Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-07-13
THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR.

The Boston Traveller having alluded. in a
very complimentary manner, to the participa-
ton Of the various Masonic bodies in the cere-
monies in memory of their brother, Gen. War
rem, a Knight Tenplar" furnishes that paper
with the following brief history of the Order
on the ground that FreemaSOnry, bowling to the
unitarian spirit OF the age cheerfully opens its
historical treasures to every inquirer
''The knights Templar is an order that ORR
gnated In Ills, with nine valiant and pious
knights, eminent among the earliest crusaders
for their devotion to the cause i'm which the
Christian world had embarked-the rescue Of
Judea, and especially the Holy City, from the
Saracens.
The ostensible object for the formation of
distinct order of knighthOOd, was TO protect all
poor and weary pilgrims on their visits to the
holy places. To do this these nine warriors en-
gagged themselves to a life of chastity and piety
at the tomb of the Saviour, solicited as their
patroness ''the sweet Mother of God Ve deuce
Mere de Dieu,) and took the four vows of chas-
tity, poverty, obedience, and to fight incessant-
ly in the cause Of pilgrims and the Holy Land
against the heathen. Their first Grand Master
was Hugh de Payens. Their style, & The Sol
diery of the Temple, - or Templars ;" Militia
TempLi,) grew out ef the fact that that portion
of the palace of King Baldwin III, which was
assigned to them as their residence, stood close
by the church and convent OF the Temple.
The Order Of Templars became at once popu-
lar. Their unremittng and unselfish devotion
TO such duties as guarding the pilgrims, their
renewn in battle, their poverty, caused by an
unreseryed liberality for Christ's sake, and the
enthusiasm of the age, drew the first warriors
OF Europe in the ranks. For 1874 years their
history is golden page in that of the world
In 1872 the Order was suppressed by the joint
efforts of Pope Clement V and Philip Debon-
nair, King OF France, and the greater part of
their revenues were made over to the Knights
OF ST. John, of Jerusalem, with whom many Of
them affiliated, and since that period they have
only appeared in union with that Order
At the present time, the Knights Templar, in
connection with that of Malta, are in a high
condition of prosperity. In the United States,
they are under one general government, styled
the "Grand Encampment of the United States
Of which the Hon. William Blackstone HUI
bard, of Columbus, Ohio, is Grand Master.
Subordinate to this supreme body, which as
sembles triennially, there are eleven Grand
Communicates, or State governments, that as
semble annually That Of Massachusetts, and
Rhode Island is governed by DIR. Daniel Har-
wood, OF Boston, and has nine subordinate Com
manderies, two Of them being located in Bos-
ton. In all, there are 1877 subordinate Com
manderies in the United States, embracing an
average membership Of nearly five thousand
Knights.
The costume of the Knights Templar is very
rich and beautiful; il is nearly as possible that
OF the chiyalrOus warriors in the middle ages
1t will call viyidly to mind those famous pas
sages in their career, when side by eide they
stood on the battlefield, scornng to yield until
the last man had kissed his cross-shaped hilt
confessed his sins to God, and fallen face to foe
The standing of the Order in Boston will be
appreciated, when it is known that it embraces
nearly five hundred of the first gentlemen in
the city, amongst whom will be found such men
as DR.. Wlnslow Lewis, Drs. Harwood, Wilson,
and Tucker, Governor Gardner, and men of
that class.
In all Masonic professions it il given particu-
larly to the Knights Templar to perform escort
duty, serving in hours of peril as vanguard,
and upon occasions of public rejoicing rs a guard
of honor. May there never be u call for these
valiant and magnanimOus gentlemen to draw
their swords save for purposes of peace and
grace