, 1864-01-09
NUMBER 4.

in fellowship with an order that would be to
the slightest extent prejudicial to the rights
privileges or interests of their wives. 1t
does sometimes happen, however, that ma
sons make the Lodge escape goat for their
little shortcomings, or rather late -comings in
reaching home and knowing that the excuse
should be satisfactory one, they sometimes
declare they "did not think it was SO late;
time passes so rapidly at the Lodge; must
be more punctual, Sc &c, and so they avoid
further consideration Of the matter. But if
too often repeated, the wife naturally blatnes
the Lodge, and, were her premises correct,
would be perfectly right in so doing.
Every wife should be not only proud but
glad that her husband is nason, and should
always under proper circumstances, bid him
God speed on his mission when starting
forth to his Lodge, for if he is governed by
masonic precepts, as taught in the Lodge he
must be not only good man buta good hus-
band and he who fully discharges his duties
in the masonic family, rarely fails to do SO
in bis own Domestic Lodge, for the duties
and the pleasures in each are so nearly SINH
lar that he who complies with and is gov
erned by the one cannot prove recreant to
the other. Itell you plainly, no man can be
mason, truly mason, who is not good
man. That the wisest and best Of men in all
ages have been patrons of the institution is
so well known and generally acknowledged
that it requires neither assertion nor proof
and ifmasonry be corrupt, if it be not pure,
why were their lives spent in adhering to
its principles and remaining in its family?
Who ever heard Of any great man renouncing
masonry, or repudiating it as unworthy of
his sanction and support?
1t is historical fact that Of the ffty-six
signers of the Declaration Of undergraduates,
6tty-two Of them were masons and does any
man for moment believe that that noble
and gallant band of patriots, who boldly and
conscientiously proclaimed their independ-
ence Of and defanty threw down the gage
Of war to one Of the mightiest Kingdoms Of
the earth-who, actuated by the noble and
sublime impulses Of pure patriotism mutu-
ally pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred
honors in defense of The principles for which
they contended, who many Of them, ce-
mented that solemn compact with their Vi.
tai blood and laid down their lives upon the
altar of their country, and by whose exalted
and sacrifsing patriotism, aided by the God
Of battles, nation was ushered into exist
ence and glorious liberty, whose birthright
- .--;1- -i------------. - ...,. -.a.
can any one dare say that these men were
not pure, noble and yirtuous p
0 iftherc be on this earthly sphere
A boon n offering heaven holds dear,
Tis the last libltiOn that L6bertY draws, ..
From the hearts that bleed and break in ner cause.
Yet these men were Free and Accepted Ma
sons.
Let US turn for a moment to another
name in the glorious galaxy of our country's
heroes-a name which occupies the highest,
proudest niche in the temple Of freedom, a
name dear to the heart Of every American
and lover of liberty, a name at the mention
Of which every pulse is stirred and every
heart vibrates with emotions Of veneration,
admiration and pride, name emblazoned in
golden letters Of imperishable renown upon
the broad scroll of fame, name that is
SYNONYM for all that is pure, patriotic ex-
allied and sublime, a name first in war, first
IN peace and first in the hearts of his coun-
trymen-the Father Of his country, the i'm
mortal WASHINGTON. To attempt to por-
tray the character of this illustrious man, to
deneate his virtues or to illustrate his
greatness of soul would be to grasp measure
and define all that the human soul is capa-
bic Of conccivng in connection with human
character. The brightest star that studs
the spangled armament above, shedding its
refulgent light upon our earth, shines not
with more resplendant lustre in its radiant
sphere than the name of Washington in the
hearts Of freemcn. And yet this man, in
the zenith Of his fame, in the meridian
splendor Of his power and glory, could leave
the magisterial chair, to which the voice Of
a loving people had called him, and in the
quiet recesses Of the Lodge room meet upon
the Level Of the chequcrcd floor the humble
mechanic, the tier Of the soil, the hardy
seaman, and the bronzed veteran whom he
had led to glorious victory; and, laying aside
all those hOnors and distinctions to which
his high position entitled him, recognizing
no distinction but that of true merit, feeling
no ambition but that laudable emulation Of
who can best work and best agree, manifest
and illustrate the masonic prncipleo Of Broth
erly Love; that the whole human species
are one family, the high and low, the rich
and poor, who, as created by the same Al
mighty Parent and inhabitants of the same
planet, are to aid, support and protect each
other.
Although have shown you that mason-
ry teaches no system of religion and inter-
feres with none yet do not wish to be un-
derstood that masonry does not, while teach-
ing morality, also ineulcate the necessity Of
gion-leaving the member to adopt any
particular system which his education, con-
science and judgment teaches him to be cor
rect The Holy Bible is the cornerstone
Of masonry,-the foundation upon which
the whole superstructure rests. And, al
though over Jealous masons love to dilate
upon the the ancient and universal charac-
ter of the institution, protesting to believe
that it exists in every part Of the habiable
globe and is essentially the same among all
nations, barbarous and civilized, allow me
to say that while this is very fancful, and
perhaps very gratifying to these jealous
dreamers, it bears no nearer semblanee to
truth than would the assertion that because
some Hottentot or other barbarous heather
accident Or deeiunadlv uokas cross he