Difference between revisions of "GSCWMoore"

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"''Resolved,'' That the purity of his character, the sincerity of his motives, and the course of his whole life make him a bright example of the good citizen, the true man, and the consistent Christian.
 
"''Resolved,'' That the purity of his character, the sincerity of his motives, and the course of his whole life make him a bright example of the good citizen, the true man, and the consistent Christian.
  
''"Resolved," That the teachings of our beloved Brother, both by precept and example, will continue as a beacon light to direct the steps of our future course.
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''"Resolved,'' That the teachings of our beloved Brother, both by precept and example, will continue as a beacon light to direct the steps of our future course.
  
 
[http://masonicgenealogy.com/MediaWiki/index.php?title=GMDame CHARLES C. DAME],<br>
 
[http://masonicgenealogy.com/MediaWiki/index.php?title=GMDame CHARLES C. DAME],<br>

Revision as of 14:55, 1 April 2011

CHARLES W. MOORE 1801-1873

CharlesWMoore2_1872.jpg

Deputy Grand Master, 1868

MEMORIAL

From Proceedings, Page 1873-168:

"Few members of the Fraternity, in this or any other country, have ever been so generally known or so highly respected by the Brotherhood, as R.W. Charles W. Moore. His long Masonic life, his faithful service in almost every office in Grand and subordinate Bodies of every branch of the Order, his able, vigorous, persistent and successful defence of our principles and our rights against the mad fury of Anti-Masonic folly and demagogism, his publications illustrative of our ritual, and his editorship for a whole generation of the first exclusively Masonic periodical ever published, — all these services have made his name as familiar as household words to Masons everywhere, and wherever it has been known it has been respected and honored. His opinion was constantly sought in regard to questions of Masonic law and practice, and his conclusions were regarded as final. His life-long experience furnished reasons and precedents, his ripe and mature judgment weighed and balanced arguments, and his clear and forcible statement carried conviction to every mind. Never again shall we listen to his earnest injunction to stand by the ancient landmarks. Never again shall we apply to him for counsel and advice. We have reverently deposited his body in the house appointed for all living; but his spirit we trust has been received into the Celestial Lodge above, with the welcome: 'Well done, good and faithful servant!'

"Charles Whitlock Moore was born in Boston, on the 29th of March, 1801. Little is known of his parents; but the record in the family Bible informs us that his father held a responsible position in the household of King George the Third; that he came to this country towards the close of the last century and opened a music store in Boston. The son was apprenticed to the printer's trade; and the senior editor of the 'Boston Post' relates that while they were boys together in the office of the brother of the latter in Haverhill, Mass., an unfair and ungenerous attack was made upon the narrator by one his superior in age and position; that Brother Moore came to the rescue and most vigorously defended his fellow apprentice and room-mate, and from that time until Brother Moore's death a most friendly feeling subsisted between them. This little incident would indicate that, even at that early age, Brother Moore was possessed of that love of justice and that sturdy zeal in the defence of right, which prompted him to do such good service in the cause of Masonry when he had arrived at manhood. In my remarks in regard to him at the Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge, on the 10th inst., I related the facts in regard to his official connection with this Body, and I propose at this time to recite the other principal incidents in his Masonic history, gathering them from his Address on the occasion of the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of his membership in St. Andrew's Lodge, and from R.W. Brother John T. Heard's History of Columbian Lodge.

In February, 1822, he applied for initiation in The Massachusetts Lodge, then, as now, standing third in the list of Boston Lodges. He was accepted, and would have been received on the evening of his coming of age, but for business engagements which called him to the State of Maine. With the consent of The Massachusetts Lodge he was admitted in Kennebec Lodge, of Hallowell, in May following, and was raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason on the evening of the 12th of June. He returned to Boston in July, and "on the 10th of October was admitted to membership in St. Andrew's Lodge. 'In 1825,' says Brother Moore, 'I established what was the first Masonic newspaper, not only in Boston, but in the world, — the Masonic Mirror, — in which, to the best of my ability, I fought the battle of Masonry against Anti-Masonry from that year up to 1834, and sustained it subsequently till 1841, in the Masonic Department of another paper. In November of the latter year I started the Freemason's Magazine, as an exclusively Masonic publication, and the only one then in. the world based on that principle.' It was continued without interruption until his death.

"In the year of his admission to St. Andrew's Lodge, 1822, Brother David Parker was its Worshipful Master. 'On the 12th of November of that year,' says Brother Moore, 'at the election of officers, Brother Parker, in making up his appointments, did me the honor to invest me with the jewel of one of the subordinate officers of the Lodge, I having then been a Mason but six months. I look back with a grateful pride upon that appointment as the first step of a long career of official duties; for, from that time to the present, a long half century of Masonic life, I have no recollection of ever having been free from official duties and responsibilities in some one or more of the various divisions or branches of our Institution.' He was elected Master of St. Andrew's Lodge by a unanimous ballot in November, 1832, and re-elected November, 1833, but having, in December following, been elected Recording Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge, he was under the necessity of resigning the office of Master — the two offices being incompatible. He was, however, the same evening, elected Secretary of St. Andrew's Lodge, which place he held for sixteen years, when he resigned.

