The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-06-25


No human wlAon nausd or halls, 4 a ..5s ~
Tho utmost ken q hamsn eye 'ftsa
Nor Morn i y Ps g ssss.S = s az
Our songs At eve aud morn ~ boar. sEt ea
Our temple CROW ne no earthly hill WA
The Turk pol'utes Nor.sh sai
- SLOAN pours her sacred sssosm ia1< t
u For them .hA. spurn the sacrsd nAme
Yet liked uafkiHg baae ftf
found our tsnplss rsssnspiAes
That the promotion Of happiness through the social
qualities of man, important part al the original
design in the cstablishincnt Of Freemasonry, cannot
reasonably be denied 10 improve the mind and reform
the heart unquest0nahy great principles but not
greater than the increase of human Happiness by social
communion. The oldest authors upon Masonry testify
to this The older members Of the fraternity
that they should be passing away from amongst us like
morning dew confirm this testimony In the genera
ton just departed this made foribe Argument for
Of Preemssonry, "that such would render Masons
strangers to each other and thus reduce the stock Of hui
man happiness" The social element Of Masonry was
priced by them as it is by English brethren,
religion the Cub for my politics. but the AasoHs Lodge for
my social joy! This the hearty expression Of
of those veterans Of fouscore years. whose sparkling
eye and elastic step mark him man with whom death
will yet have many tusse before gaining tho victory
And let us consider the question, Does tho prac
ce Of Freemasonry add TO the real pleasure Of M vota
res If not the time and labor bestowed upon the in
stuton sadly miApent, and the traditions Of
fathers upon this subject strangely unfounded How
often has this query been propounded TO me- Does Free
masonry give happiness to s mefhbenf An Affirmative
will endeavor to respond to them here have done
elsewhere.
All my personal observations embracing range Of
territory from New Hampshire to Texas, from Wisconsin
to Florida 60 TO establish the Affirmative of this ques
don What gather from the groups Of Masonic hearers
around have gathered from similar groups else
wherewhat have witnessed In your social communion
here have Witnessed everywhere; and testify 10 this
xnctf
pleasure that leaves no sting and Is followed by no
pentance from their communications with esrh other If
could summon before you such - would nom every ju
risdction the representative Of the glorious fraternity
would call up Hayward. McJfton Nsill, Schlsy, Cook
Fellows, Hastings, Field, Porter, Raymond, Puford
Cochran Gould, Cunningham, Buck, Field, Simons
son---but where shall Hnd the end Of this muster
roll of Masonic chivalryi would call up many hun
dreds such these, with whom could inject upon
the level and part upon the SQUARE without adding to
his permanent wealth the richest "Reminiscences would
call up such to bring Goals from the altar fires Of $500
lodges and let them knde such blaze hero before you
have frequently and happily witnessed In their
lodges at home and then you should answer for your
selves, Are not Masons made happier by the commun-
cation of their rite
There is such group this am assured, in every
country blessed by Masonic influences 1t the reco
lcctions of such group that inspired poetbrother
Burns the eve Of his protected exile to Jamaa to
write and to sing among his brethren Of Tlboton those
well known stanxas
Adica, a heart warm fond sdieu
We brothers q the mystic tie,
| Ys favored and enlightened few,
Though ] % foreign iaads mus. hs Fg
Pursuing fortunes slddery ba,
rifN with melting heart and brimfn' eye
III mind you still when Car awa'!
| OF have met your social band
@a And spent the festive wintos night"
But what brother has not the whole At his tongues
end There years Of remembrances wrapped up in
those simple words. have conned them linc by
line, and phrase BY phrase until In fancy could sec and
AZ.
with melting heart and brnfu eye amidst the group
Of his struck associates aud knowing what Burns
knew, and feeling what Burns must have felt
strained to pronounce that ode tho best Of all his songs
How the sympathy of his companions must have flowed
| forth as he plead Y
| One Inst request permit hero, ea
| Ore roand, ask il with tear,
| To him the bard that's far await es
few days since witnessed the retirement of an aged
brother whose gray hairs had for many years digniRed
the southeast Of the Grand Lodge Of Wisconsin In de-
clining further service as grand secretary he quoted
those beautiful lines Of Burns Their application struck
me forciby than before, aud felt that the
richest reward in store for the old is the certainty
that long, long after his gray hairs shall be soed in he
clods of the valley his brethren at their social gather
ngs, recalling his faithful service will devote his
memory the zone round he pathetcally besought
Much of the socnl element Of Masonry developed at
our banquets and festive communiousa OF the many
which it has been my good fortune to attend guest
there arc four that have made the deepest impression
upon my mind Each of these In relation to ITSELF and
the circumstances that gave IL birth, Is worthy Of dis
course The first connected with the dedcafion Of the
magnificent temple At Philsdephia In September 1854,
combines my brightest "Reminiscences Of Lewis Parker.
Page Leach, Evans and the sealous group who repre-
scented the Grand LOdgc Of this District Many Of the
latter are present this occasion, and they testify
whether the hours that sped BY that evening" ocund
foot NOT cmbalmed amongst TIE mpiest In their
memories.
The second even more remarkable for Il was at
tended Ivy choice repF1entaon from almost every State
and Territory In the Unione It banquet given by
tho 1asons Of Connecticut ct Hartford, Ia September,
1885, during the Tennia Convoca&ion6 II e National
Masonic Bodies In group seem thoec who the
Master Builders Of Speculative Masonry in this half ccntu
Rising on the surface Of the Of good
first to my rcocilectun tose Of DeruinH Macoy stevens
Thompson, Gilman. Clark Murphy, Hartsock, Buia
Chase, Watson, Raymond, BARBER, smith, Stokes, Dun
lap, Storcr, Roberts Borley, Hacker, Nelson, Lawrence
Adams Wilson, Shocnaker, Stark, Potter Melody Good
! loe, -, pardon the garrulousnes of Masonic
fEiendship The community Of Masonic sentiment and
faeling on magnificent scac bother illustr
I'D than that ooanion when the delivery II Masonic
poem, spoken by natchess Of orxtory, the I'M
! s1fpamble Deming thrilled every heart and forced
repcnso generous and sincere. All Who present on
tha& Heptcmbcr recall tho isndships ccnsnted on
that oooasion fancy have detected sort OF super
ercgatory Masonry among them kind Of Masonic
wheel within wheel, whose password Is Hartford and
| whose rcsponse 0rsN Joy
The third Of the series adverted to occurred at Buo
NJ r., In September last, and connected with an
event In itself historical and interesting presentation