Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-06-07
cRAsp onAToi's address.


vo.f Worshspfd Grand Master. Officers AMI
py,ftreR Of he Grand Loist q Iord.
a., Johnson once .aii in Relation to 10
,,.r ,nst nation after nniion, ana century
liter century, had been able 10 DO little more
nan ,rapsoose his incidents, new-nuine MS
sh.rac,er. and paraphrase his sentiments.
rhe svee,ness ot his numbers and Tue gran
I.eur ~ his sentiments could not he iihpaisei
by the Lapse Of time. tn. same thing - SUB :.
true Of what Is essc.iiia'is chafnc
teristic of masonry. Tie diynry OF iis =.
principles tho purify Of its sentiments. ana
IN. exaltcd character Of its aims, arc more ..
permanent than Egyptian pyramids, more
valuable than fine gold, and more enduring
than inscripiions on lead encascd In granite. |
The inherent life, the vital energy oil mason
nv. Its power 81 fashion anil elevate tue SEN.
,,mcnts and aspirA, ions Of the soul In the
y, ne rasions yet 20 come, with vsgor not
iess fruitful than in the centuries OF The long
ago, 10 not matter ri question, at least TO
those who have felt the touch u its inspi.
ration. and whose hearts have been warmed
by its mystic Arc.
Masonic principles and sentiments lose
nothing BY time they will he N distinct |
and pure in the next generation ~ in this
as well calculated Ia define, direct and
Quicken human sympathy ana emotion CEN
tuties hence. m they were in the ages oil tie |
,hn,iowy past. The demonstrations OF Eu. |
cid will be ms clear to the last generation
OF mathcma,icians as they were To h'sccun-
trymcn nor will they have lost any OF their
freshness and Importance when'thc last hu
man mind shall contemplate the wonderful
clcsrues " and acumcn " the ancient 6rccian
SO when the last Entered Apnrs n,ice shall
receive the peculiarly solemn aud impressive
charge to inculcate his three fold duty To
God. his neighbor and himself. he will not
have lAs reason tor lively sense oi re
sponsibility than he VIII, WAS first uade
conscious of the nature 81 masonic 0hlRa
tions, or he who shall be last raised la the
sul4'inc decree ola Master, be n'fni''cffN ne
,hf ~ airhi oil paws 49, les excessive aaA
r,unei ar u hralhciY REGARD AA' itnJ
SLID ,,.s. stuceir than le WA y ~ W. b ~
aman. was lr- endowed sllh ieat.tit n.es
ui "a mason T rs. c'pe5 'airln, ~ con
n,etien wtil tae purity ~ TIE Wa4cipl,s
which IL tmhn4ics, The n1be sentiments
NAi,h - lnCulgai,s, the gcnerpu. lni ~ str
which 1t inspir q, aud the pcu"ii'rA aims
which II CrCputAi.r4 aud io-tUis. ar mainly
the In luccnenis which masonry holds ent
ioi good men - 'onuy ,h'in elves with
its Interests. and tn aNsll themselves ui LIS
auvhntirt both Tor moral and SOCIAL la
ptng.iu,nt
n Is piainr fHa, Tie remark should be
III k'ft i0t " lEs A'NNa ii''ih 'hN w $500 filiN
u ,biest and Inc hes, pl .arin's most gifted
sans, ol ever, age ana IN every land, There
have been not a few who, for The reasons
stated, have esteemed Ii. not an act oi con
a.scension ON their part, but rather AS
mark ot peculiar favor conferred, 10 be III
mittcd 10 a pace and 10 have name In the
masonic Brotherhood
/, Is not mere rrctcnsc tn say, That the
mission of masonry Is that al good Will 10
men; IL IL u statement which IL supported
by the record during the march of centuries.
II profscrs aid and encouragement to every
worthy endcavor; IL IS the patrou of what
ever is true and noble; IL extends strong
arm To the weak and helpless; aud IL is in
s,inct with the bsatinrs OF u generous sym
patty for the children OF SORROW nnd want.
