these aberrations it is pleasant to note that the Grand Lecturer of the Grand Lodge of Mississippi in his report of 1847 said, that "honorary degrees are hurtful to a right direction of the mind upon the study of ancient Masonry"; and the Grand Lodge of Iowa through Brother Theod. S. Parvin, chairman of the committee on foreign correspondence, went a step further, in declaring: "We would that the Grand Lodge would discountenance, yea forbid, the conferring of any but the degrees of ancient Masonry within the halls of the Lodges under its jurisdiction. If brethren will have them, let them degrade themselves by going to the barroom of the tavern, and receive them." And in the same year the Committee of Foreign Correspondence (vol. I. p. 129) stated: "Modern and Scotch Rites, in the estimation of

your Committee, are no part or parcel of Masonry, and can have no more affinity with it than Odd Fellowship, Sons of Temperance, and their connection, wherever they exist, must be productive of mischief to the cause of Ancient York Masonry."

The General

The idea of uniting all the Masons and Lodges Grand Lodge. of America into one common bond, was often thrust on one side, but as often taken up again. In 1822 the celebrated statesman Henry Clay was, by his Grand Lodge (Kentucky), chosen to be Grand Master, and it was he, who when speaker in the house of representatives, stirred up a Masonic convention holden in Washington, to debate the same idea. His proposition appeared to be feasible, and likely to promote the general interests of the Order. It was that a General Grand Lodge of the United States should be arranged; a committee of correspondence was consequently chosen for the purpose, composed of the most eminent Masons from the different States. Most of the Grand Lodges manifested but little inclination to carry out the idea, yet the convocation of a general convention was recommended, to facilitate a uniformity of work, which for a long time and even now is the hobbyhorse bestridden by the American Grand Lodges. This uniformity in the rituals, which is neither necessary nor practicable, was also made a subject of discussion in 1842; in the General Convention summoned by the Grand Lodge of Alabama to Washington, the appointment of Grand lectures and general consultations was recommended. In consequence of this, in 1843, the deputies of 16 Grand Lodges met together in Baltimore and agreed on the following Rules for the organisation and establishing of a Grand Convention of Freemasons: § 1. A grand Masonic Convention is hereby established for

1 Vide Amerikanisch-deutsche Jahrbücher by Röhr, 1859-60. Page 65 etc. Proceedings of the Gr. L. of Iowa I. P. 51.

the United States, and shall consist and be composed of representatives from the several Grand Lodges of the United States, one from each to be chosen, elected, or appointed in such manner as the Grand Lodges respectively may think proper to employ. § 2. The Convention, when duly established, shall have power and authority: 1st, To decide upon and settle a uniform mode and form of masonic work, lectures, and ceremonies; 2d, To prescribe for the Fraternity a uniform mode and form for issuing certificates of good standing; 3rd, To hear and decide all questions of difference, which may be submitted to them in convention, by two or more Grand Lodges, provided, however, that such decision shall bind no Grand Lodge; 4th, To adopt and enforce a set of rules for the government of the deliberations of the Convention, &c. $ 5. The Convention shall meet for business once every three years. $7. The foregoing rules and grants of power shall not be altered or enlarged, except by recommendation of the Convention, and the consent of two thirds of the Grand Lodges belonging to the Convention, &c. The result of this congress was not the union which had been anticipated. Such a Convention would have become a very useful and praiseworthy institution, if only of a consultative character and free of "power and authority to decide".

Each deputy, on his return home, said that the manner of working which they had previously learned, might with a few changes be adapted for general use, hence greater confusion than ever arose. In 1847, a proposed constitution at Baltimore, for a superior Grand Lodge, found but little favour, because the name of General Grand Lodge excited suspicions, doubts, and fears. But when in 1853, at Lexington, Kentucky, where a meeting was held, the idea was started of a National Confederation, it met with the approval of Br. Finlay M. King of New York. To realise it, a meeting took place at Washington in 1855, composed of the members of several Grand Lodges, where it was

resolved that the National confederation should be considered as a fait accompli, as soon as twenty Grand Lodges had declared in its favor. But this plan likewise suffered the fate of so many previous ones. The Grand Lodge of Maine was however not to be intimidated from agitating the question of a general Masonic Congress, which took place in the autumn of 1860 in Chicago, though only attended by the delegates from eleven Grand Lodges. Certain articles of union were laid down, and a circular epistle to all the Grand Lodges was drawn up. entreating them to join heart and hand in supporting the proposed articles of the association. But this new attempt had a similar fate with all former ones. The Grand Lodge of Iowa has always declared herself to be in favour of the establishment of such an institution.

The anti-masonic storm.

The extension of the Order had long been regarded with distrust, and the spark of party spirit had lain smouldering in secret, when suddenly one single event fanned it into a flame. Sept. 12, 1826, a man named William Morgan, a notorious character, who had been a short time previously arrested for debt, escaped from prison. The enemies of Freemasonry asserted, he was drowned in the Falls of Niagara by some Masons, because he had betrayed the secrets of the Craft in one of his writings. So much is certain, that nothing positive is known of Morgan's fate though it was maintained that he had been seen and recognised by several persons some years ago, but the enemies of Freemasonry made up the story of his murder to stir up an anti-masonic spirit, which for many years was like a devastating hurricane raging violently in the Lodges, and shaking Freemasonry to its very foundations. The number of her opponents increased from day to day, and a political party arose, which compelled many of the Lodges and two Grand Lodges, those of Illinois and Michigan, to suspend their operations, threatened others with the like fate, and caused many easily

discouraged brethren to renounce the Fraternity altogether. Men like Stevens, Granger, Seward, Spencer &c. enflamed the spirit of strife, making use of the movement to serve their own ends; a stop was put to the propagation of the Order in every part of the United States, and nothing like growth or prosperity was seen any where. In 1843 the party of the Anti-Masons was merged in that of the whigs, and since then the number of the Brethren and Lodges has gradually increased. The attempt to excite a new anti-masonic storm, made in 1868-69, remained without any considerable effect.

New York. In 1823 two Grand Lodges were in active operation at New York, one formed of deputies from the city Lodges, the other from those of the country Lodges, separated from each other, but on an amicable footing, until in 1827, the attacks of the Anti-Masons induced them to unite in a treaty of union, which should never be broken. But unfortunately soon after this arrangement, and when the threatened danger was no longer to be feared, there arose between representatives of the city and country Lodges, jealousies and bickerings, which every year produced more quarrels in consequence of the disproportionate and unequal manner in which the Lodges were represented. The city Lodges could always have their Past Masters at their post, to vote on every occasion; and thus they had an advantage over the much more numerous country Lodges, and this increasing power of the former was with good reason sought to be restrained by the latter. With this end in view, upon the regular annual meeting of the Grand Lodge in 1848, a motion was brought forward, to limit the right of voting vested in the Past Masters. This motion was accepted; the regular way was to lay the resolution before the Lodges for their ultimate approbation. But at the same time, at a quarterly meeting of the Grand Lodge, March 6, 1849, in which the Lodges in the town and its vicinity were mostly represented, resolutions were passed, which were