novation, no attempts at removing the ancient land-mark, no, not a "hair's breadth."

It should rather seem, that our wandering brethren who have been innocently led astray by designing men at the first, have, like the repentant prodigal, (this remark is not intended to convey censure) returned to the hospitable old mansion of their brethren, and like him have been again received with the fraternal salute of friendship under the paternal roof.

Long, very long, may the happy effects of this union be experienced; may peace preside, and good will ever pervade the solemn assemblies of the united brethren throughout the world. -So mote it be.

I have thought it expedient to preface the grand ceremony which was performed at the union in the city of London, in the year 5813, by a very brief abstract of the proceedings in the grand lodge of South Carolina, which arose out of that measure at their quarterly communication held in the following year. COMPILER.]

Abstract of the proceedings relative to the union of Free Masons in South Carolina, and likewise of the union of Free Masons in England, Ireland and Scotland, by which events, the Masonic Fraternity throughout the world, have been cemented into one happy family.

EXTRACT FROM MINUTES, 24TH JUNE, 5814.

AT a quarterly communication of the grand lodge of South Carolina, held at the grand lodge room, on Friday evening, the 24th June, 5814

PRESENT, R. W. Thomas W. Bacot, grand master, &c. and the representatives and proxies of fourteen lodges.

The grand lodge was opened in ample form, and the minutes of the last quarterly communication were read and confirmed.

The R. W. grand master then addressed the grand lodge as follows:

Brethren-It is with heartfelt pleasure I now communicate to you the agreeable intelligence I have received, of an union having taken place between the two grand lodges of free masons in England, to wit: the body of free and accepted masons of England, according to the old institutions," under his royal highness, the duke of Kent, successor of the duke of Athol;-And the "society of free and

accepted masons, under the constitution of England,” under his royal highness Prince Augustus Frederick, duke of Sussex, successor of the Prince Regent, and that one grand lodge had been formed under the title of "the United grand lodge of ancient free masons of England”—which was afterwards regularly constituted and consecrated, with great solemnity, on St John's day, 27th December, 5813. "I congratulate the grand lodge on this happy and interesting event, which re-establishes free masonry upon its pure and original principles of universal philanthropy; and feel particularly gratified to observe in its commencement, progress and conclusion, an almost exact coincidence with the proceedings which took place at the formation of the union, between the two grand lodges of free masons in this state, which eventuated in the establishment of this R. W. grand lodge."

The grand master then stated the substance of the communication which had been received from England, with a sketch or outline of the articles of union

Whereupon the following resolutions, were unanimously agreed to:

Resolved, That the grand lodge receive with much pleasure and satisfaction, the communication made to them by our R. W. grand master, of an union having taken place between the two grand lodges in England, in manner and form nearly similar to the union of the two grand lodges in this state, and that the union had received the approbation and concurrence of the grand lodges of Scotland and Ireland.

"Resolved, That a committee be appointed to take this important communication into consideration, and to report thereon, at as early a day as possible; and, that as soon as this committee shall be ready to report, the R. W. grand master be requested to call an extra meeting of the grand lodge, for the special purpose of taking the same into consideration.

EXTRACT FROM MINUTES, AUGUST 26TH, 5814.

At a special meeting of the grand lodge of South Caro lina, held at the grand lodge room, on Friday evening, 26th of August, 5814

PRESENT, R. W. Thomas W. Bacot, grand master, &c. and the representatives and proxies of thirteen lodges.

E

The grand lodge was opened in ample form, and the minutes of the last quarterly communication were read.

The R. W. grand master, as chairman of the committee appointed at the last meeting, to take into consideration, and to report on the communication from the united grand lodge of England, respecting the union formed and solemnized by the two former grand lodges, in that country, made a report which received the unanimous approbation of the grand lodge, and was ordered to be inserted on the minutes.

On motion, resolved, That the committee be directed to have their report published, together with such part of the documents accompanying it as they may see proper, agreeably to their recommendation.

Resolved, That the corresponding grand secretary do address a letter to each of the grand lodges in the United States, congratulating them on the happy re-union of the craft which has taken place in Europe, and in this country, and forward to each a copy of these proceedings when the same shall be published; and also, that he transmit copies of the same to the foreign grand lodges, particularly those of England, Ireland and Scotland.

