Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1843-07-29

~ '"@ AfS " BFf' VIZ WI
l.. iy lips~sneyer spake man like this ma
So we may appeal to our history in
I'd ages, for ample refntatio Of the talutnr
n pointed at ts. That there are immor
n pefsBns invested with our regalia, We a
}. init that their immortality In the result
Y masonry, we deny that II is in spite
masonry, we affirm. II this charge n
lodged by a body Of men7 | say, srrui
3 nize your own number well, and If yon {
| not find a vulnerable point In your ow
Y defehres. then put Your artillery at our
3 but If by an individual, | cay let him TIM
i ia without sin cast the first stone. IF 20
are without sin, a sinner pure in mora III,
n lamb without Flemish, you viii not,
| YOU possess all The brains without the get
. tleasss Of the lamb you cannot. yon dar,
not. Let it not he forgotten TINT high |
tho catalogue Of spirits atafshalled in de
fence Of American ireedem was the nal m
IF Benedict Arnold. and that Of all IN
general officers Of tho revolutionary army
Benedict Arnold. alone was not a mason
and Followers, have | not CHOSEN lively,
and one Of you is n devil" We are n
good as others, and If others feyila us W,
are better than they. For the comparison
of our characters with that Of our ~feyiIers
for all that Is high In sentiment and up
right in principle and in %aetinn, summon
the most august tribunal in earth Or hen
ven, we viii abide the arbitration. n
still further and assert, that there IL not d
n1hn amongst us whose meanest thought
il not patriotism, honor, virtue, compared
with the Ioftlest aspiration Of our ~revilsr.
who stigfnaiize us. "Ne'er yet did base
dlshonor BLUR otr nHtnes." Taking ground
upon the immutable basis Of truth, and
tho eternal principles Of our order, In the
face Of heaven and Of day We stund erect.
lofty, pra.etnineut.
They cay " that we take mn oa.h 10
Keep a secret !" this form Of objsciing in.
wolves a two fold exception, TO The unlh
and to the secret. Now. alphabetically
and for arguments sake, | will admit that
we do take an oath TO keep n secret. And
is 1t morally wrong TO take An oath 7 WHY
then do courts of Justice fettor the con.
sciences Of Jurors and witnesses with
onths Why does Jehovah bind himself
with an oath 1-="Asl live, smith the Lord, |
have no pleasure In The death of sinner"
Why did not God The Son except to that
most solemn oath administered to him by
the high. priesi, ~ adlnrc theeb by The living
God that thou tell liz whether thou art the
Christ" As n mason, fhave never bound
my conscience with n stranger oath than
that left on record by st. Paul. " say the
truth in Christ, | lie not" Well If II be
not wrong to take an oath, il il wrehg ie
take m onth TO keep n secret not unless
it be wrong TO keep n secret for an onih
being in Itself lawful does moi Institute any
action 10 The performance of which it binds
" man isi il then wrong to keep n secret7
and this simple statement Of The question
suggests an answer in the negative , you
all have your secrets. God has his--in that
earne Hour Jesus lifted up his volee and snid.
" thahk thee that thou has concealed
these things from the wise and prudent
and hast revealed thein 10 babes" But
you say. why conceal from mankind TINT
which Ia promotive Of their happiness
What said he who speaks ~ never man
spake-" Give not that which il holy TO
the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls be.
fore swine" Secure in the possession of
our secrets. I'VE claim the right to judge Of
The qualifications Of those who would
sItare them with us, and whilst we exclude
from participating in the honors and
advantages Of masonry who IRE worthy,
ueititsr brlbes nor threais--no considera-
ton WtHteset cnf, induce us 10 admit
those who DIRE not. But if you MEM TO ns.
sert that nothing which IL a mystery is nj
the same time beneficial, or if you mean
to occupy the still moro indefensible ground
TINT II IL I%turtlfl. | take issue with
you directly en- the fact and the principle.
You are n mystery and II secret to your.
self, do you object 10 YOURSELF And in
matters affecting your highest interests the
snnte fact prova,Is--blot out the name Of
Christ from the ecoD omy of human re-
dsmption, and yon leave not another loop
in The universe for men 10 hang a hope
upon--and shy 7 HecHrse human netes.
silies demand The heart Of H man ard n
brother to feel, and the arm Of God to
IN We because they demand rs Conditions
Of a sufficient Savior, n God manifest in
the flesh , yet the manner in which divi.
nifty and Humanity concur in Christ, is n
mystery, Il profound secret. Your objec.
ton is stripped Of its force, for in matters
affecting your temporal interest you reap
the benefit of principles with ut penetra-
ting their mystery.
They say that masonry lends stscIf 10
promote some political ends. and to defeat
others. But where Is the proof If any
exist, let il be produced. Tho charge not
only is not, but there is also an impossible
lily that it should be true. Assuming tho
FeIiciana Lodge, ndH in attendance, as a
fair specimen Of masonry, and what is the
fact I why that its members are divide1
perhaps equally divided, on The exciting
political topics of the day--"that toss the
private state, and render life uusweet."
Here are counteracting forces, and "a
house divided against itself must fall"
Had masonry dabbled in politics, il had
long since dissolved in it's " weakness.
But il has seen parties formed and broken,
IT has seen the prolldest names consigned
TO ~contsmptuous oblivion, and it has come
down lettering under its load Of honors,
and still possesses undying vlgor TO gather
new trophies. 1t has nobler functions to
perform than the establishment OF -destruc-
ton Of political dvnasties. From the
quarry of mankind it has to cut, and hev,
and smooth the living stones Of spiritual
temple, an everlasting fabric, destined to
endure " when marble mouiders and when
records fail.H BIT although masonry has