Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1854-06-27

OF the Assembled Craft of st. Paul, the pleasing
duty of bidding you welcome to our city has been
assigned to me.
Did possess the powers of speech commensu-
rate with the occasion, the ability to convey to
you the kindly greeting, the hearty welcome.
which will be extended to you by the Order here,
| should pronounce this welcome in tones and
sentences, that would fall upon your ears as
grateful
That told the Indian Isles were nigh
VIII n tas land Winds, IF m woods of palm,
And orange groves, and fields Of balm,
Blew oer the Haytian seas"
e. welcome as the hand
or Brother in a foreign land.'
But do not, and for aught that may be of in
terest in this reception, you Will be indebted to
the occasion, not to mean occasion that has
drawn hither this goodly multitude.
If this reception shall be less imposing than
that extended by our gifted Brother, to Balkis of
Sheba, at Jerusalem, we claim not to have been
surpassed by Solomon himself, in the sincerity Of
our Offering.
While in discharge Of the duty assigned me,
instead of speaking for Masonry, shall endeavor
the genius and vitality of our order, and the kind
indulgence of the craft. Be unto me like rs
Aaron and Hur unto Moses, upon the plains of
Rephidium, while contending against heather
hosts for the promise land.
g Stay up mine hand from the rising, even to
INC Tollg uOWQ OIL the sun. Lnat Israel AMI not
Amalek prevail.''
Brothers-Guests-In the name and on behalf
Of tae Fraternity Of st. Paul, IBID you WELCOME;
You are welcome to beautiful Territory, its
plains, its groves, its cascades to our rising city,
our homes, our aitars and our fires.
Right glad should be, here to stop and mngle
with my fellows, at the close of this greetine-
But further duty has been assigned me- am
charged to speak somewhat of the Order, and Of
our Patron Saint, whose nativity we now COM
memoratc; the day is far spent, this admonishes
b.evity.
To speak Of the life, character end services of
st. John, the Baptist, to those reared under the
{" droppngs of the sanctuary to this audience,
were time i'll spent. Equally unfortunate would
be an attempt to illustrate his Masonic life and
service, they are familiar to every well informed
Mason.
AS his ministratiOns upon the altar of God,
We're f.rvcnt, faithful, and fearless, equally so,
were they upon the affairs of Free Masonry; he
was cev bed member of our Order.
The craft in Minnesota, is vet in its infancy.
we have had but the second Grand Conyoeation in
its history, yet behold for it bright FUTURE
1t is not five years since a little band of us met
for the first time, to commune together, in Min
nesota, at the 'Old School House, which now
stan Is a rc!ict OF the past, under the shadow of
the lst Presbyterian Church. Of that banl of
Brothers, behold three present this occasion
to bear ME witness.
Young as is our organization here, | behold
grey heads in this assembly; we are admonished
of our approaching dissolution, of the tine when
these jewels must pass to other hans, in whc',
may the spirit of Moses be tran smitted to Joshua.
We shall soon be gathered to our fathers, soon
it may be said of us by the wandercr in some
Golcoth:-
"These skulls what ghasy figures now
So loahsonls eyes.
So beauteous and SO wisc.'
Il -, e n
L.k. the Leaves Of we y NJ ,rvrn;
And oshei leaves hit their green heals on high"
With man all is change, yet the principles of
our Order eternal,
"The hand that made them is dviac"
Masonry knows no Mason AMI Diron's Line.
She speaks an universal language, amid tropical
sands polar SHOWS. Whether telling cedars
upon the cloud capt summit of Mount Libanus,
the forest pine where its form is mirrored back
from the crystal sources Of the Sc great father of
foods casting the brazcn sea in the plains of
Jordan bearing civilization and the arts from
the summit of Mount Caucasus to the crags and
cliffs of cd Caledonia, from the '' Eternal City,
to the banks Of the Nile, the Bosphorus and the
Rhine, Mount Taurus and the Alps, Mount
Atlas and the Pyrenecs m:nisterng to the
sick and distressed, paving the last solemn
rites to the dc id, receiving the law from the I'm
SSt vi wv uiu'u tHuuuSIS ALL VI
Mount S;n,i, or judging Israel, from generation
| to generation,--bearing the Ark from the house
of Obe1 Edum, to Mount Moriah, and placing it
in its dwelling beneath the protecting wings
of the Chcruoims, within the Holy of Holes,
Offering up incense, grateful to God for the sins
of the people; or upon the Brazen Scafold, in
the midst Of the Court, before all Israel, in the
person of of our illustrious Grand Master, she
sprcadeth her hands heayenward, invoking the
blessings Of the Go of Jacob upon her people;
Or as tn, cloud filled the Temple, shouting,
g Pra Sc ye the Lord, for he is good, for his
cy endu eth forever - measuring the expanse Of
the Heavens, fixing the signs Of the zodac
for gold; collecting the fruits Of all chimes, Of
either India, whitening the bosoms of every sea
with the rich sails of her commerce; ssexchanc-
ing the soft tissues Of Cashmere, for the sumptu-
GUS tapestry of Lydia, the amber of the Baltic for
the pearls and perfumes of Arabia;' rearing
upon the banks of the Thames creating Tad
NOR in the wilderness, or causing the desert to
bud and blossom as the rose in all this she pro-
claims the omnipotcnce of genius, guided by the
cardinal virtues.
Throughout her eventful career, in whatever
achievement OF art or arms, she propagated, under
the Egls OF her mighty name, the language, the
manners, the institutions of civilization, knowl-
edge of the arts and sciences. With her came the
GOLDEN AGE.
Thus hath Masonry aided mankind.
"And yet there be name her slave
To power and mad ambition,
And TO the Keeping Of all coming time,
Hand down the lie.
"Thou art Of such,
But freedoms chosen ministers
The world had need that like tie,
Should touch It's wifhered hearth
Yes, Masonry hath its opponents. What that is
good hath not2 Its downfall has oft been pre-
dicted.
The Pagan, seated upon the bank, patiently
tarrying till the Ganges shall cease to flow, il
doomed to no less-to no more certain dsappoint-
shall be burden-desire shall fail.man goeth
to his long home, and the mourner goeth about the
street; and still that mighty river shah continue
to roll on, and mingle its waters with the ocean,
until the Angel that stood upon the see and the
earth, shall proclaim that time shall be NO longer'
Masonry has passed fiery ordeal-she was the
child of perecution, if not "scathed and peeled,'
like the oaken monarch Of the hills. and borne In