Joseph Enos, Jr. - Onondaga and Oswego Masonic District ...

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CHAPTER XVII. Grand Master Joseph Enos, Jr. and THE COUNTRY GRAND LODGE. Ibid. page 287. Grand Master Enos, according to the terms of his adjournment, called the Grand Lodge together in Tammany Hall on the forenoon of June 4, 1823. He was supported by Deputy Grand Master John Brush and Senior Grand Warden John Greig, but the remainder of the official chairs was filled by temporary appointments. After appointing a committee on credentials the Grand Lodge again adjourned until the following day, mainly for the purpose of gaining time to see how the lines in the struggle were settling. At that meeting (on June 5) Grand Secretary Hicks and Grand Treasurer Bogert were summoned to appear before the Grand Lodge with "the books, papers, funds and vouchers" in their possession, a summons to which it may here be said they paid no attention, and both were in time suspended from Masonry for ten years, a sentence which gave neither of them any concern. The Lodge then went into the election of officers, their choice resulting as follows: Joseph Enos, John Brush, Nathaniel Allen, Thomas Barker, Grand Master. Deputy Grand Master. Senior Grand Warden. Junior Grand Warden. Aaron M. Merchant, Welcome Eslecek, Rev. Henry I. Feltus, Rev. W. B. Lacy, Grand Secretary. Grand Treasurer. Grand Chaplain. Assistant Grand Chaplain. The Grand Secretary and Senior Grand Chaplain, however, declined to serve, but the other officers were at once installed and a visit from Past Grand Master Tompkins and Brother Erastus Root, Lieutenant-Governor of the State, added eclat to the proceedings. The next business of importance was the removal of the decree of suspension against Ebenezer Wadsworth and that brother was not only received with open arms, but a committee reported that not only was he free of any indebtedness to the Grand Lodge, but that body was indebted to him $24.50. How this conclusion was arrived at, in the absence of any data is a mystery, but there is no doubt of Wadsworth's personal honesty. On June 6 thirteen new Lodges were warranted, some of them also getting a warrant from the City Grand Lodge, and the official list was completed by the election of Charles G. Haines as Grand Secretary, and the Rev. Hooper Cummings as Grand Chaplain. But it was found that a serious mistake in tactics had been made, for, while the Country Grand Lodge had the members, the City Grand Lodge had the money and the records. Instead, even at this juncture, of using a little policy which might have been productive of profitable results, the Country Grand Lodge affected to deny the existence of any Grand Lodge in the State but itself and authorized the newly elected Grand Secretary and Grand Treasurer to demand and receive from Elias Hicks and Cornelius Bogert, whom • it was pleased to designate respectively as Past Grand Secretary and Past Grand Treasurer, "and of and from all other person and persons and corporate body or bodies, all the books, records, vouchers, parchments and papers, together with the seal and all the moneys of every description in the hands or possession or under the control of any such Past Grand Officer." Fearing that this demand might prove unavailing, or at all events to strengthen it, the following resolution was also passed: That a committee of three be appointed for the purpose of securing the legal and equitable rights of the Grand Lodge of the State of New York in relation to the conduct of the late Grand Secretary and late Grand Treasurer, and that they be authorized to see such judicial proceedings instituted as they may think proper and to employ such counsel as they may deem proper, after finding judicial proceedings necessary and expedient. The committee appointed under this resolution comprised Joseph Enos, John Brush, and Charles G. Haines, but neither the demand nor the resolution proved to be worth the paper on which they were originally written. It was "bad politics" to put at the head of such a committee, if serious results were intended, the man who had been the immediate cause of the division and about whose personal honesty grave doubts were entertained. After revising the constitution and ordering the revision sent to the Lodges for approval, arranging for the