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KNIGHTS
KNIGHTS 413
consideration of this report was postponed
until the next triennial meeting . The changes
in costume proposed by the committee were
not very great ; the baldric and the essential
apron were preserved, and a white tunic, not
hitherto used was recommended .
At the session of 1859, at Chicago, the subject
of dress was alluded to by the Grand Master
in his address ; and his remarks, together
with the report of the committee made in
1856, were referred to a special committee of
seven, of which the Grand Master was chairman
and Sir Knights Doyle, Pike, Simons,
Matey, Morris, and French were the members
.
This committee reported a uniform which
made material differences in the dress theretofore
worn, and especially by the rejection of
the apron and the introduction of a white
tunic and a white cloak . These last were favorite
notions of Grand Master Hubbard, and
they were adopted by the committee mainly
in deference to his high authority .
The proposed measure met at first with
serious opposition, partly on account of the
rejection of the apron, which many Templars
then held, as they do now, to be an essential
feature of Masonic Templarism, and a tangible
record of the union at a specific period in
history of the two Orders ; but mainly, perhaps,
on account of the very heavy expense
and inconvenience which would devolve on
the old Commanderies, if they were required
at once to throw aside their old dress and provide
a new one .
This opposition was only quelled by the
agreement on a compromise, by which the old
Commanderies were to be exempted from the
operation of the law . The regulations for the
new costume were then passed and the compromise
immediately after adopted in the
words of the following resolution, which was
proposed by Sir Knight Doyle, who was one of
the committee
"Resolved, That the costume this day
adopted by the Grand Encampment be, and
the same is hereby, ordered to be worn by all
Commanderies chartered at this Communication,
or that shall hereafter be established in
this jurisdiction, and by all Commanderies
heretofore existing, whenever they shall procure
a new costume" ; and all State Grand
Commanderies were directed to enforce it in
all subordinates that may hereafter be chartered
in their respective jurisdictions .
This was a compromise, nothing more or
less, and so understood at the time. The old
Commanderies were then in the majority, and
would not have consented to any change in=
volving so much expenditure, unless they had
been relieved from the burden themselves .
But the white tunic and cloak were never
popular with the knights, who had been requu
ed by the regulations of 1859 to wear them .
In consequence of this, at the session in 1862,
on motion of Sir Knight Bailey, "the subjectmatter
of costume and the resolution relating
thereto were referred to a Select Committee of
Five."
This committee made a report, in which
they "proposed" a uniform . The record says
that "the report was agreed to, and the uniform
was adopted ." But there are some points
in this report that are worthy of notice . In
the first place, not a word is said about the
compromise resolution adopted in 1859, although
it was referred to the committee .
That resolution was not repealed by any action
taken at the session of 1862, and still
must remain in force . It secured to the old
Commanderies the right to wear the old black
costume ; a right which could not be taken
from them, except by a repeal of the resolution
conferring the right. Nothing need be said
of the manifest injustice of repealing a resolution
granted by the friends of a measure to its
opponents to remove their opposition . In
1859, the promise was made to the old Commanderies,
that if they would agree to a certain
uniform, to be prescribed for new Commanderies,
their own old, traditional costume
should never be interfered with . Might
could, it is true, repeal this compromise ; but
Right would, for that purpose, have to be sacrificed
. But the fact is, that the sense of right
in the Grand Encampment prevented such an
act of discourtesy, "not to put too fine a point
upon it," and no one can find in the proceedings
of the Grand Encampment any act which repeals
the compromise resolution of 1859 ; and
this has been the opinion and the decision of
all the Grand Masters who have wielded the
baculus of office, except the present one .
But, in the second place, the report of 1862
shows clearly that the object of the committee
was to recommend a change in the uniform
that had been adopted for new Commanderies
in 1859, and which had become objectionable
on account of the tunic and cloak, and that
they did not intend to refer at all to the old
dress of the old Commanderies .
In the report the committee say : "The objections
advanced to the costume adopted at
the last Triennial Conclave of this Grand
Body are want of adaptation to the requirements
of our modern Templars, its liability to
injury and its expensiveness ." Now, who advanced
these objections? Clearly, not the old
Commanderies. They were well satisfied
with the mode of dress which they had received
from their fathers ; and which was dear
to them for its solemn beauty and its traditional
associations ; and the right to wear
which had been secured to them in 1859, with
the understanding that if they ever desired, of
their own accord, to lay it aside, they would
then adopt, in its stead, the regulation dress of
the Grand Encampment . But this was to be
for their own free action .
It was very evident that the old Commanderies
had never complained that the tunics
and cloaks were from their material expensive
and from their color liable to injury. The old
Commanderies did not use these expensive
and easily soiled garments . It was the new
Commanderies that had made the objection,
and for them the legislation of 1862 was undertaken.