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

ton, began to revive; and the first President
Of tho United States, publicly proclaimed him
self hon0red by en-. association With this ancient
and mysterious craft and those beautiful
lines 80 replets with holy frsternal l.ve, ad-
dressed by him to the Grand Lodge of Pennsyl-
vania, will be admired and severed by Masons.
80 long as It is remembcred.that he once araced
our Grand Oriental Chair, or the name of GEORGE
WASHINGTON is treasured III the GREAT AxsR1-
GAN HEART. ,.rs
The prosperity Of Masonry, both in Europe
and America, has surpassed the expectation Of
the most sanguine prospecting most in those
countries or sections Of countries where the
masses are most enlightened, and finding its
most bitter opponents in the European eoua-
tries in those districts where liutrigues
famed by the insiduous wiles Of religious big.
OTIS, have debsrred tho masses from the sdvan-
tages of q general eduoation, or Piled tho pub
lie mind with all kinds Of foolish and frivolous
ideas touching the true intent Of the fraternity
and one ct the great reasons why it meets with
opposition from these sources is because Ma
sorry is purely democratic in principle, and
permits merit to take the precedence Of title
and rank in rendering position, and regards
not q man on account of worldly wealth or
honors, and extends no favors on account Of
political or religious principles, claiming that
all men by nature, are equal and that they can
only elevate orlower themselves, by their own
acts, it being generally understood THAT the
soAs door" and tho poor man gets his true re-
anAOf 10
forsooth, Masonry will adhere to no particular
religious or political creed to the exclusion Of
all others, many Of its opponents on this par
ticular ground, claim that they are all Infdels
and in league with Sataa-that they are them
selves political intriguers seeking the overthrow
Of the government in which they reside and
hope these mild innuendoes to destroy the very
foundation Of brotherhood. that has With
stood tho shock of all such unkind and I'M
grounded insinuations or charges, and pros
pers more securely amidst such prosecutions
as honest seekers after truth learn the falsity
OF the imputatures. In our own country, pol
iticians, feeling that some superhumane efforts
were necessary to elevate them to places of
power after finding their own merits were not
enough to place them high enough on the po-
whole country against the entire brotherhood
because of the imputed acts Of a misguided few
and endeavored to ride In to Office on hobby
SO ungainly in shape, and so void Of beauty or
common sense, that the gallant riders found
themselves unable to keep the saddle midst the
continual shower of rebukes that was hurled
into the ballot box by an indignant and intelli-
gent people, sinking the party, tho measure,
and the men, SO low in the political scale that
the first is hardly ever heard Of, the second
never thought of and the last are enjoying the
happy tribute paid to foolish undertaking, in
the quiet enjoyment Of . very quiet life, uni
versally respected fer their being quiet, and
unanimous determination evinced on the
part of their countrymen, to keep them quiet
by never allowing them to enjoy any Of those
fat Offices they sought to obtain by such an
ungenerous course. Let me now briefly an
swer these charges, by . reference to facts con-
nected with the order, leaving them entirely
to the contemplation of the candid mind as to
what the result would be, or rather what their
effect would be upon society at large. Tho
first question propounded to candidate for
mysteries of Masonry, is touching his belief in
the existence of Deity, and before he can
cross the threshold Of Masonic Lodge, he
must give the most positive assurance Of an
unwavering faith in the Great Jehovah, before
We can entrust to his keeping the mysteries
that is to mark his consequence among tho fra
ternity, We must feel that he pays proper re-
spect to that Supreme intelligence which per-
vades all nature, and which can never never
die.
Secondly, One among the first articles Of
our ancient constitution, completely destroys
the validity of the charge Of infdelity to the
government it reads thus s'Whoever would
be = true Msssn, is also to be made acquaint-
ed that, by the rules Of the order, his obliga-
tions as . subject and citizen will not be relax
ed but enforced. He is to be . lover Of quiet
peaceable and obedient to the civil power
which yield him protection, and are set over
him where he resides or works, meyer to be
concerned in plots against the state or govern
ment to whom hs owes allegiance, or be disre-
spectful to the magistrate in the execution Of
his duties, because the welfare Of his country
ought to be his only object" The penalty
imposed upon an erring brother in this par
course with the brotherhood, so long as he
continues in his guilt, either public or private
and our rules point him out IS An object Of
mingled pity and scorn, plying his weakness
in lending listening ear to evil counsel, and
scorning the principle that would actuate
man to play the arbitrator in betraying his
country, the peace and prosperity Of which he
is doubly obligated TO promote both as citi-
zen and Mason. Those, therefore. who
charge rs with infdelity to God and our coun-
try know but little OF the objects Of an asso-
citation whose greatest care is to further the
cause Of God and Humanity, by silently and
unostentatiously working for the promotion Of
Peace and Unity, thereby insuring for the
universal world = generous Plenty. And,
could you but gaze upon this brotherhood while
engaged in their labors Of love, earnestly plan.
ing the relief Of some distressed follow crea-
ture, tearfully perhaps, unfolding to each other
tho sad story Of his bereavement, troubles or
poverty, consumating the design for his. sud-
den emancipation from Ill his many sorrows,
and see with what sympathetic earnestness
they work as one man for = common cause, the
high, the low, the rich, the poor, all upon the
same level lending an equal hand in relieving
the distressed burying the dead, and educating