sires, and so to cement and bind us all together in the four-fold cord that cannot be broken, that the key-stone may be secured in the arch of our Federal compact, and future generations unite in singing praises to the good men and patriots who laid so broad and deep the foundations of that temple, that although the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon it, yet it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock.

The members of this Grand Lodge listened to the stirring words of affection from our respected P. G. M. Rob. Morris, of Ky., and were deeply moved at his touching allusions to the friendly feelings which have heretofore existed between the sons of his State and ours, whose blood in times past mingled on the same field in defence of our national liberties; and in common with him we unite in friendly greetings to our Brothers throughout the States of this Confederacy, and appeal to them, by the hallowed memories of the past and the brilliant hopes we have so long entertained for the future of our beloved land, to unite in unceasing efforts for the permanent good, welfare and prosperity of our common country, and, with its future and perpetual Union, for the elevation of our ancient and time-honored Institution, and the perfection of that beautiful moral temple within those walls is heard continual thanksgivings to the Grand Master of the Universe, to whom we are indebted for all the blessings we enjoy.

All of which is respectfully submitted, with the accompanying preamble and resolutions, of which we recommend the adoption:

Whereas, As it pleased a kind Providence, through the blood and sufferings of our fathers, to confer upon our country the blessings of peace and liberty, and to enable them, through wise and patriotic counsel, to form a government based upon the broadest principles of human freedom, and which secures exact and equal justice to all;

And as we deem the privileges which we enjoy under our present form of government to be of inestimable value, and are anxious to transmit them unimpaired to our posterity as a most precious legacy;

And as we regard with the deepest devotion the bonds which bind together the various States of our Union, and cannot contemplate, except with horror, the direful evils of separation;

And as we regard with the most tender and fraternal feelings our Brethren of every section of our common country, and desire that all cause of contention and distrust may be removed, so that we shall live in the future, as did our fathers before us, in bonds of fellowship and brotherhood;

And as we regard the preservation of our glorious Union, which has secured to us peace and prosperity at home, and respect and protection abroad, as of the utmost importance to the best interest of our race and country, and believe that all honorable efforts should be made in order to restore peace and concord;

And as in the opinion of many wise and patriotic men our Union is threatened with danger;

To the end, therefore, that as citizens of a great common country and Brethren of a great common brotherhood, we may exert our influence with one another for good and not for evil; for an expression of our love for our brethren and country;

Be it Resolved by the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Michigan, That we are deeply attached to our present form of government, and to the constitution of our country, and to the citizens of every portion of our country, and that we should deplore as a calamity to the best and dearest interests of man the disruption of our Confederacy.

Resolved, That we implore our Brethren in every section of our common country to exert their influence to soften asperities of feeling and restore harmony to our councils, to the end that the bonds of brotherhood may be strengthened, and as a united people we may move forward in the career of honor and usefulness.

Resolved, That copies of these resolutions, under the seal of the Grand Lodge, be sent forthwith to all the Grand Lodges in communication with us.

HENRY A. MORROW,

N. B. ELDRIDGE,
WM. M. FENTON,

D. P. CHAMBERLAIN,

F. DARROW,

J. EASTMAN JOHNSON,
O. D. CONGER.

This subject of the disasters which threatened our country was one of the two principal topics that engrossed the attention of the Grand Lodge at this meeting, the other being in relation to the standard lectures and work of this jurisdiction and an attempt to substitute therefor another system prepared and taught by Brother Rob. Morris of Kentucky. Grand Lecturer Blanchard opened this subject in his report to Grand Lodge. He said:

The object of the Grand Lodge in adopting a standard system of lectures, and insisting, by positive edicts, that these lectures should be adopted to guide the work, and in order to correct the existing and frequently objectionable mode of working the Lodges, necessarily led to the appointment of a Grand Visitor and Lecturer, and in this capacity I have had the honor of serving during the past four years.

During the past year I have visited, by special invitation, and lectured and worked in over seventy-five Lodges within this jurisdiction, embracing those in the Lake Superior region. As already intimated, I have everywhere found a disposition to acquire a correct knowledge of the principles and minutiae of our Order and to sustain its precepts. But the constant establishment of new Lodges, and the frequent change of officers in those already in operation, would seem to require a continuation of the policy heretofore pursued by this Grand Lodge. At our last an

nual Grand Comnmunication there was some action on the subject of work in the respective degrees. As different views were entertained by those who were present, it has been difficult to ascertain what was really adopted. So far as I have been able to learn, the work proposed was probably based, in part, on the lectures of Preston and Webb, those true and noble Brothers who devoted their lives to the service of the craft, and whose work and lectures are held in the highest estimation by those who are laboring for the adoption of a uniform system of Masonic instruction throughout christendom. These lectures and corresponding work, in spirit and form, closely approximate to the Baltimore ritual; but there is a difference. I have had the pleasure of hearing them repeated, and witnessed the work exemplified by that noble man and true-hearted Brother, Robt. Morris, and they are justly entitled to serious consideration for their originality, beauty, and ultimate prospect of general adoption. But until adopted in full by this Grand Lodge, an attempt to work or engraft them upon our lectures or system, as adopted in 1847, will inevitably produce confusion, and disturb the generally existing unity and harmony in the lectures and work of our Lodges.