"In 1826, that remarkable and most groundless persecution, known as the ' Anti-Masonic Excitement,' broke out in' the western part of the State of New York, and speedily spread itself over all the neighboring States. In 1830 and 1831 it raged with unmitigated violence and virulence in Massachusetts. Here, as elsewhere, it was carried into all the relations of social life; the ties of kinship and of friendship were rudely severed; the springs of sympathy were dried up; confidence between man and man was destroyed; the dark demon of persecution ran riot throughout the length and breadth of the land; members of the Masonic Institution were broken up in their business, denied the lawful exercise of their civil franchise, driven with ignominy from all public offices, from the jury-box and from the churches ; subjected to insult, injury and contumely, in their daily walks, hunted down as felons, and only saved at times from personal violence, through the cowardice of their wicked persecutors. It was at this time, and when mercilessly beset and assailed by their infuriate foes, that the Grand Lodge, through the expiration of its lease, was required to vacate the rooms it had occupied for some years previously in one of the public buildings of the city. It determined, therefore, to erect a Masonic edifice of its own. For this purpose it purchased the land on which the old Masonic Temple, on the corner of Temple Place, now stands, and immediately commenced the building. By its Act of Incorporation, granted in 1816, the Grand Lodge was authorized to hold real estate not exceeding the value of twenty thousand dollars, and personal estate not exceeding the value of sixty thousand dollars.' Anticipating no difficulty in obtaining a modification of the charter reversing the proportions named, the Grand Lodge went on with the building, and in March, 1831, petitioned the Legislature accordingly. 'The petition was immediately attacked in violent and abusive language by the Anti-Masonic members of the House, but was finally referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. The committee made their report, at the end of the session, in favor, as was expected, of the petition of the Grand Lodge. After a stormy debate, the report was rejected by a vote of one hundred and twenty-eight in the affirmative, to one hundred and thirty-three in the negative. A motion to reconsider was lost on the following day, and the Grand Lodge was left without its remedy. It had undeniably exceeded its corporate powers, and had thereby endangered its property. Remonstrances and petitions were prepared in great numbers, to be presented to the Legislature in case the Grand Lodge renewed its petition at the session of 1832, as was expected. But in this our enemies were disappointed; no action was taken.

"The year 1833 was one of great anxiety to the Grand Lodge. It had gone on with and completed its new Temple; the Legislature was to reassemble in January; the Grand Lodge had exceeded its corporate powers, and its property was still in danger. The inquisitorial committee, so pertinaciously asked for by its enemies, would then probably be appointed. Before that committee, the leading Masons of the State would, undoubtedly, be summoned; an oath would be proposed which they would not take; questions be put to them which they could not and would not answer. The only alternative was imprisonment! With few exceptions, the leading Masons in the city were prepared for this; others were not. All naturally desired to avoid the issue, if it could be done without dishonor. How was this to be accomplished?

"Councils and extra meetings of the Grand Lodge were held, various propositions were submitted, debated, and rejected. On the 20th of December (eleven days before the assembling of the Legislature), nothing had been decided upon. The committee, appointed at a previous meeting, reported that they had not been able to agree upon any course which they could recommend as free from objection, and they were discharged. Thereupon Brother Moore moved 'that a committee be appointed to consider the expediency of surrendering the Act of Incorporation of the Grand Lodge, and report at the next meeting.

"The members of the Grand Lodge were not disposed to surrender anything. Their temper had been sorely tried, and was now decidedly above fever heat. The resolution was adopted, and the following named Brethren were appointed as the committee: R.W. Brothers Francis J. Oliver, Augustus Peabody, Joseph Baker, John Soley, and Charles W. Moore; all being among the ablest, and the first four among the oldest members of the Grand Lodge. On the 27th of December the committee reported recommending the surrender of the Charter, and the presentation to the Legislature of a Memorial which Brother Moore had prepared. Both the recommendation and the Memorial were adopted by a unanimous vote of the Grand Lodge, without amendment. The memorial was presented to the Legislature by the Hon. Stephen White, of Boston, on the first day of the session. The surrender was accepted. The authority of the Legislature over the Grand Lodge was at an end; the property of the latter was secure, and the Fraternity of the whole Commonwealth could now sit down under 'its own vine and fig-tree,' regardless alike of legislative interference and of Anti-Masonic malice and impertinence.

