The lynx. (Panola, Mi. [i.e. Miss.]) 1845-1845, 1845-07-19
RDR

Of r. 4. Tyler, Esq, deHrered before
| Pamela Lodge U. d. of F. "a. Ma
sons, on the occasion If the celebra-
fion Of the anniversary Of 81. John
the Baptist A. L, 6345.
Brethren of the order, and Ladies
and GenIemen:-We have met, for the
first time in this village, to celebrate
the anniversary Of our patron saint and
| lamented brother, and TO cultivate and
cherish the social ties ard relations
which bind ustoeelher as abrotherhood.
| | shall be excused If do not attempt
an entrance upon the field Of history,
20 trace Masonry from its incipent
steps through all the ter rors of the
- dark ages the reigns Of tyranny and
violence, wars Of determination, bigot-
ry, persecution. and inquistoriaI tor
lures; which, like gold from the ref
ners' furnace, she still survives. A foe
to all tyrannies, her Eden is where the
Goddess of Liberty reigns: and, under
the protection Of the American Eagle,
like the church of Christ, she has no
| foe to face but her own vices. Here
in America, unlike the scenes Of her
ancient his,ory,) warning with no eXter-
minatng Tyrant, and her own men,
bers being sovereign constituents OF the
/ government under which we live, she
may 90 forth dispensing charities and
diffusing blessings upon the face Of the
earth. And ! congratulate you my
brethren, under a sense of becoming
gratitude to the Giver OF all good, that
we, with the brethren Of our order
Throughout this happy land, may this
day, uuder " our own vine and fig tree,
celebrate another anniversary of our
order, and exchange toget her unmoles-
ted the cordial SITUATIONS Of our unaf-
F fected good will. Blessings upon the
, heads of the patriot fathers of our Re-
public.
Having declined review ofthe his
tory Of the order, with which, SO far as
; it can be presented IN a brief address
! like the present, most of you are &C
quainted, will endeavor to show II
some degree what Masonry is. Let j
, be Judged as if it we're thing Of &c
/ day, and stand or fall by its present
merits. THAI it has stood for centuries
may we'll be adduced in evidence Of ii:
= past usefulness. Yet, lift be now found
: to have departed from the guieless pu
5 rity OF its original, so far as 1t ha
done so. let it be condemned.
hesitate not TO appear as It's advo
q cate; for, before God, if there is a faul
S in Masonry Of which any but Mason
r have right TO complain, ] am as ye
y ignorant of its existence. | will in tn
: first place notice some charges which
! are alleged as such.
Secrecy. Does it follow, ladies AM
( gentlemen. because il is a secret lnstitu
IS ton, that it is therefore bad one? :
= Innocence as well as vice is the sublec
- Of concealment. Could our liberty from
lie the yoke Of Britain have been achieved
4, if every plan of our Washington ha'
/ been osed TO the inspection of Brit
~ ish myrmidons2 Is there a man j
= the world, of common prudence, VII
is would be willing to lay bare to the pull
n lie gaze in all its details, every homes
Is scheme Of business be had laid out, an
s. every honest intention Of his bosom?-
.. -osd 10. 6l9!oos Q 10 'uonuu eIaVl s
pIe, or an individual, on the face ofth
be whole earth, having no honest secr'
to keep? Let the nation, the soclet
and the individual acting upon III
presumption, expose every thing, an
We they will become, like the greenest I
. worms, prey to the vultures OF the
= kind ;knaves and hypocrites and william
Z. will eat up their substance, and the
laugh at their imbeciiity. We live
a world in which we must have SEM
rs nels against fraud, traps for the vii
rangs for the serpent, and ready arm'
= AGAINST the brave Of our enemies. 4
:nstitution. not of Divine original, viii
u IS not thus provided with defensive