Brother Rob. Morris, being present, was introduced and welcomed to a seat upon the dias, when he said that it was in his heart to acknowledge the enthusiastic greetings extended to him by the Grand Master and Grand Lodge, by an humble but ardent prayer to the Supreme Architect of the Universe that he would prosper the great institution so largely and worthily represented here to day, and would crown the present convocation with happiness and success. He said that it was plain to his mind that Masonry was independent of climate, for the looks of the crowd before him proved that as warm hearts and hands existed here as in climates further south. He further said:

We are in the midst of a great national crisis. The voice of war echoes through one portion of our common country, and confusion and dismay are upon the winds. Stone after stone is dropping from the great national temple; the cement which once bound them together having become weakened and decayed. Men from opposite sides of the river look askance at each other, and it threatens soon to be with us as with our brethren in the days of Zerubbabel, when the words of allegiance and troth proper to the one bank were not understood or acknowledged upon the other.

In the State from which he had come to visit the Michigan brethren—a State once styled, for its horrid traditions, 'the Dark and Bloody Ground'-the inhabitants look mournfully upon one another as though wondering when the signal for civil war will be made; and ask themselves if Kentucky is again to become in reality 'the Dark and Bloody Ground?'

Following upon this gloomy and desponding view, Bro. Morris exhorted the brethren of Michigan that whatever result might follow upon

these movements, even though the national fabric were to crumble and decay, and the people degenerate into civil war, the Masonic tie must not be broken, weakened, or affected. The principles The principles of Masonry must be studied more than ever. The strictest scrutiny must be made into the character of the materials offered for its walls, and the most devoted attention given to a uniform and correct system of instruction.

In conclusion, Bro. Morris adverted to the results of that blessed spirit of conciliation so often exercised by Masons in times of war and bloodshed, and exhorted the brethren to cherish and display it in the present crisis. The following lines were written by him for delivery at this time:

Men of the broad Peninsula, oh true and loving band
Who in the chain of Masonry around these alters stand,
Bright let the fire of friendship burn and warmly let it glow,
For a stranger from a distant land would join your circle now.
THE ACACIA blooms in every clime, the BROKEN SHAFT doth rear
Its mournful form in mystic guise, and meets us everywhere;
The Gavel rings o'er land and sea, yon emblem speaks the same
About the globe as here it speaks the UNIVERSAL NAME.
And why? because ONE GOD we have in whom alone we trust;
He made us all, OUR FATHER, and us all of kindred dust;
The same green MOTHER EARTH, the broad, the generous, He gave,
Who feeds us while we live, and gives us when we die, a GRAVE.
We bring a common TEMPLE here, the lofty and the low,
We build the same heart-offerings and in one homage bow;
Our TRACING BOARDS, the same design in every clime have given,
And serving the same MASTER, we expect the same bright HEAVEN.
Then let the stranger have a place within your mystic band,
Where eye responsive answers eye, and hand unites with hand;

He knows your WORD, he knows your SIGN, and asks no better grace
Thau with you here to sit awhile and greet you face to face.

PEACE through the broad Peninsula be heaven's boon to-day;
PEACE, PEACE-it is the yearning prayer the stranger's heart would pray;
And could they hear it, from the land and from the rolling sea,

From every Mason's lips would come the cry, SO MOTE IT BE!

An evening session was held for the purpose of hearing Brother Morris exemplify the Webb-Preston work and lectures in the three degrees, which was done and received the closest attention, and, on motion of Brother Hugh McCurdy, a vote of thanks was given him for his ex

emplification of the work, and a little later in the session, Brother Cudworth offered the following resolution, which was unanimously adopted:

Whereas, Bro. Rob. Morris, of the State of Kentucky, by his devotion to the great principles of Free Masonry, and his instructions heretofore so freely given to this Grand Jurisdiction in all that pertains to its vital principles, has merited our esteem and respect; therefore,

Resolved, That he be, and he is hereby, received and accepted an honorary member of this Grand Lodge.

On motion of Brother A. H. Jordan, a committee of five was appointed to examine carefully in how far the work in the three degrees as practiced in this state differs from that taught by Brother Rob. Morris, and report at the next annual meeting, with such recommendations as they see fit to make. This committee consisted of Brothers A. H. Jordan, Francis Darrow, George B. Ensworth, J. E. Marvin, and Benjamin Porter, Jr. The Grand Lodge, with exceeding generosity, appropriated fifty dollars to pay Brother Morris' expenses for attending the meeting. As a finale to all work and talk upon the subject of "the work," the Grand Lodge, near the close of the session

Resolved, That all matter relating to the Esoteric Work, adopted at the last session, conflicting with the "Barney Work," be, and the same is hereby, repealed.

And thus Michigan again decides to continue using the "Barney Work," which has ever since given such great satisfaction to the craft.

Among other items of business transacted at this session, was the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas, The vast assemblage that annually congregates in the Grand Lodge is conclusive of the deep and abiding interest that Masons feel in the cause, and that the highest and most honorable position to which a Mason can attain is that of Most Worshipful Grand Master, to which few ever arrive, and they only who through years have exhibited proof of their skill and been found worthy and well qualified; therefore, in view of the high and eminent qualities that have enabled them to gain that position, it is fitting that their memories should be perpetuated through all time, and not be forgotten when their term of office expires, or when they shall have been called to a seat in that Lodge on high where the S. G. A. of the U. presides, but that future generations may be enabled to view with reverence and admiration the shadowed features of the eminent and honored few; therefore,

Resolved, That the Grand Secretary of this Grand Lodge be directed to procure a set of photographic likenesses of the M. W. Grand Masters, from the re-organiz