"In the mean time the Masonic Temple had been conveyed to Brother Robert G. Shaw, an honorable and honored merchant of Boston, who, after the storm had passed, transferred it to Trustees for the benefit of the Grand Lodge. It has been well said that the Declaration of 1831, the Memorial of 1833, — both written by the same hand, — and the triumphant acquittal on a charge of libel, in the same year, of the author of these celebrated documents, were the three blows which killed Anti-Masonry in Massachusetts, and redeemed the Masonic Institution from seven years of obloquy and unparalleled opposition.

"From the History of Columbian Lodge, by R.W. Brother John T. Heard, we gather the principal facts of Brother Moore's Masonic life, as they were obtained from his own lips. In 1825, he was made a Royal Arch Mason in St. Andrew's Chapter, and having filled most of the offices in that Body, he was, in 1840, chosen its High Priest. He was subsequently elected Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter, in which he had previously sustained nearly all of the subordinate offices, including that of Grand Lecturer. He was made a Knight Templar in Boston Encampment in 1S30, and was its Grand Commander in 1837. He was afterwards Grand Commander of the DeMolay Encampment, of Boston. In 1841 he served as Grand Master of the Grand Encampment of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. In 1832 he received the Royal and Select Masters' degrees in Boston Council, over which he presided for ten or twelve years. The Thirty-third Degree of the Scottish Rite was conferred upon him Nov. 13, 1844, and he afterwards served as the Grand Secretary General of the Supreme Council for the Northern Jurisdiction of the U. S. A. He held various offices in the General Grand Encampment of the United States, and was, for a time, its third officer. He was Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Grand Charity Fund for sixteen years, and afterwards of the Board of Trustees of the Masonic Temple. 'In short,' says Brother Heard, 'he has filled nearly every office in a Lodge, Chapter and Encampment, holding each several years. He has rarely failed to occupy less than three or four, and frequently five or six official stations at the same time.

"The funeral obsequies of our deceased Brother, on Tuesday, the sixteenth instant, at Emmanuel Church, in .this city, were attended by a large number of the Fraternity, and were deeply solemn and impressive. The following officers and permanent members of the Grand Lodge were present: —

The following Brethren acted as Pall-Bearers :

"The religious services with the family, at his late residence, 118 West Concord Street, were conducted by R.W. Rev. Charles H. Titus, who had made daily visits at his residence during his sickness. The Burial Service of the Protestant Episcopal Church was conducted at the church by

  • REV. BRO. THOMAS. R. LAMBERT, D.D., rector of St. John's Church, Charlestown, Past Grand Chaplain.
  • R.W. REV. E. M. P. WELLS, D.D., rector of St. Stephen's Church, Boston, Past Deputy Grand Master.
  • REV. BRO. JOSEPH H. CLINCH, Chaplain House of Correction, Past Grand Chaplain.
  • REV. BRO. JOHN T. BURRILL, rector of St. Luke's Church, Chelsea.

"The remains were conveyed to Mount Auburn, and interred in the family lot; the service at the grave being conducted by R.W. Rev. Charles H. Titus. I have caused the marble bust of Bro. Moore, which is placed near the station he so long occupied in the Grand Lodge, to be suitably draped, and the words IN MEMORIAM to be inscribed thereon. The Grand Master informed the Brethren that he had requested R.W. Charles C. Dame, Past Grand Master, to prepare resolutions upon the death of R.W. Brother Moore.

"R.W. Bro. Dame submitted the following RESOLUTIONS UPON THE DEATH OF R.W. CHARLES W. MOORE.

"The committee appointed to prepare resolutions on the death of R.W. Brother Charles W. Moore respectfully submits the following: —

"Whereas, by the death of R.W. Brother Charles W. Moore, this Grand Lodge is called to mourn the loss of one of its venerable and distinguished members, whose labors, for nearly half a century, have been so interwoven with its interests as to have become a prominent part of its history; whose devoted and unswerving attachment to our Institution during his whole life has endeared him to his Brethren ; and whose wisdom and ability have identified him with the Masonic history of the world, therefore,

"Resolved, That while our hearts are filled with sadness at the death of one who has been so long and so successfully associated with this Grand Lodge, we find consolation in contemplating the scenes of his well-spent life, the correctness of his views, the firmness of his purpose, the zeal of his labors, the strength of his attachment, and the wisdom and ability with which he applied himself to the cause of Masonry.

"Resolved, That we hold in grateful remembrance his untiring efforts in upholding the principles of our Order, and in protecting the interests and sustaining the honor and dignity of this Grand Lodge in its days of trial and adversity.

"Resolved, That the purity of his character, the sincerity of his motives, and the course of his whole life make him a bright example of the good citizen, the true man, and the consistent Christian.

"Resolved, That the teachings of our beloved Brother, both by precept and example, will continue as a beacon light to direct the steps of our future course.

CHARLES C. DAME,
Committee.

"The resolutions were adopted by a unanimous vote, and the Grand Secretary was instructed to furnish a copy of the same to the family of our deceased Brother."


Distinguished Brothers