Resolved, That the thanks of the grand lodge be presented to the committee for their enlightened and able report. I certify the foregoing to be extracts from the minutes of the grand lodge of South Carolina.

J. H. MITCHELL, G. S.

Charleston, August 26th, 5814.

REPORT.

The committee to whom was referred the communication from the united grand lodge in England, relative to the very important union which has taken place between the two grand lodges in that country, beg leave to report:

That the union which has taken place between the two grand lodges in England, and which has reconciled the masonic family, into one indissoluble band of brothers,

A copy of these proceedings was received by the grand lodge of Maryland, but as modern masonry has never been practised in that state, the communication was merely deposited among the archives of the grand lodge.

has afforded the most heartfelt satisfaction to the committee, as it will to every free mason, throughout the world, who is capable of rejoicing in the prosperity of the order. The pleasure which this union affords us, arises from two causes; first, because it brings our excellent institution back to its primitive purity, and original principles; and, secondly, because in this great work of benevolence and brotherly love, the fraternity, in South Carolina, set the laudable example to the masonic world, in shewing the necessity, the practicability, the beauty of an union, by uniting the two grand lodges in this jurisdiction, on the 5th September, 5808.

The prosperity, as well as the beauty of masonic union, is evident to every one who will take the trouble to reflect seriously and impartially on the subject. When we take a review of the history of free masonry, from the remotest period of the institution, of which we have any record, down to the present day, we find that the object in all ages has been the same. In every nation, and in every clime, the same beneficent principles have been cherished, and the same affections cultivated. Wherever branches of the society existed, free masonry was viewed as an unit. The craft was neither swayed by party feelings, nor influenced by local considerations, and every thing breathed universal "peace and good will towards men." This happy state of the society continued until the year 1738, when a schism took place among the fraternity in England, which extending its baneful influence to the United States, in the year 1787, a separation took place in this state, in the same manner, and upon the same principles as had already been done in the mother grand lodge in England. It is deemed to be unnecessary here, to go into a history of these schisms, and of the reasons which have been produced in defence of the secession, as there are many works on that subject, which have been published, and which are, or may be in the hands of every member of the craft. But we may affirm, that these dissentions among the fraternity, were a source of infinite mortification and regret to every brother who felt a vital interest in the prosperity of the order, and in the happiness of its members. For by this disunion, the very fundamental principles of the institution were destroyed; brother was arrayed against brother, and lodge against lodge.

Union is the foundation of the mystic order, and without union the fabric must fall to the ground. The great object which is purposed to be attained by the institution, will be frustrated, unless the principles of the society become universal; and to become universal, there must be a unity of design, and a corresponding unity of action, pervading the great mystic family, throughout the two hemispheres.

It is unquestionable, that the fundamental principles of the society are the same in every country, in which a branch of it is established, otherwise a man might be a free mason in one country, and not in another, which would not only be a dereliction of principles, but the unity and universality of the society would be frustrated, and its usefulness destroyed.-If, what is called free masonry in Europe, is not free masonry in America, and through all the world, then it may be questioned whether it be a branch of that universal society, known in all nations from the remotest day, and which possesses a language peculiar to itself; which renders the Frenchman intelligible to the Briton, and the Prussian to the Algerine, and all of them to each other, and to us. By this universal language, the great mystic family, wheresoever disposed, find a people with whom they can hold converse, to whom they can make their wants and their misfortunes known, and who are bound by the immutable laws of their order, to afford them both comfort and support. But if the society should be divided by party, or be split into sects; if one should say "I am of Paul, and another, I am of Apollos," or if it should be frittered away by fantastic distinctions, or ridiculous prejudices, its "wisdom, strength and beauty" would be destroyed, and "faith, hope and charity," would become as "sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.'

From this view of the subject, it is evident that our society, to be useful, must every where be governed by the same principles, influenced by the same motives, directed to the same object, and be accessible to the whole brotherhood, wheresoever dispersed, and this we find was actually the case, until the unhappy differences, already alluded to, took their rise in the mother lodge. But the difference which separated the fraternity was so trifling, so utterly beneath the dignity of an intelligent being, that it was long a source of wonder, that its folly had not been overcome, and its abettors put to confusion..