Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1865-09-14


NAsoNs OF THE UNITED sTATEs--THE
INFLUENCE OF MASONRY TO TRAN
oUILIzE THE COUNTRY.
10 the Present and Past Chief Grand Officers Of
the Grand Lodges and Grand Chapters of Ma
sonry Of the United States of America:
Brothers and Conpansons- years
ago, in common with others, | addressed
you circular, asking q convention of the
representative men of the Order of Free
masonry, to assemble for the purpose of
consnltation, and, if possible, Of suggest
ing some mode of assuaging the temper of
the times and averting the horrors of civil
war, then opening upon our hitherto pros
porous and happy land. | then said that
| believed that if there was "any body of
men who might form nucleus around
which the peace loving and peace seeking
conservatism of the nation might rally,
you were that body Of men," that "you
were not politicians, but patriots, loving
your whole country, its glory and pros
perity, and en- bracing the whole American
people in the outstretched arms of an ex-
pansive love-" believed then, and still
believe, that there was no necessity of
drenching the land in fraternal blood, and
that the sweeping bosom might have been
stayed. But the direct opposition Of some,
the indisposition Of others, the inability to
procure safe conduct, and the rapid pro
gress Of warlike movements, prevented
the assembly.
Since then, we have passed through the
fiery ordeal and scathing power Of the
most terrible civil war which has afflicted
any people. There is now cessation of
hostilities, and men are no longer muster
ing their energies to mighty and dire
conflict.
Various questions Of an exciting char
acter, however, remain to be settled, or
ntinuo to augment the chafed animosi-
ties Of the nation. These will require the
utmost wisdom and energies of a high and
noble craftsmanship, and if that shall be
wanting onr whole people must yet expe-
rience the bitter results Of misrule, never
again to be united in heart, and in the
universal patriotic desire Of building up a
great nation worthy of the love and ad-
miratlon of our own and other populations.
Instead of common desire to pursue
peaceful avocations and to cherish per-
petual emulation for the universal good,
we will exhibit little else than miserable
and constant struggle for domineering
In the war which we have passed thou
sands have persisted; thousands manned
and half must be pensioners upon indi-
vidual and national bounty, and multi
tudes have b0en bereft of affluence and
plunged into wretched poverty, even to
the loss of the great necessaries of life
food, raiment and shelter. The ruin and
desolaton Of many districts Of country,
before as fair as ever the sun shone upon,
h w haAVN l.
more or less injuriously affected-if not in
the direct ravages of strife, it has been in
onerous public debt and burdens, in vita
ton of moral character, in diminution of
education, in deterioration of industrial
labor, and in sundering the bonds of unity
and pampering sectional animosities.
Whilst many are hopeful that what they
consider great evils have been swept away,
and entertain high hopes of future unin-
terrupted progress, many others are en-
pertaining gloomy forebodings that the
days of the purity of the Republic are
passed away forever.
Very many are experiencing the bitter
ness OF radical change in society. Many,
stepped IN poverty, are grooming under the
weight OF misfortune, and the fearful look
ing Forward TO what is yet to come. They |
are at least bowed down and lowly. The !
wall Of the widow and orphan il heard far
and near, and the signal of distress ia up
raised everywhere.
What is to become Of all thisa Will it |
work wrong, oppression and general ruin, |
or will it renovate, elevate, and lift high |
mp above all others our former great, mag |
nifcent and happy countrya
To restore the country, or to advance il |
high above its former prosperous and
honored position, ought to be considered
the grateful duty and exalted privilege Of |
svery man and order of men within it's
broad territory. Especially so should it
De considered by those who are peculiarly
taught that they should BIO true TO their
Government and just to their country, at
every stage of their progress, from the
portico to the iunermost recess Of the
grand temple of human happiness.
There ia work for us to do. We may
not stay our hands and fold our arms, |
while great moral and social revolution
g progressing among us, which must re-
tound in general good or general evil. |
we may not see our brethren in anguish
ard distress, and hear their bitter cry, and |
refuse to bring them deliverance. Years |
ago ! wrote what ! then believed was
palpable truth-and is az !
true now az then, and beg leave TO quote |
from an address on Masonry:
"Our order has baen ouida1 a,a,a;Iv ~