Early History Of Freemasonry In America.

EARLY HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY IN AMERICA .

By BKO . JACOB NOKTOX . [ We publish the following paper from Bro . Jacob Norton , on the principle that , we open our pages to all bona tide Masonic communications . Wc do not presume to express any opinion as to the matter in disputeand shall be truly glad to receive any

com-, munication on the subject Avhich our able Bro . C . MacCalla may think Avell to send us - premising that , the " Magazine " is not intended to be the medium of personal controversy . We feel , moreover , that Bro . MacCalla is ivell able to take care of himself . EDITOR . ]

The subject at the head of this paper , is interesting not onl ) to American Masons Avho are desirous of seeing errors confuted , and of learning truth , hut also to Masonic students on your side of the Atlantic . It has been

my fate to stir up many questions , and to bring into doubt many points , which had hitherto been received as unquestionable facts . The investigation has in a measure been forced upon me . In 1869 , I ' . G . M . Dr . Window lewis

offered me for inspection a box of old MSS . When I pleaded want of time to examine them , Bro . Lewis said ' . " Take them and keep them as long as you like . I know you will get something out of them . " AA'hen I showed some oH those MSS . to Bro . Gardner , then G . M . of Massachusetts , and asked

him at the same time to permit me to examine the original record of 1733 , for I had then seen only a transcript of the book , Bro . G . ordered the then G . S . to fetch the old record from the late Bro . C . W . Moore ' s house ( in whose custody

it Avas kept ) to the Masonic Temple , giving me at the same time full permission to use it , without any restriction about publishing whatever I might please . During the investigation of that intricate subject , I confess that I

have sometimes drawn erroneous inferences . But 3 m . Gardner will hear me out , that whenever I discovered such an error , I made the fact known to him at once . And although I have freely criticised Bro . Gardner ' s writings , and pointed out his errors , yet Ave have never ceased to be friendly to this day ,

The same degree of respect and kindness has also invariably been shown to me by Bro . Gardner ' s successor , Bro . S . D Nickerson , the present G . M ., and also by Bro . Titus , the G . S . Neither of these gentlemen have ever refused any facility

it was in their power to afford me . Several articles of mine upon the subject appeared in the Freemason , the American Freemason , and the last , viz ., " Origin of Freemasonry in Nova Scotia , " appeared in the October No . of this Journal . But , nevertheless , there are still some American writers who not

only continue to repeat the old story Avithout any if , or but , but will still indulge in making additions to Masonic history , which cannot be supported even by a shadow of tradition . In the January No . of the Masonic

Magadnc , page 210 , Bro . MacCalla , of Philadelphia , furnished an article headed , " Statistical Account of Freemasonry in America , " in which he said , " I propose to give in the present brief article a hurried , yet accuiate account

of the origin , progress , and present position of Freemasonry in the U . S . of America . Tradition and imagination will be carefully disregarded , and facts only will be cited . The time has gone by when intelligent Craftsmen will receive any statement as true merely

because it Hatters their pride . The truth has come to be considered the highest praise . " After such frank acknowledgment of the past errors of our professional Masonic writers , and such a promise

not to do the like again , I was led fully to expect something faultless from the pen of our American brother . The very next paragraph following the above , which 1 shall here analyze and comment upon , shows , however , that

our brother litis not succeeded in entirely emancipating himself from the old Masonic fashion of adding to Masonic history from imagination . And IIOAV for the paragraph . Bro . MacCalla says : — 1 st . "The city of Boston , Massachusetts , is the mother ot Masonry iu