Arkansas democratic banner., 1851-07-01
LITTLE ROCK, TUESDAY MORNING,

Sollu tock: ana thefe II mas Stood TOT centuries, pouring its steady light upon the waters, and shin ing most brightly when the storms roaTed Ioudest, when the heavens frowued most darkly over #, when the surf thundered hardest many a yard far up it's aged sides.
 F las been like great spring in desert land, shading with is palm trees the weary and bewll- dered pilgrim, and offering to his lips the clear, cool, sparkling water that rains continually over it's brim upon tue green and sparkling swarl below. The rude Bedouin drinks, and passes on hts way without word or thought of thankfulness: and so too many drink of the bright waters. yelling from the pure spring of Masonry, and go on their way with as little profit and as little gratitude as the wild hunter of the wilderness who sets for ward again from the oasis with new vigor for plumber, and new appetite for spoil.
 No my brothers there is no danger from with out Our banners wave in every part of the ba- btable globc--our language is spoken by brothers of hundred different tongues. The danger, if there be any, is from within; where, beyond all doubt, danger increases in proportion to the in . crease of members. For no order can wholly change mans nature, or extrpate selfshness and ambition; and no obligation or pledge can be in- ventFd, strong enough to insure an entire com pliance with it's terms, a perfect perform ance of duty. Men will join any order, to sub serve their private ends, ef interest or ambi- ton. When aay society increases with rapidity, forms and ceremonies come to be looked upon as essentials, and principles sink into a state of minor consideration.
 Nothing, therefore, can be more important than the frequent and emphatic medication of those principles: for they the life and soul of Mason "; and whenever it shall unfortunately come to be the case that they forgotton or fallen into habitnal neglect the Order will cease to be of any real value It will strand like shattered and leaky vessel upon an inhosptable shore. and its tmbers will remain there, blackening in the sun and spray to astonsh future generations like the bones of some huge ante -diIuvian monster of the great deep.
 Man is creature of anomalies and contradic- tons. Claiming and expecting the good oplhlon of all for himself, he entertains entirely good opinion of hardly any other human creature. ln- sisting upon perfect respect for his own opinions, and exacting the entire toleration for his own faith, however absurd it may be, nay claiming de- ference to even his crudest notions, he has ly an idea of being tolerant towards others. Ex- tremely charitable in his construction of his own conduct, and always ready to palliate and excuse all of his own acts, to his own entire satisfaction, seldom troubles himself to assign good motive for the act of hiS brother.
 It IS useless to imagine that Masonry can extir- pate all man mental and moral maladies but to effect some good in that particular is it's first apd highest aim. It inculcates in their broadest and most extensive meaning the great duties Of ehari- ty tnletN:ion and truth, the two first of which are in their highest sense synonimous.
 Alas why must We continually jos;le and quar- rel with others, as We swim along the disturbed current of the stream of life If the omnipot- ent Creator that made our neghbor still tolerates his msbelef or unbelief still allows him to live notwithstanding the of hs opinions, why can not we do the like Why foster spirit of intol- erance that IS the fruitful source md sprng from which flow private feuds and personal quarrels T By the axe and the rope, by the thumb screw and the iron boot 1t is not to be believed that any man was ever yet really convinced. Why slay or even prosecute each otherl Is not this life short en- ough for us Do we not every moment of our hyes. see Death, aggard face teownins grlmly at us out of the darkness Is il no, here among us now. like sn ndistiact but awful visage, that in dream glares upon us out of some dark old paint ing Do we not stand shivering on a narrow point of solid rock, mere speck scarce large en- ough for foothoid, and where our feet are always slipping, while before and behind and on elther hand. dark. wild, tenpestuous, dash and roa. the aF tha R.,t .ha
 Every thing around us should teach us humili- ty. Around Us, above us. beneath us stretches out into ilmitable space this mighty universe, to dis tances infinitely too vast for human comHehen- sion, and evermore this infnitude of suns la hundred millions visible to us by the aid of the telescope each circled with its retinue of worlds like ourS, whirlS and flashes round the Throne of God no one interfering with the other, each keep. ing hls appointed place in most magnificent har- mony it teaches in majestic accents that great lesson of Humility, and incuicates charity even for the errors and crmes of our Brothers, and tol- eration of theE faith and opinions.
 Let us therefore entertain modest aud humble thoughts dLstrust ouT own conclusions, and admit thateveIy man IS accountable for his opinions not 10 us, nor to any other man or body of men, but solely to that Supreme 0mnipotent Intelligence that holds us all n the hollow of his hand.
 That Masonry inculcates also, for within the body of Lodge all oonsciences are free; and there no Pharsee says to the Publican, stand by. for am holier than thou ?
 Surely he is by far the wiser man who lives in peace with his fellows, drinks in wisdom from the contemplation of Nature, and extracts happiness from every thing around hum. For hun the stars shine with clearer radiance, the earth wears a greener and a brighter gar1eniiRg of leaf and flower. His days glide away like the soft still wa teg Of a brook, and after life of eonten, and calm enjoyment his exchequer rich with the gold aud jewels of charitable deeds and kindly thoughts and synpa,hies, he lays his head eontensedly down