Arkansas democratic banner., 1851-07-01


 moving the clouds witA her mighty xinss;-like a great battle ship, with her tall and taper ing spars psied to the topmost truck with snowy canvass, deep-fteIghted wIih iRealculahle wealth, she will career onward over times blue waters, defiant of stroH and tempest and riding the naughty waves as if she ruled them with the right fnl dominion of monarch. Like line -oF- battle ship--her guns, tier above tier, doubge.shotted with the missiles, wherewth she will wage victo- nous war upon ignorance, bigoiry, intolerance and vice, she will go forth qaering and to conoucr nor shall rock reefg nor iee-sbore with it's srar iie efags conclude her prosperous voyage with dis astroas wreck and ignominious calamity
 My Brothers, as we approach nearer and nearer towards the end of thts toilsome and weary piigri mage of hfe,-and when almost ali that is now or has heretofore been the future and the present shall have become the past, the next thing and nearest nesghbor to dream the nature of our estates and possessions will greatly have changed Anticipation ls the nuest wealth of the young: recollection, almost the only riches of the old: strangely mingled possession, in which the sad and bitter largely predominafe. As we approach the dark valley of the shadow of death and it's frowning cliffs and hoErd rayines cast cold gloom upon our souls so much Of our past pleasures and enjoyments shall have consisted in the indul- genee of our vices and our passions or of our ap. tites and our selfshnesS, will cease to be of inc slightest real valHe and as to them we shall be posr with the veTieSt poverty. But we shall elm with delight 10 the remembrance Of the good sn tions we have performed, of the disreSSes we have relieved, of the miSfoFiunes we have Softened and assnaged, of the seeds of remote benefits to the present and to future generations which we have planted, as our ruest, and almost our only wealth. The time will come to the humblest and poorest of us, when the recollection of the little he has haxan hfsad fr ,Eas,fx t1f [ ton, will be dearer 10 him than that of all the mere animal pleasures of his whole past Nfe.- Nothing makes us so truly happy as a good opin- ion of ourselves; and he IS entitled to be proud of himself who has foregone some luxury or enjoy meut, given up some pleasure. stinted himself of comfort, 10 do good to those whose thanks and gratitude wilt never make music in his ear, but be spoken, if at all, long after hs bones have moul- dered t0 dust in the grave.
 The immortal Gods
 Accept the meaneSt altsrS, that are ras'd
 By pure devotlons, and sometimes prefer
 An ounce of frankIncence, honey or milk,
 Before whole hecaiombs, or Sabaean gumS
 Offered in ostentaton.
 II evil exists within the circle of our Fraternity let us manfully admit H. and set ourselves speedily to work to apply the remedy. Truth requires the one, and justice the otheT For
 "Selfreverence, self knowledge, self-control These three alone lead up to sovereign bower
 
 Would come unealPd for), but to live by law, Acting the law we live by without fear,
 And because right is right, to follow right,
 Were wisdom, in the scorn of consequencea
 If there be in our Brotherhood Ian unworthy member, there is no higher duty than to cut him speedily of for mercy to such an one is cruelty to the Order, and high offence against our funda- mental laws.
 Especially should we be careful with what ma n. ner of men we fill our important offices and lofty stations To set small statues upon great pedes- tals only dwarfs them the more. In Masonry, more, if possible, than in government, shams are bitter curse, fostering ulcers upon the body poll tc, to be extlrpated, if need be, th steel and fire ErGruSt those only with authority who are true and upright; invest these only with honorS who are honest, sincere and genuine. This IS the true secret ofat government. When such men rule, the people rejoice.
 In these and all similar matters, our law exacts from us a stern observance of duty. If we do not obey it's mandates, shall be eteFnaliy Tn treaty with ineompetency and wrong doing; possessed only of what great statesman terms |" that half. virtue, which, like that ambiguous animal that flies about in the twilight of compromise be- tween day and night, IS to just mans eye a, most odious and disgusting thing"
 Let us never faint in we'll doing; for as a great thinker has said, q though fierce tfavaiIS, though wide seas and roaring guls lie before uS IS Il pot something of load-star, Tn the eternal sky, do once more uiSctOSc ltseAi, an everlasting light. shining through all cloud tempestS and warrinp pillows even as we emerge from the trough of the sea; the blessed beacon far off on the edge of the horizon, tow ards which we are to steer incessantly for life1'
 Such great light and burning beacon IS there in the inmost heart of Masonry, to which by con stant exettlea and earnest endeavor we may hone finally to attan and by its aid it's calm and steady radiance pnuring down upon the dark and heav- ing waters, safely navigate frai vessel over the sounding seas of life.
 Let us not be discouraged my Brothers, because each of us can do so little, and sees little viS ble return fer his IaboFS and his en9eaYors,
 Let us always remember that both tn the physl- cal and in the moral world that only which Is po- tent for evil effected of sudden, by some great and mighty effort Of man or nature, not preceded by long continued ton and earnest and patient la bo,, not caused by many thousand minute circum. stances, stretching like the naumeEabie roots of a gigantic tree, far into the remote and dim soil of the past
 The earthquake that shakes down cities and en- tombs villages throughout the whole extent of q continent; the volcano that fings up mountains from the level plain, aud islands from the deep feor of the sea, and with its floods of fiery lava, and its hail and rain of cks and ashes ob!iterates cities bures them out of mans sight, to be dis inteTed after many ages, and theneeiorward for 10 be wonders 10 all mankind; the great storms that vex the ocean to madness and make he great monsters of the trenlble with fear far down in her mysterious depths at the thanderags Of the tre- mehdoas waves; the irresistible tornado that sw eaps pown the kingly forests as though they were slea- der rashes that had bent and shiSeTed iu every little breeze and levels m an instant the sta,eliasi works of human art; fhe great conrnosions and revolutions that burst foun of a sudden a the midst of mad aud tIenzled nations. thfustlng up inc primitive granite of the masses through the upper strata of Tank and ariStoefaey; that sweep over The earth like foods of fire. and destroy aad devas- tate wherever the shadows of tAen banners fall nIEn the green earth; these and all similar phelom- eta are potent for evil only and mol for good
 For many long year those skilful and patient woSkmen. our ancient Brethren, wrought sn the forests and auafries, and wiihin the xalls es ths Holy city to erect the great Temple, for the pleas. aSe of our ancient Grand Master, and the glory o God. Blow after hicw of the axe, siiI they could