Mackey A G - Encylopedia of Freemasonry - The Grand Masonic ...

412 KNIGHTS
KNIGHTS
Commanderies are under the control of
Grand Commanderies in States in which those
bodies exist . Where they do not, the Warrants
are derived directly from the Grand Encampment
.
The supreme authority of the Order is exercised
by the Grand Encampment of the
United States, which meets triennially . The
presiding officer is a Grand Master .
The Cosruxx of the Knights Templar of the
United States is of two kinds . First, the original
uniform, which was in general use until
the year 1859, and is still used by Commanderies
which were in existence before that
time. It is thus described :
The suit is black, with black gloves. A
black velvet sash, trimmed with silver lace,
crosses the body from the left shoulder to right
hip, having at its end a cross-hilted .dagger, a
black rose on the left shoulder, and a Maltese
cross at the end . Where the sash crosses the
left breast, is a nine-pointed star in silver,
with a cross and serpent of gold in the center,
within a circle, around which are the words,
"in hoc signo vinces." The apron is of black
velvet, in triangular form, to represent the
delta, and edged with silver lace . On its flap
is placed a triangle of silver, perforated with
twelve holes, with a cross and serpent in the
center ; on the center of the apron are a skull
and crossbones, between three stars of seven
points, having a red cross in the center of each .
The belt is black to which is attached a crosshilted
sword . 'the caps vary in form and
decoration in different Encampments . The
standard is black, bearing a nine-pointed cross
of silver, having in its center a circle of green,
with the cross and serpent in gold, and the
motto around "in hoc signo vinces ."
In 1859 the Grand Encampment enacted
a statute providing that all Commanderies
which might be thereafter chartered should
rovide a new costume of an entirely different
d, which should also be adopted by thold
Commanderies whenever they should change
their uniform . This new costume was further
altered in 1862 and is now of the following
description, as detailed in the statute :
Full Dress .-Black frock coat, black pantaloons,
scarf, sword, belt, shoulder straps, gauntlets,
and chapeau, with appropriate trimmings .
Fatigue Dress .-Same as full dress, except
for chapeau a black cloth cap, navy form, with
appropriate cross in front, and for gauntlets,
white gloves .
Scarf .-Five inches wide in the whole, of
white, bordered with black one inch on either
side, a strip of navy lace one-fourth of an inch
wide, at the inner edge of the black . On the
front center of the scarf a metal star of nine
points, in allusion to the nine founders of the
Temple Order, enclosing the Passion Cross,
surrounded by the Latin motto, "in hoc
signo vines" ; the star to be three and threequarter
inches in diameter . The scarf to be
worn from the right shoulder to the left hip,
with the ends extending six inches below the
point of intersection.
Chapeau.-The military chapeau, trimmed
with black binding, one white and two black
plumes, and appropriate cross on the left side .
Gauntlets .-Of buff leather, the flap to extend
four inches upward from the wrist, and
to have the appropriate cross embroidered in
gold, on the proper colored velvet, two inches
in length .
Sword .-Thirty-four to forty inches, inclusive
of scabbard ; helmet head, cross handle
and metal scabbard.
nelt.-fled enameled or patent leather, two
inches wide, fastened round the body with
buckle or clasp .
From what has been said it will appear
that there are two modes of cress or costume
in use among the Templars of the United
States--one, the old or "black uniform,"
which was adopted at the first organization of
the Order in this country and which is still
used by the old Commanderies which were in
existence previous to the year 1859 ; and the
new or "white uniform," which was adopted
by the Grand Encampment in that year and
which has been prescribed for all Commanderies
chartered since that year .
This difference of costume has recently
been the occasion of much discussion in the
Order. In 1872 Sir J . Q A . Fellows, the
Grand Master, thinking that it was his duty
to enforce a uniform dress in the Order, issued
his decree requiring all the Commanderies in
the United States which were then using
"the black uniform," to abandon it, and to
adopt "the white uniform," which had been
origmally ordered in 1859, and subsequently
amended in 1862. Much opposition has been
manifested to this order in the Commanderies
and Grand Commanderies where the black
costume was in use . The Grand Master's
interpretation of the statute of the Grand Encampment
has been doubted or denied, and
the order has been virtually disobeyed by
most, if not by all of them . The question has
assumed great importance in consequence of
the feeling that has been created, and is therefore
worthy of discussion. Dr . Mackey's
views were against the correctness of the
Grand Master's interpretation of the law, and
so were those of the living Past Grand Masters
of the Order. It is, however, but fair to say
that some distinguished Templars have been
of a different opinion . The following views
advanced by Dr. Mackey in the National
Freemason in December, 1872, express what he
thought was the true condition of the question.
Previous to the year 1859 the costume of
the Knights Templar of this country was
determined only by a traditional rule, and
consisted of a ack dress, with the richly decorated
baldric and apron ; the latter intended
to show the connection which existed between
the Order and Ancient Craft Masonry .
In 1856, at Hartford, a new Constitution
was proposed and adopted, with the exception
of the part that referred to costume . Sir
Knight Mackey, from the committee on the
Constitution, made a report on the subject of
dress, as a part of the Constitution ; but the