Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1821-07-03
Brothers,

BROTHERS,
In the infancy of society, when man
was but removed by an impercepuble
distance from the brute creation, the ties
of love, friendship and brotherly affection
were only known by the instinct which
nature had implanted in our breasts /;
which similar to the instinct, of the then
associate Of man---the beast of the forest,
served bat as feeble chain to unite
man to man. The maternal affection of
the mother protected the life of the ten
der infant, and the rude valor of the
father set examples of heroism before its
eyes, which it endeavored to initiate
During these long periods of mental
darkness, the noblest work OF Deity--the
mind---in latent state, lay buried in the
dark chaos of brutality. But this order
of things was not to remain--it was con-
trary to the end for which the Almighty
mind had formed the universe-and the
dormant spark Of intellect, like the hid
den fires which convulse the earth, was
doomed one day to break forth--not with
the horrors of volcano but with the
bright radience of reason. Natures no.
blest work found itself no longer bound
down to the instinct which it possessed
in common with other anlmals--tie wide
fields Of reason, fancy and science lay
open to its view and its researches But
its progress therein was slow and impeF-
eptibe.-Man could not at once arise
from the brute to the philosopher. The
human mind, like the eye Of the prison
er, who has long been confined to the
solitary cells Of a dungeon, is not soon
capable Of enjoying the meridian light
OF day. By gradual steps he became
wise, and cultivated those powers OF the
mind, which before lay pent up in ig-
norance.
1t seems natural that architecture
should be the primary study of men
emerging from a state of barbarism to
that of civilization; yet rude huts and
tents were the first essays of their art.
AS other arts arose, and science sprang
up among them, desire for larger habi-
tations became municipalities and
great men wished to perpetuate their
names, by the size Of their palaces; and
kings environed their tombs with lofty
pyramids, that the name of the builder
might outlive the memory OF man. In
those comparatively dark ages, when the
knowledge of letters were unknown, the
| ambition ofrulers, as at present, prompt
ed them to strive for an immortal name
and no better way presented itself OF Ell
fecting their object, than by the size and
durability Of their monumcnts--an OBJ
ect which is now so easily accomplish,
ed, by means of the press and the pen.
In those ages, the operative mason
claimed the first honor, and the first
place among artists. Through him, the
rough stones of the quarry were polish.
ed on the face of the stately dome
through him, the monarch transmitted
his name to posterity, and through him,
a shelter was erected for the weary ira.
weller. Is it surprising then, that this
useful art should be typeied, and ap.
piled to our morals that beautiful and
permanent science should arise there.
from, which has withstood the wreck O
empires, and the power Of despots--
which the wizard wand OF fanaticism
has not been able to delace, nor the
brutal hand of ignorance, clothed witt
power, to crush.
Although operative masonry was car
ried to rude eminence in Egypt and a
Babylon, it was at the temple IN Jeru
J salem that it received the finishing ham
Of beauty.-There it was spiritualized
} and the mysterious secrets of the Graf
implanted in the bosoms of those VIII
were thought worthy the order.-An
to the credit of the members be it spoken
that these secrets could never be elicite
! from them, by force or persuasion. Z
= mason, be he whom he may, cherishe