Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1848-08-19
MONTGOMERY III. C0THREN, Esq,
OF MINERAL POINT.


versary of Saint Johns day. A 5 each sue
cessive year rolls around fraaeht with joy
and woe, to the countless millions of earth's
sons, a peculiar class of people are found
assembled together TO commemorate the
4 birthday of their patron saint, and perpet-
uate the mementocs of their existence.
| External circumstances deter them not
| Through all of the worliI's conlmotions and
lchanges-the rise and fail of empires--the
struggles of liberty against the iron hand of
tyranny and oppression, the anniversary OF
/ the masonic birthday of the patron saint
of Free Masonry has been observed. Pre-
JUDGE and tyranny with all their mighty
hosts have not been able to preventit. The
voice of SANDER has failed To accomplish its
object. The shafts of calumny have been
unable to pierce the strong hulwafk of ma
sonic faith, and the thuhderbolts Of denun-
citation hurled at its apparently weak and
ldefenceless head, have fallen far short, Of
their object, and with trembling awe crouch
ed harmless at its feet When the world
t was buried in the darkness Of ignorance;
and superstition brooded DER The minds of
men, and held them chained as ln an iron
vice; when learning confined to the mar
row limits of nlolastic cell or driven to the
shelter of private hooks and caves of the
earth, and liberty with shreaking wall de-
serted mans abode; even then on each Gath
of June little band in the habilinents of
lsingularity clad, aud exposing 10 curious
gaze the mysterious cmbeais OF their order,
Knight have been seen in every part of the
globe where civilization had ever dwelt, with
stealhy step ascending highest hills or seek
ing the security of deepest wales to guard
against the unsleepng malice of ever watch
ful foes, whose ignorance construed each
symbol into magic sigma demoniac emblcul,
and there commingliag their sympathies, cell
ehratar the Birthday of their patron saint
and vowing eterual fidelity 10 the divine pre-
cepts Of brotherly love relief, and truth.
The chosen and peculiar people OF God
whaseser their circumstances and condition;
whether in the full tide Of national prosper
! itIpr as The enslaved bonlsmeii OF the gen
| tiHnations, periodically assemhledio observe
the peculiar ordinances that the Lord God
Of Abraham, had commanded them. EUen
so. Free Masons, since the building Of King
Solomon's temple, at their appointed times
have assembled together IN the observance
of their peculiar ordinances designated to
keep alive the great truths drawn from the
book of nature and Revelation which is the
Masonic Trestle Board.
To the uuinitiated it may be a matter of
curious speculation, to Know why 81. Johns
day is thus celebrated. As this is no secret,
we are free to give the inforination.-
" Lodges in the ancient time were dedicated
TO king Solomon. We have tradition
(which informs us that they were thus ded-
cheated from the building Of the FIRST temple
" al Jerusalem TO the Babylonith captivity,
&c from thence to the coming of the Messiah,
''they were Dedicated to Xerubabbel the bull
" der of the second temple and from that
" time to the final destruction Of the TEN
" pie by Titus in the reign of the Emperor
g Vespasian they were dedicated to saint
=" John the Baptist The tradition goes on
g to say that owing to the many tnassacres
" that attended this memorable event, Free
90 Masonry fell very much into decay. Many
SO of the lodges were entirely broker NJ,
81 and few could met in sufficient numbers
20 to constitute their legality. Under these
+" circumstances a general meeting of craft
g was held in the city of Benjamau where
g il was observed that the principal reason
q for the decline Of Masonry was the want
81 of a Grand Master, to direct affairs. They
/" therefore deputed seven Of their most en-
4" inent men 10 wait. upon ssint John the
g Evangelist who was at that time Bishop
d" of EPhesis to request him to take the Of
lCG vi OIdllts nAuSANts
+" He returned for answer that though well
j" stricken in years (being upwards of ninety
"yet having been in the early part OF bis
% life initiated into Masonry be would take
Z" upon himself that office. He did so and
/" thereby completed ly his learning what
- the other saint John had accomplished by
"his zeal, and thus drew what the old Rec
g ortis term line parallel.
q After his decease the christian lo3acS
:" were dedicated to saint John the Bfpist,
aud saint John the Evangelist they both
g being regarded as eminent christian pat
" rons of free masonry. Since their Time
:" there has heen represented in every rega-
&c lar and represented lodge a certain point
% within a circle embroidered by two per-
50 pendicular parallel lines representing St.
q John the Baptist and 81. John the Evan
90 gelist Upon the yeriex Of the circle rests
81 the book Of Masonic Constitutions.
"The point represents an individual
q brother, the circle the boundary line Of
. his duty. IN going Fonnd the circle " e nee
. essarily touch on the two parallels a. well
q n on he hook Of Constitutions, aud while
g mas0Bs keeps himself circuuscFibed
z within their precepts IL Is impossible that
= be should materially err"
This then * the reason why the anniver-
sary of ST. Johns day j. Observed Iy ma
sons. Ia the consideration which ! have
been able TO give Of the subject before ~,
my time drawu from the Important duties
Of professional engagements, have been
naturally led to regard inasOury in the fol-
lowing order: Isl. The foundation Of Ma
Sonry. end. The supersfruciure Or essen-
iial parts CT Masonry. Sd. Its heme6f-.-
4Jh. The objections that have been raised