Whatever rladions life. whatever alteviates
suffering, Whatever ministers comfort aud
consolation ~ the afflicted and sorrowiBg
in short, whatever gilds the gloom of ouI
earthly hahitalion and scatters beams oil
sunshine on The pathway oil man, finds a
welcome and an expression IN masonry
Whatever - noble aud elcyating In the
rIratlons OF the soul; Whatever Is calculated
10 cultivate and T, fue IN the sphere oil intel
lee; whatever is grand in tho realm OF
thought; whatever Is true and beautiful in
the opera IONS ot mind; whatever Is real and
substantial ~ the product Of human effort,
nccar,is with the rreat central idea oi this
ancien, and time honurcd Institution. To
make men wiser, better and happier; 10 en-
large their sphere oil usefulness, and pro
mote their efficiency, is recognized by every
intelligent mason 10 he the great Object
and purpose vi the order. IL may he said
however, that there are men who art
known rs nasops vino are not good
men, and this sad truth, which no 4, I'd
mason no Scver much he may regret 1t, has
any disposition to pailiaic or disguise. is
doubtless sometimes raised hs an objection
against masonry. And yet il is also fact
not less unfortunate, that there are bad men
who take rank by name aud place In other
relations in life for which they do not pos
sess moral fitness. II would be unreason-
able. however, Ia place this fact To the &C
count oi the relation which they disgrace
rs being in accordance Win its spirit and
aim and in the other case, II is certainly no
less unreasonable to place the improper con
duct of individuals 10 the account OF mason
~, as being in keeping with its sentiment
and purpose. In both cases such statG oil
things is exceedingly unfortunate, and both
are cause oi regret TO all who are upright
IN their department and s,eadfast in their
Integrity. But improper conduct I'm the
part oil Que who bears the name and who
sustatns the reiA',o" ..S hvosh~r thoush
Il may obscure 1t cannot tarnish the mysTir
livery, no more than clouds which Obscure
our vision can blot out the sun Masonic
Lie 10 q hidden spring, whose surface is eve
calm and tranquil Its hcnehcence Is ,
flower Of delicate texture and hue, whicl
blossoms in the garden of the soul, nm,
which IL ever rcdolcnt with the vtgo
and freshness Of an untouched lie
In che solcmn measure Of a reves
tktisl -sefvicc, Its anthem IL an ascvir
sion II epsaise in recognition Of the faiher
hood Of God its prayer is the expression o
desire fer the hcstowment of blessing. il
recognition g, the maiual dependence an,
want II a common brotherhood. / he hid
den lille, Tie inhi INT vital energy ot mason
nv may be accounted tor "a the princiui,
that an approximation toward that whie.
is good and tue does. Y the nature of things
bIiag those vino are thus attrac'ca into NOR,
cif'sc aud intimate relation with each u, her
thereby iDciiiDg to the cultivation oi mu,us
sympathy and trstarnal regsrd. AMI thus
a. heart - Joined To heart in sympathy, anu
tl n'lmt MS OF good will, mystic bone
ol many several links is formed which
u" 20 !" enc The great masonic fraternity
having nn~ obtained o view in the DIS
tahce "i 'emre worthy Of our adp,ira-
uon. and caNshi aor.e rlinpscs Of III, shear.
0iui form ana mawr,hceu, rr,vs~,;cos H.,
w. mol vainiv suppose tia, ". -. -
ell the limits of our oNse,ya,.s.' :. u
forget that We are but prosciS,ss" .i'l
gate; THAT the glories Of the inner , ~ s,le
It's golden pillars, it's candlesticks its sls,.'
and. more than all, its mysterious Holy /"
Holes, are yet beyond Us. And therefor,
let il be remembered, that upon all VIII
stand within this temple gate there res,
The obligation 10 encourage intellectua
culture, TO strive for moral development
and to cultivate and practise every socia
virtue. Whatever 10 calculated 20 exrau
and refine the intellect, whatever tends .
elevate and ennoble the sou3, whateve
clothes human character With grace an
comciiness. should be sought and Improve,
by every man, and especially By every ma
son. He who has passed through the sew
eral degrees OF masonry without being i'm
pressed with more profound sense Of III
Scaliiy Of life. whose heart has not beef
warmed by the IRE Of true and generou
feelings, whose soul has not been thrille,
by the influence Of purs and elevating sen,l
mlenis, Who's inpu;oes hav0 not beel
Quicke1ed U klGhee ord nobler purposes
Who has discovered nothing 70 admire Il
0aeonry but the beauty 81 " sym6cls an
~ uu1emhity o. IL Slelnb UQN hsvs beel
. ~ - leesb excesdinelys dull Of ~
let9eina .Mamau sajoisA A.. l1svss,