American watchman and Delaware advertiser., 1825-09-27
WILMINGTON, Del TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 81. 1925

ourtn OF july Oration,--all Of which are of first
quality, and are getting scarce in the market.
There is festival which happens annually on The
twenty fourth Of June--hardy known by some per
sons, and by others kept with religious exactness-
which this year attracted less than usual attention.
probably, IN consequence OF its falling about mid
way, as TO time, between those two prominent and
memorable points, the seventeenth OF June, and the
fourth of July--the eclat and the brllliancy of the
former having hardly faded from the eye before the
note OF preparation for the other sounded on the ear
Notwithstanding all this, the festival Of ST. John the
Baptist did not pass of unlonored and unsung but
the brethren OF the "mystc tie, in various parts Of
our country, prepared and executed due honors to
their patron saint. OF the dscourses delivered on
this occasion little has been said, and probably but
lew have been promulgated from the press. We
are indebted to friend at New London, for copy
OF one which was delivered in that city, before the
fraternity oil Union Lodge, by Brother William +.
bralnard. We have read it with pleasure. 1t is
The work of genius, and although on subject not
quite SO popular as the Bunker Hill Monument, nor
so noisy as the anniversary Of Independence nor hall
SO silly and sickening to men Of sense and UNDER
standing as the Ancient and Honorable Artillery
Electlon," IS worthy OF place in The same volume
with the discourse OF rockingham the address OF
Webster, and the sermon and oralion of the
Spragues. The style of Mr.. Branard is modest
and his sentiment unobtrusivc. His address is not
(as the manner of some Isl disgustingy fattering
to the craft and nauseatng the uninitiaet. With
out more preliminary ado we offer to readers,
copious extract recommending 1t to the perusal OF
those without, as well as those within, the veil.
"Some tell Of the antiquity Of masonry and ON
occasions like this, they insist upon it with zeal
that implies the point TO be essenal-thus they say
that Enoch was mason, and Noah was mason
and Moses was mason and that Solomon was a
mason, some insist on as matter OF faith absolute
ly indispensable.
Whether these things are so, is of no importance
whatever. A mere historical fact, unconnected with
the evidences OF the christian religion is seldom OF
much consequence, and the date OF such fact is COM
monty of still less Who cares for instance, wheth-
er Alexander the Great was real or fictitious
character: what cares the inhabant of this coun.
try, whether il was discovered by Columbus or Yes
putius and whether that discovery was in 1890, or
1899. He knows that there is such a place as
America and that he lives in it What cares the
sailor his stormy travels. who first found out the
magnetism of the needle it neither lulls the winds
nor shortens the voyage. So whether Moses was
a mason, or Pythagoras even, is now of as little
moment TO determine, as whether they were made
in the same Egyptian Lodge; or whether The Mag
icians of Egypt used the same forms when they
made them, that we do These idle in
quiries have been often mistaken for the essen
tials of masonry, that many sensible men without
the Lodge have taken a prejudice against it, from
their incredulity on the subject; forgetting that
they talk about trif1e. For if the institution be
bad, it cannot be canonized by Solomon in all his
glory.
What is Missionary now !: 1t is extensive. 1t is
disseminated generally through Europe, through
North and South America, in the West and East
Indies, and in Asia elsewhere, and in some parts Of
Africa. 1t comprises Christians, Jews, Turks,
Greeks, Arabians and others. You find the mason
on the deep, and in the desert, on the deck of the
ship, and on the back of the camel, and making
himself known notwithstanding every diversity OF
tongue you find him OF every opposite and con-
tending faith Of religions endeavoring make
converts Of one another; owing allegiance TO every
different form of government under heaven, and
scattered through these governments from him
/" that sitteth on the throne, to him that grndrth
behind the mill.'' Yet such is the nature of Ma
sonry, that all these differences of government Ian
guage religion, form no impedimen to its progress,
and it may become universal Notwithstanding them
all for all Lodges are one /; the object in them is
not only the same, but it is one and masons may
differ, and unfortunately do differ, on all subjects
but one.
What is Masonry now 1t is powerful. II com.
prises men Of rank, wealth, office and TALENT in pow
er, and of power, and that in almost every place
where power is OF importance: and II comprises,
among the other classes of the community, to the
lowest in large numbers, active men, united togeth
and capable of being directed by the efforts Of
Others so as to have the force Of concert through
the civilized world They are distributed too
with the means Of knowing another, and the
means of cooperating in the desk, in the legsla-
tive hall, on the bench, in every gathering OF men
Of business, in every party OF pleasure, in every
enterprise of government, in every domestic circle,
in peace and in war; among enemies and friends, in
one place as well another.
AcI hn pIerst T Tp,ea pirit1u tp
state that masonry has only one object. 1t leaves
out all others, however good because if it tried to
accomplish them it would Iai in the attempt for
want Of raeana and il .uonld destrnu the