Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-04-27

midst Of the i'll feelings and destructive
influences the war engendered. In your
grand council and your lodges, as soon
a. the strife was lulled-and even dur
lag the prosecution Of he strug-
gle-men OF the north and south, the
east and the west-men even who
bad been opposed 20 each other with
arms Ia hand, met not only without
strife, but 10 affection as brethren. hos
tile thoughts forgotten, and the nush OF
victory, and the agony Of defeat for tne
time, were unthought o. Iney met
p ~.eoCnizing that military principle
which binds to love and gives new i'm
pulse To amity and peace, and which
d~;stio0nishes your order throughout
the world. Throughout this union,
ia the British POSSESSIONS, provIn-
cas- and colonial settlements, your
order meets with gratitled hearts,
and friendly principles this day.
e happy occasion, delightful to eOntem-
platef For the last fifty years the ben
e6ts OF your noble order have been
known on this continent. What changes
have taken place during that period
will Indicate 8 few OF them, for few.
Uerbaps. even in this intelligent audi
enee. fully realize the extent of the
change The whole cannot " be
gIsueed at. but sufficient may be men
Toned to show under what Interesting
circumstances We meet to-day. Half a
century ago but few sails appeared
on the broad lakes, or iOated down the
majestic river in front OF you. VINO
thought Their that the wide Atlantic
would be crossed in a few days by the
power of steam? It was beyond the
visions Of the most advanced mind.
Half a century ago the telegraph was
undreamed OF, and the railroad was not
vet a germ in human conception liz
that time earth has disclosed her entraIlsi
! eager to dispense the OF treas
ures there boarded up, not for one,
but for all coming generations and
/ has poured them out in rich abundance.
Man has profted by natures gifts, and
during the period we are reviewing, 1t
nav 6e said-aad not as a mere figure OF
speeeh-that he has learned to speak by
lightning and to travel upon the wings
of the wind. Congresses and parliaments
have convened and dissolved ; presidents
have been fnaugurated and kings en-
throned, and have left empty their high
| places and passed away. During That
DeriOd the most marked and signal
I changes occurred that AVE ever charac-
terized the human career. Il is some
I thing to have lived in this era q
though war came among Us before its
I close, may we not hope that even
this NAV, in its results, prove
to be s wise ordination OF Prov
idence, ANA a beuediction to our race =?
I There are a few thoughts / want 70 place
/ before YOU. The great purpose Of your
order is sigualized by your motto +:
- FriendshiD, Love aud Truth" The
I object each member has now before him
is To contemplate, with thanksgiving,
J that amid the disturbing influences OF the
war, those principles have been preserved
sweetly and tremendously. The great
/ feature in your order IL that you seek
% truth seek it without respect TO
creed, from christian or heathen
whether to be found In the gorgeous
palace or the lowly hut whether N ae-
cordanee or ia disagreement win ac-
cepted dictums and aeceptatlons, or
whether il come seemingly 70 dispiace
the most cherished and beloved ettach-
ments We have formed. Without
truth friendship IS a moekery,
and worse, it Is repro4eh
oar mission is essentially a mission Of
peace, and TO promote It we must pro-
mote charity. Our order Is founded
: uNNNl Tie AENANN~19A Ao1N-SA -@~L ?
and its blessings should pc extended %
aII-those who seem most unworthy
most REQUIRE cur aid. None should be
exeaptZt should be extended even 70
those who, having tasted it. eEeellanse,
nave Withdrawn from it, protecting tegi~,
who. from reconsideration or otherway s,
have wandered away from your kindly
Dhueuces even to them let the It'd OF
vour beusfcence flow. In your compass
sion for the erring, although you viii not
love the sin, heaven grant you may never
be in the condition that Will prevent
Won having sympathy with the sinner
in his suffering, grief and shame
and bring hi. back TO your foiu. Ihe
oast half year has brought to u people
treat social and political changes, cal
euIated TO awaken all that is noble, snl
God-Iike, and trge. Lmaneipauon nas
set its loostng hand EpOn the eolored
man, and to-day he stands free. What
ever NAV have been Our past feelings
and however u present p~reiudices may
stand, we Must stretch out 10 them the
hand Of charity, giving them oppoF-
uuity for development. Let Us take
rbe facts. accept the condition, and
what good may we not RFallze
I shall not tread upon the ground Of pol
itics; l simply pause to say upon thl'
subject, that what we have just now
most to dread, is the hateful scheming'
Of marty faction, that still sits where il
can dictate to and trouble or country.
