The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-05-17
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR

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KNIGHTS TEMPLAR Il
vlslr 30 RIcnmoND.
xASSAcHUSgTTX RHODE ISLAND
VIRGINIA..
THEIR RCcEpTIoN-yIsIr At THE fIEAfRE'
vs. &c, &C., &c.
The visit Of the Knights Templars of
Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, to the
CAPITAL Of Virginia is not only one OF those
;n,s,chances of social intercourse and cour-
,csy, always peculiarly pleasing to Virgin
ians, who are never so happy as when recip-
rocating the Inequalities and kindnesses of
friends and brethren, but it has political
significance and influence delightful and
assuring to the heart of the patriot, the
American, and every heart which can look
beyond its own little horizon, and sweeping
the heavens with the large and comprehen-
sive view of patriotism, take in at glance
all the stars of our glorious constellation.
Every intelligent mind must have been
struck with the happy effect produced by
.he visit of the n. Y. 18th Regiment to Vir-
cinia, in effacing sectional prejudices, and
drawing n. York and Virginia closer to each
other. and our citizens also remember with
sensibility the grateful and enthusiastic
terms 10 which the Richmond Knights
smoke of the Overlooking and whole-souled
hospitality which they received upon their
visit to Boston and Rhode Island; what
kindly recollections they brought back;
what new hope and faith for the Union
they plucked from the consecrated soil Of
Bunker Hill. We welcome them with pecu-
liar pleasure the presence of the gallant
Knights of Massachusetts, and Rhode Island,
who, we may hope, will find at our Viz
rinia hearthstones and affairs fires that will
kindle in their hearts emotions of love and
sentiments of patriotism like those which
were awakened in the breasts Of our Vir-
pinians upon their visit to Massachusetts,
and Rhode Island. We shall be reminded
by the imposing pageantry of this occasion
of the good old Revolutionary times when
the warlike Knights of Virginia and of Mas
sachuselts charged side by side in the thick
est of the fight, and when the clash of re-
sounding arms at Concord, was answered by
the clarion voice of Patrick Henry from
Church Hil,-'Give NE Liberty or give
me Death Nor can the sons of Rhode
Island ever visit Virginia, or any other
Southern State, without arousing the most
grateful and inspiring rscollections.
From the early colonial times their sea-
pirt shore was favorite resort of the gen.
tlemen of the South, and thus kindly and
genial social intercourse between those re-
mote sections was established at an ancient
period. and has continued unbroken to the
present day. 1t was Rhode Island which
gave NATHANIEL. GREENE to the country,
Greene seconed only as soldier to Wash
inpton, whose ilustrious valor and skill
guided the armies of the South to victory,
and redeemed our sunny cline from the
dominion of the British foe. TWAS Rhode
Island, also, which in the war of the Reyo-
luton and the last war, gave to the country
that race of sea-kings, the Perrys, whose
most illustrious representative, Oliver II.
that splendid victory of squadronS on Lake
Erie, which has made his name as imperish-
able as the flag which he so gloriously il
Illustrated, and whose intrepidity in action
was only equalled by that moderation in vic
tory which caused the British commander
to say that ''the conduct of Perry towards
of itself to immortalize him. The repre-
sentative of such States will always be well
come, thrice welcome to the hearts and
homes of Virginia. Let US strengthen anew
the cords of love and fraternity which bind
Us together; let us swear together that the
time shall never come when the son of New
England in Virginia, or the son of Virginia
in New England, shall be a stranger and
-. l. 1l,o1 IL, hao oh n
to say-"This is MY COUNTRY
The De Molay encampment of Boston,
whom we have the honor to welcome as our
guests to-day, derives its name from James
de Molay, the last Grand Master of the
Order of the Knights Templar. This order
had its origin in the crusades, and derived
its name from the location near the temple
in Jerusalem, which King Baldwin I'd gave
them for an abode. De Molay was admit
ted into the Order about 1865, and, on the
death Of William de Beaujeauf was unami-
mously elected to the office of Grand Mas
ter. The wealth and power of the Templars
created q multitude of enemies. IL 1907
an order was issued for the general arrest OF
the Knights throughout France; they were
accused of various revolving crimes; and
Molay, the last of the Grand Master, per-
ished in the flames at Paris, March Is, 1914
declaring to his final breath his innocence
of the crimes with which be was charged.
The Knights of st. John, under whose
banner our visitors from Rhode Island are
arrayed, are an order still Older than the
Templars, dating as early as l04s, when a
church and monastery was established at
Jerusalem by some merchants from Naples,
which they dedicated to John the Baptist.
The monks were called brothers of ST.
John, or hospitalers to take care of the poor
and sick, and, in general, to assist pilgrims.
1t was instituted as military order in the
18th century, and became famous for its
deeds of arms. The order after an exis-
tence of almost 800 years, is now regarded
as extinct. The Prussian order of Knights
of st. John, like our own order of st.
John, Templars, &C., is only a memorial of
an order venerable for its antiquity and
courage, and which has now passed away.
THE TRIP TO AQUA cREHK.
At about qparter-psst six yesterday morning, q
committee from the Richmond Commandery
started from the depot Of the Richmond and Fred
ericksburg Railroad, to meet their visitors from
New England. Il was . lovely morning; the sky
was bright, and the sun seemed to smile beauti-
fully on every surrounding object. Accustomed
a. We are In Virginia to beholding the charms OF
Nature, We never saw her decked In more splens
dor than on yesterday morning. We here intro.
ducs the names Of the gentlemen who composed
the committee who went to meet the visitors: Sir
Knights Jno Reguault, Richard o Haskins, W B
Isaacs, W Giazebrook, Geo Whitfield, Thomas
Ballard, Andrew Johnston. Jas Scott, John
Boshsr, and G W Macmurdo.
Nothing Of especial interest occurred during
the trip mp. In fact, It was not the up trip that
any one thought Of No one who was or board
had any idea disconnected with the visit of the
Knigbts Templsr We saw at Ashland, o we'll a.