St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1862-06-26

oOCo3 ouu AZ you' ouu 'u0i O0A"1'1 o0ooPO
and receive this precious Jewel, and
richest gift, from the fair donors, and ask
that it may be allotted its proper place
among the great associate lights Of our an
Gent and honorable fraternity, there con-
stantly to remind US of our obligations to
the donors, our fellow men, our country,
and the great Arohetect of the Universe.
Grafton, by W...P...M...A. II. Curry.
". H.. Wardens and Brethren Of North Star
Lodge No. %.
Iappear before you in response to your
highly Aatterang invitation, to discourse
upon the subject of Masonry, on this the
anniversary Of our Patron Saint, John the
Baptist. Surrounded, as we ore to-day,
with scenes and incidents, calculated in
themselves to inspire the heart of the
great brotherhood with renewed zeal in
the cause of Friendship, Morality and
Brotherly Love,-receiying us We have,
the strongest assurances Of appreciation
from those whom We love, in the gift of
that Precious Light, originally given US
by the Great Architect Of tho Universe
as our spiritual Trestle Board-encouraged
as We ara, by their presence here, and
the kind words accompanying the inesti-
mable gift, together with the goodly assem-
bly, of friends who have come to witness
the presentation of that Sacred Volume
I feel that I will have discharged but half
the duties incumbent upon me, if I permit
them to leave this place, until l have in a
brief manner, e1posed the principles OF
Free Masonry to their entire satisfaction,
revealed the deep mystery that has ever
chung around this noble and ancient insti-
tution-li"ted so strongly and pointedly
az certain features of the order, that none
who are careful listeners need go from
here with other convictions than that they
are in full possession of that "dreodful Sc
cret" which has held the fraternity togeth.
er, for centuries upon centuries by tics lit
tie less, in force and effect, than those of
consanguinity.
But lest the result Of my exposition
proves disastrous. to the order at large,
and myself Individually, Isuggest the pro-
priety, w: M...of having the Rack and
Wheel made ready-draw up from the
subterrancan vaut-supposed by numbers
OF intelligent men and women to be be-
meath every organized Lodge of Masons-
all the numerous inventions of torture
that have been rusting and Wondering
since the last days OF the bloody 1nquisi-
lion poison anew the links, prepared to
tester in the flesh Of tAose only who are
traitors, SO tina: when 1 shall have reveal
ed the secret OF our longevity as Frater-
nifty, you may lose no time in sacrificing
me as a victim to an offended law; for I
now warn you and the Brethren assem-
bled that it is to tho exposition of the Sc
cret I propose to devote the few moments
allotted me for addressing you.
The popularity and perhaps one Of the
greatest mysteries of the fraternity of Ma
sons is its origin. The blending Of histo-
~ and tradition, term synonymous with
unwritten history, leaves no doubt in the
minds of we'll informed Masons as to its Or
igin both operative and speculative. AS
operative Masonry we trace it back to that
period in the worlds history, when sur
vey of nature and the observation Of her
beautiful proportions first determined man
to initiate the divine plan and study SYM
metry and order. This gave rise to socie-
ties and birth to every useful art. The
architect began to design, and the plans
which he laid down being improved by cx-
rience and time, have produced works
which are the admiration of every age
This repeat, was the origen of Masonry
or Geometry, originally identical terms in
their definitions, and the fist record of a
regularly organized body, or lodge Of oper-
alive Masons or builders, is found in the
Jewish history as written in that Great
Light of Masonry, copy Of which Ladies,
you have this day presented North Star
Lodge. say tho first regularly organ
lied lodge, because it was when that 'or-
der and beauty, blended with WISDOM" so
justly revered by Masons first reared its
stately and proportional form amidst con-
fusion and tumultuous lrregularlty and
Immediately became of itself a "thing of
life," and the admiration of an astonished
world Imean the building Of KING SOL
oMoN's TEMPLE.
From Sacred Scriptures we learn that
it had been determined in a council of Di-
vine Wisdom that Temple should be
erected to God and dedicated to His holy
name. The high honor and distinguished
privilege Of performing the sacred service
was denied David, King of Israel, because
as the Scripture informs US he was man
Of blood, and during the whole, or greater
part OF his reign, he was eorely perplexed
with rumors and tumults of war. But the
God Of Israel had promised David that
iD "his name should all the nations Of the
earth be blessed )" thus when David had
been gathered to the land of his fathers
Al. Al. L.