The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1857-08-18
rHE KN1eHrs rEMPLAR.


The Boston Traveller having alluded, in
very complimentary manner to the parti-
cipation of the various Masonic bodies in
the ceremonies in memory of their brother,
General Warren, IA Knight Templar"
furnishes that paper with brief history OF
the Order, on the ground that Precursor
~, bowling to the utilitarian part of the
age, cheerfully opens its historical trea-
sures to every inquirer:
The Knights Templar is an Order that
originated in 1118, with nine valiant and
pious knights, eminent among the earliest
crusaders for their devotion to the cause in
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 pro-
tect all poor and weary pilgrims on their
visits to the places. To do this these nine
warriors engaged themselves to a life of
chastity and piety at the tomb of the Sa-
viour, solicited as their patroness - the
sweet Mother of God,'' lie douce Mere de
Dieu,) and took the four vows of chastity,
poverty, obedience, and to fight incessant-
ly in the cause of pilgrims and the Holy
Land against the heather. Their first
Grand Master was Hugh de Payens. Their
style, 1.-The Soldiery of the Temple" or
'.Templars,'' Militia TempIi,) grew out
of the fact that that portion of the palace
of King Baldwin II, which was assigned to
them as their residence, stood close by the
church and convent of the Temple.
The Order of Templars at once became
popular. Their unremitting and unselish
devotion to such duties as guarding the
pilgrims, their renown in battle, their pow
erty, caused by an unreserved iberality
for Christ's sake, and the enthusiasm of the
age, drew the first warriors of Europe into
their ranks. For 1914 years their history is
golden page in that Of the world.
In 1912 the Order was suppressed by the
joint efforts of Pope Element V and Philip
Debonnair, 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 Unit
ed States they are under one general gov
eminent, styled the "Grand Encampment
of the United States" of which the Hon.
VIM. Blackstone Hubbard, of Columbus,
Ohio, is Grand Master. Subordinate to
this supreme body, which assemblies trien-
nially, there are eleven Grand Commando
ries, or State Governments, that assemble
annually. That of Massachusetts, and
Rhode Island is governed by DR.. Daniel
HARDWOOD, of Boston, and has nine subor-
dinate Communicates, two of them being
located in Boston. In all, there are 137
subordinate Communicates in the United
States, embracing an aggregate member
ship of nearly 5000 knights.
The costume of the knights Templar is
very rich and beautiful it is as nearly as
possible that of the chivalrous warriors in
the middle ages. It will call wildly to
mind those famous passages in their career,
when side by side they stood on the battle
field, scorning to yield until the last man
had kissed his cross-shaped hilt, confessed
his sins to God, and fallen face to foe.