which. by tLeiF ssl4shpasz, Is still ir-
periIed. What We, Wb9 process tue doc-
trines Of Odd SailOgship now need Il
sincerity, truth and kindness, or We
stand before the world with a pro
fession of principles that IS unworthy G
con6dance. We need a wider develop
ment of she capacities OF u nature II
art in law, Ia OratOry, in industry
and in every other characteristic Of {
oivilizing character, We must aid tbs
DEVELOPMENT Of incapaGlty- From IN
taIIigent freeme1 VIC AaYe pothirg tt
faar. but from the bondags Of the human
mind everything is to be dreaded. W.
have ebaos To fear even in the enllght
eument Of this niletesnta century amid
our blazoped emblems even before th'
sacred Suar c-onseerated TO Deity, W.
nave to dread all that will desolat'
The homes OF man, aud dread 1t II
the degree in which we foster lgnO
rance- Let Us indulge in no vail
regrets over the results Of th'
mast. nor weep useless e
over VIA e ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
fhouqb that psst uay se. Ee mu5
accept the fagta-Te VAL not stop q
weep over the past in vain. we VIII en-
courage free labOr-we viii call in thi
benign influences of educauonI meal
moi onlv school and book knowledge
INIT in the knowledge of all that is grea
and rood aud conducive 10 advancement
and true civilization. This FJrk ELs
he done. Your order, I am OF opinion
can do il better than any othe
neaus | know Of. It Is adOpte'
to encourage these people, whenever thu
benign fGge OF the Order shows Itself, p
developing THEN powers q 4iua snC
social CAPACITIES, So thai when they eX
srcise their powers they may do 1t viti
credit to themselv yes and with proht 20 al
parties. The prospect Of some bette
aonditfon OF human society VIII thus be
secured for a people who awe been driver
about by passion and troubled by harsl
tsmpasts and who al fail to see thl
advantageous consequences? Do sutfei
me he-e &c enter into ~ a-g-MeQE per
baps not WitEoGt utility even to such
meeting as the present one, showing Tn
basis upon which all right is predicated
Il occurs to me that We the American
people. who have been a model for legis
iators aud a study for regal governments
nave been enjoying benefits whose cause
thew have never investigated. Let m
dogmatize a moment: the tendency
nstErslalddiViHs of egreEentEtiTeiats
ests will inaugGrate the era s%unouneet
: by the angels OF Bethlehem OF 8 glad ii
! diugs to all men of good will" Have yOJ
ever considered the basis upon which al
government, all law and social OrdeI
are predieated in a condition Of civiliZa
ton? 1t is one of the simplest piiaci
Piles ever announced, i is that 40 cle
man hss the right 70 tsse To life o.
property Of any other ma for the SAKE
of redressing his own grievances, what
ever they may be. THIS is tRs basis o
all s0cietg. when xii q man I viOlat,
the laws Of society. The basis Of al
government Is simply that no mar
has a right to redress his own grievances
II it il held 10 be wrong for one mau to
take the life of another, what is it for Z
natioh TO take the life Of a sister nation
Nations are but the aggregation of tbs
individuals of which they are composed
it is therefore q fearful thing for one
nation to take the life Of another. w,
have no Internationally, properly con
sidered, and no councils constituted e
~adjudicate upon their lives-Who then il
their disputes aud petulantimpulses shall
step IN and judge between them. WheE
~ .ef.rrr-,p e,Dr-k~ --