E. H. ADDINGTON

OF FREEMASONRY IN LOUISIANA. 73
brethren met, formed themselves into a lodge, elected officers, and petitioned
the Grand Lodge for a dispensation, which was granted, with the distinctive
title of "Friends of Harmony."f The establishment of this lodge
revived the zeal of the English-speaking Masons in the cit,y who remained
faithful to the Grand Lodge; many of them affiliated with it, petitions for
the degrees became frequent, and the lodge was soon in a prosperous condition
: a charter was granted to it, as Friends of Harmony Lodge No. 58,
and its officers were installed by the Grand Lodge on the 18th of June, 1848.
As soon as the Friends of Harmony Lodge was firmly established, L. A.
Frymier and several other Masons applied for and obtained a dispensation
for a new lodge to work in English in New Orleans; their zeal was crowned
with success and Mount Moriah Lodge No. 59 received its charter from
the Grand Lodge, March 24, 1849.
While the English-speaking Masons in New Orleans were thus rallying
to the support of the Grand Lodge, several abortive attempts had been
made to seduce the country lodges from their allegiance. On Nov. 25, 1848,
St. Albans Lodge No. 28 reported that it had suspended five of its members'
for uniting with "two strangers" for the purpose of organizing an irregular
lodge; this action was approved by the Grand Lodge, which recommended
to the Lodges DeSoto No. 55 and Mount Gerizim No. 54 to proceed against
such of their members as were reported to be holding Masonic communication
with irregular lodges in their vicinity. The ill success attending this
movement caused it to be speedily abandoned. Without exception, the country
lodges remained faithful and, deploring the schism that existed, St. James
No. 47, Caddo No. 49 and other lodges adopted resolutions declaring
their unalterable determination to sustain the Grand Lodge in resisting
the unwarrantable pretensions of the Grand Lodge of Mississippi and its
illegitimate offspring.
In the meantime the subject had attracted the attention of the Grand
Lodges of the United States and Europe; Maryland was not prepared to
say Mississippi had "done wrong"; Missouri declared non-intercourse with
Louisiana; Florida adopted a similar resolution, but deprecated the hasty
action of Mississippi. A number of Grand Lodges, while disapproving the
course pursued by Louisiana in cumulating the different Rites, severely
censured Mississippi for usurping jurisdiction over its territory; and, following
the example set by New York, the Grand Lodges of Alabama, Connecticut,
District of Columbia, Georgia, New Hampshire and South Carolina
adopted resolutions declaring the lodges planted in Louisiana by Mississippi
to be irregular. This, however, had no influence on Mississippi: to the
fraternal entreaties of her sister Grand Lodges to desist from her unjustifiable
conduct, she turned a deaf ear and claimed that, as there was
"no common umpire" in Masonry, she had a right to judge for herself and clo
as she pleased.*
tThe records of Friends of Harmony Lodge No. 58 state that" "agreeably to previous
notice" a convention -was held July 24, 1847, at which only eight brethren were present,
who opened a lodge and elected the following officers: J. >H. Holland, W. M.; B.
Eemondet, S. W.; R. Sutherland, J. "W.; Win. Trelford, Treas.; J. Q. A. Hoit, Secretary;
W. A. Chambers, S. D.; C Ogilvie, J. D.; and J. J. Ungerer, Tyler. It was then
resolved to petition the Grand Lodge for "letters of dispensation, or a warrant of constitution,
" to empower them to assemble as a legal lodge, under the name of Friends
of Harmony. The next meeting was held November 26, 1847, when in adition to the
above named brethren L. A. Frymier and Joseph Wrigley were present: owing to the
absence of the Grand Master from the city, the dispensation granted by the Grand
Lodge toad not been issued, but the fact that it had been granted was considered sufficient
authority to hold the meeting, transact business, and adopt by-laws. The first stated
meeting was held December i, 1847; after that date the lodge met regularly, and the
meetings were well attended.
•Pro. G. L. Miss 1848, p. 56. The report is from the pen of the. Grand Secretary,
William P. Mellen, and the statement in the text, in regard to Maryland, is made
on his authority. He thinks it unfortunate that the Mississippi Committee of the
previous year did not explain more fully their reasons for declaring that the Grand