representatives to be paid by their Lodges, the amount so paid to be deducted from the Grand Lodge returns; authorizing several payments for rent and service—an item to Enos under the latter category—the Country Grand Lodge adjourned on June 10. Two Lodges of emergency were called the same month, one at New York on the 12th, when Enos made Hooper Cummings the new Grand Chaplain, a Mason at sight, and one at Poughkeepsie on the 23d, when Deputy Grand Master Brush performed the same office for the Rev. Dr. John Read, who afterward was also appointed a Grand Chaplain. In spite of the long agitation for the Grand Lodge to meet at Albany or some place other than New York it is a significant sign of the real weakness and lack of cohesion on the part of the Country Grand Lodge that its second meeting, June 2, 1824, should be convened in the same city. Of course one reason for this may have been that the sinews of war were in New York and hope may have been nourished that by meeting in this city the Grand Lodge here existing might be brought into submission, if not into union. But whatever the reason, it was a token of weakness which would not have been exhibited except under the most slipshod sort of leadership. According to the records, when the Grand Lodge was called to order by Enos on the morning of June 2, 1824, the following Lodges were represented in Tammany Hall by their officers or duly appointed proxies. We give the list in full, as we did that of the City Grand Lodge, as it shows the strength of the country forces: Solomon's, No. 6. St. Patrick's, No. 11. Washington, No. 13. Hudson, No. 15. Unity, No. 17. Union, No. 30. Otsego, No. 41. Montgomery, No. 42. Orange, No. 43. Apollo, No. 49. Temple, No. 53. St. Paul's, No. 64. Homer, No. 74. Wadsworth, No. 78. Mount Vernon, No. 97. Roman, No. 79. Federal, No. 80. Horizontal, No. 82. St. John's, No. 90. Phoebus, No. 94. Friendship, No. 95. Constellation, No. 103. Charity, No. 114. Hamilton, No. 121. Rising Sun, No. 126. Hiram, No. 131. Genesee, No. 138. Hamilton, No. 144. 12
North’n Constellation, No. 148. Farmers', No. 149. Clinton, No. 151. Warren, No. 155. Warren, No. 157. North Star, No. 162. Eagle, No. 169. Zion, No. 172. Yates, No. 178. Richfield, No. 182. Rising Sun, No. 185. Hampton, No. 198. Painted Post, No. 203. Gilboa, No. 210. Harmony, No. 212. Genoa, No. 213. Farmers', No. 214. Selected Friends, No. 219. Washington, No. 220. Olive Branch, No. 221. Rising Sun, No. 228. Augusta, No. 233. Washington, No. 234. Oxford, No. 235. Star, No. 241. Mount Moriah, No. 245. Jerusalem Temple, No. 247. Macdonough, No. 248. Charity, No. 249. Morning Star, No. 250. Dutchess, No. 253. Alluvion, No. 257. Clinton, No. 258. Evening Star, No. 259. Le Roy, No. 260. Union, No. 261. Mohawk, No. 266. Galway, No. 267. Manchester, No. 269. Utica, No. 270. Ark, No. 271. Hamilton, No. 274. Cherry Valley, No. 276. Alleghany, No. 277. Clinton, No. 278. Sprig, No. 279. Meridian Sun, No. 282. Watertown, No. 289. Morning Star, No. 290. Junius, No. 291. Harmony, No. 293. Hoffman, No. 300. Athol, No. 308. Newcomb, No. 311. Whitesborough, No. 315. Brownsville, No. 318. , Enos, No. 323. Salina, No. 327. Hector, No. 331. Genesee Union, No. 332. Parma, No. 340. Jamesville, No. 341. Laurens, No. 347. Paris, No. 348. Cameron, No. 349. Tompkins, No. 350. Phillipstown, No. 352. Mount Olive, No. 353. Center, No. 356. Mount Vernon, No. 4. Phoenix, No. 361. Byron, No. 365. Norwich, No. 360. Aurora, No. 364. Fort Plain, No. 370. Prattsburgh Union, No. 372. Abeff [Abiff], No. 373. [Lodges in bold are 5 of the 14 Onondaga Lodges] Thus the roll included, actually, 105 Lodges. As the City Grand Lodge at a like period in its career had only thirty-one, the numerical strength of the two parties can be seen at a glance. Of these thirty-one Rensselaer attended the first meeting and then, apparently, became defunct, while Homer, No. 74; Horizontal, No. 82, and Phillipstown, No. 351, dropped off after the first meeting and joined the Country, leaving practically twenty seven Lodges. But these twenty-seven carried with them the funds, the records and all that made up a Grand Lodge, while the others started out with nothing but their numbers. Had the numbers been ably led they might have accomplished much, but generalship was lacking, and, although claiming to be the Grand