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

ed IsraoP' and forgot not that there was
yet Balm in Gilead and Good Physician
near at hand, until in obedience to that re-
markable edict of Cyrus, King Of Persia, they
were collected together second time ct Jeru-
salem to rebuild the city aud the House Of the
Lord, and to assist in restoring the Hebrews to
ton Of the second temple was scarcely laid,
when the Chuthites through their rulers, for
bade the further progress, but by the interoes-
sions Of Haggai and Zachariah, during the year
Of the world 34S4, Darius, then King Of the
conquered realms issued his decree that the
work should be completed in compliance with
the edict Of Cyrus. At the completion Of the
second temple, in the year Of the world 3489,
the craft, by order Of Zerrubable and his be-
loved companion Joshua were again sent forth
to rebuild the cities that had been laid waste by
the devastations Of bloody wars and barba-
rous force. accompanies Of threes, fves and
sevens, they 60 forth boldly asserting their
freedom from imposts or taxation, prudently
attending to their own duties, and zealously ap-
plying the knowledge Of their art in erecting
deity, preferring obscurity and wisdom, to
ignorance and high places, until written histo-
ry Losses entire sight of them as craft, until
their sudden appearance in strange land,
among q strange people attracts the attention
Of all Lombardy. Their peculiar dress and
manners at first made them objects of suspic-
ions, but when they bought grounds and erect
ed cathedrals. the remains Of many of which
may be seen to this day, they came to be re-
garded as ''sons of light" and soon procured
by common consent Of both clergy and laity,
The rights and benefits to which their zeal and
knowledge entitled them. Worshiping the
true God, they otherwise adapted themselves to
the habits of the country, or countries in which
they resided. Retaining their peculiar cere-
monies Of initiation they began to dispense
famed Pythagoras, ever seeking for knowledge
was made acquainted with the mysteries of Ma
sonry, or geometry, and who became deeply
interested in it as q study. On this subject he
drew out many problems and theorems, among
the most distinguished of which, is the forty
seventh problem Of Euclid, which in the joy
of his heart he called Eureka and upon the
discovery of which he is said to have sacrificed
q hecatomb. Returning to his native land, he
resolved to reduce the truths he had learned
in operative masonry, to an application Of
their beautiful workings in speculative mason
ry, deeming it possible for men to govern their
acts by the same rules that guide the craftsmen
in erecting an edifce, retaining the tools and
implements used by the operative to impress
great and lasting truths upon the minds Of the
speculative mason. For the information Of
those of my hearers who may not rightly I'M
derstand the term will state that by .sspecu-
lative masonry" we learn to subdue the passions
act upon ''the square, keep tongue of good re-
port, maintain secresy, and practice charity -
these principles so forcibly illustrating them
selves in the harmony and grandeur Of archi-
teeture, were SO deeply impressed upon the
mind of the great Pythagoras, that he, in his
philosophy, could conceive no grander specta-
Gle than q moral application Of each and every
one of them in the governing Of men, as So
ciety or q community at large But finding
the human heart naturally depraved, he des-
paired of ever making the application to COM
munities and therefore determined to circum-
scribe his labors by selecting few Of his trus-
ty friends and imparting to them, under seal
his travels, and unfolding the grand design Of
reducing the great truths and sublime mystic
ries Of operative masonry, to the stupendous
plan of uniting by process Of gradual, silent
and mysterious working, the universal world
into zone band or society Of friends or broth
ere" among whom no contention was ever to
exist, save that noble contention, or rather en-
ulation, Of who could best work or best agree.
Beneath the wide spread branches of stately
oaks, far removed from the busy mart-with
no other light than the pale moon beams stream
ing through the foliage of their Sylvan tenn
.ple-the gentle Greecian zephyrs waiting the
perfumes of a thousand flowers from far down
the valley in which they stood-with soft
CLOSING skies o'erhead and impid murmering
brooks meandering at their feet-these martyrs
in the cause Of humanity bound themselves by
solemn obligations to worship the unknown
yet true God-to relieve the distressed-to up
hold the weak-to comfort the afnioted-to en-
courage Peace-eppose useless war and blood
shed-to promote the arts and sciences-to op-
pose ignorance and superstition-to love one
another-practice universal charity, and main
tain secresy organizing, in this beautiful re-
treat, second only in point Of beauty and grand
eur to the celebrated groves Of Achidemus-
an order that was destined to live as q fra
ternal body, centuries after its first grand mou-
uments had mouldered into dust Encouraged
by the wise and good of the classic land, spec
ulative masonry began to spread its influence
broadcast throughout Europe, Asia, and even
Africa, receiving the patronage Of kings
princes and potentatcs, and proudly claiming
as its dcvotecs, thousands from the humber
walks Of life, all meeting upon the masonic lev
81 to promote three cardinal principles, known
to US as Faith, Hope and Charity, and to en-
necessary ON this occasion to follow the histo-
ry of the order during the successive ages
through which it has passed down to the pres
ent, and glancing at a few facts connected with
its early history and uninterrupted prosperity
will, leave the subject for your future study
assuring you that you will find it an interest
ing and instructive one. During the crusade,
the order was aeurishing extensively in Nor
mandy, Saxony and in Italy, these powerful
nations had rendered the Vatican immense ar
mics and vast treasures for the purpose ofreeap-
turing the Holy Land from theissoleat and OK
ultant 1n6dels, and none were more conspicu-