Holly Springs gazette., 1843-06-30

ii or religious as but dust IN the balance
against his own personal ggrandizement,
and this is. that it is a secret society, and that
secret associations are dangerous, as posses
sing the power to do much HARM BY form
ing political combinations, subversive OF the
we'll being of society. &c. But ;his, as
said before. is an objection mostly raised BY
aspiring demagogues. who. not possessing
the necessary qualifications to rise to distinc-
ton by their own talents, seek to rise upon
the downfall of some meritorious person, or
institution. that they can render obnoxious
to popular prejudice. Such, in this our day
and time. has become the surest and most
speedy road TO preferment But let Us, for
a moment, examine this objection calmly and
dispassionately Il is a fact we'll known to
all who hear me, that ever since the day
that Adam eat of the fruit of the tree Of
knowledge. both good end evil. that the pow
er 10 do good necessarily embraces CORES
pondent power to do evil and that there is
but one way in which it may be put out of
the power uf any man or assoc iation of men
to do harm, and that is. to deprive him or
them of the power of acting AT all, either for
power 10 do good, and they have in that
investment the power to pervert ii to the pur-
poses of evil. The same objection therefore
applies as we'll to churches, and all manner
or associations, as to masonry. And fur
thermore, masonry inculcates upon its mem
bers, and expressly charges them. that they
should be peaceable subjects, and cheerfuly
conform to the laws of the country in which
THEY reside; it exac;s from them a promise,
not to be concerned in plots or conspiracies
against government but patiently to submit
10 the decisions of the supreme legislature
requires them 10 pay a proper respect to
the civil magistrates. to work diligently, live
creditably, and act honorabiy by. all men.
These are not the precepts that would be
taught by men who wished to subvert the
government oftheir country. But if all this is
is not sufficient and convincing proof that.his
objection does not apply to masonry, he peo-
pie of these United States have still fulther
and stronger proofs of the fact Let them
look at that gallant band of ifly-six, who
signed the Declaration of our Independence.
and pledged'to each other their lives, their
fortunes. and their sacred honor, to stand or
fall by it, and they will find that fifty two out
of the fiftysix were united together by tn
masonic band of brotnerly love and friend
ship. Let them look again at the command
ing officers of our revolutionary armies, tha.
band OF patriots and brothers. who led our
countrymen to victory and liberty, and they
will find that all were masons, with tut ore
single exception. Need | say to any broth
er here, that the exception was the traitor
Arnold. Has not voice already whisper.
ed in the breast of every mason, that the man
who could betray his country and her brave
defenders, in the hour oftheir greatest need
could never have been taught the beautiful
lessonsAf fidelity, ofnuth, of fortitude of lus
tIce, and OF brotherly love, which are ncul-
| Gated In every Lodge, and which are so
deeply seated in the breast of every true ma.
son.
| But to you, my brethren, who are bound
together by the Masonic tie of Brotherly
love and friendship, this is an occasion oil
deep and abiding interest; it is endeared to
US my brethren, by the bright example pre-
sented by the life and character ofthe patron
Saint whose festival we commemorate we
greet each other here as kindred, as friends
as brothers; the mystic symbols by which
we are surrounded are speaking pictures, OF
the tie that binds, and the morality that sus-
talns Us, for ours is truly moral institution,
| not the morality ofman, but the morality. OF
God himself for there in that holy Bible.
book. which is the guide of every worthy
Mason. is inculcated the purest and most
comprehensive system of morality and il
is on the principles of the Bible that we
found our moral code. believing them So +.
cienf tor the whole intelligent creation. tha,
they are calculated to unite the creature 10