Lodge of the State of New York, they failed even to win recognition to any extent among the sister Grand bodies. Besides, even in point of numerical strength, they were comparatively weak. Out of the 105 Lodges enumerated in the above list ninety-eight were existent at the time of the division and enlisted under their banner, and these, with the thirty-one under that of the City, made up together 129 Lodges. When the split took place there were 358 Lodges on the roll. Thus 229 Lodges are not found enrolled on either side. Owing to the confused condition of the data these figures may not be absolutely correct, but they are approximately so, and close enough to show that, while the City Grand Lodge carried with it all the Lodges in its territory, the Country Grand Lodge did not. Allowing on a liberal estimate that out of the 229 Lodges unaccounted for on the roll of either, 100 were either defunct or so reduced in numbers or vitality as to be in what a modern American statesman has described as a condition of "innocuous desuetude," there still remained 129 Lodges unaccounted for, all of which should by their geographical position have been found in the Country Grand Lodge. At this meeting, on June 3, Enos was again elected Grand Master, receiving 212 votes to 71 cast for Stephen Van Rensselaer and 20 for Joseph Brush. The other officers were practically the same as in the former years, except that, Charles G. Haines having declined the Grand Secretaryship, John W. Oakley was elected in his place. The new constitution was adopted, 1,000 copies ordered printed, and thirty warrants constituting new Lodges were granted. As before, however, some of these Lodges had appeared on the City roll. So far as can be learned from the minutes the committee appointed to demand the funds and records from Messrs. Hicks and Bogert were so unsuccessful, if they ever seriously attempted their task, which is doubtful, that they did not submit a report of their doings, or refer, except indirectly, to the legal assistance they had been authorized to employ. This meeting was much more friendly disposed toward the city brethren than its predecessor and probably the influence of De Witt Clinton, who was present at the session of June 10 did much toward bringing about that happier sentiment. At that same session the good Brother Oliver Rose [of Selected Friends Lodge No. 219, Camillus, NY – Past Grand Visitor for the 6th Masonic District] introduced the following: Whereas, Sundry brethren, members of this Grand Lodge, have seceded and organized themselves into a body and assumed the title of the Grand Lodge of the State of New York; and Whereas, This Grand Lodge while it highly disapproves of their proceedings, still acknowledges them as members of the great Masonic family acting under erroneous views and impressions; and Whereas, Masonic charity induces the belief that some well-meaning brethren are misled by them; therefore Resolved, That a committee of members be appointed to confer with those brethren, ascertain the cause of difference, and what steps (not inconsistent with the dignity of this Grand Lodge) it will be prudent to take toward healing the differences; and report their doings and opinions to this Grand Lodge. This was rejected after some debate and the following, submitted by John O. Cole, Master of Temple Lodge, Albany, was substituted and accepted: Whereas, Certain Lodges under the jurisdiction of this Grand Lodge have seceded from the same; Resolved, That a committee be appointed to consider and report to this Grand Lodge what course it is advisable to pursue in relation to the said Lodges. In accordance with this Brothers Cole, Ezra S. Cozier (Utica), Grove Lawrence (Camillus), Jacob Van Benthuysen, K. H. Van Rensselaer (Otisco), Henry Waterhouse, and D. E. Brown, Junior Grand Deacon, were chosen as the committee. Had Enos not 13
Page 1 and 2: Joseph Enos, Jr. Compiled by R.’.
Page 3 and 4: 8. History of Madison County, Mrs.
Page 5 and 6: Janette Wilson b. ca 1834 George Sa
Page 7 and 8: independent in his political views.
Page 9 and 10: i. George W. Darrow, b. 14 May 1814
Page 11: Tompkins was an honest man. Enos ce
Page 15 and 16: and after the Committee on Credenti

Joseph Enos, Jr. - Onondaga and Oswego Masonic District ...

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