The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-04-01

demands of our nature. Man is al
social being, and Graves fellowship
with his kind. Fellowship begetrD
friendship, softens the heart ana
prompts it to deeds of charity Cha
rity is the eliminating virtue of Ma
sonry, the last round of that mystic
ladder which reaches from earth,
with its gloom and sorrow, to Heaven,
with its everlasting light and JOY.
No social organization can subsist
apart from moral principles and
duties. Hence Masonry naturally
evolves and rests upon them as its
firm foundation. It places upon its
altar the Holy Bible, as great light,
the supreme rule of human conduct.
The fellowships of this world are
transient. Time is constantly with
drawing the objects of friendship and
love. Even the guarded threshold
of q lodge is invaded by terrible
King, who defies the Tyler's sword,
forces his way to the inner shrine,
and hangs over it the sable drapery
of death. Is the grave the goal of
human existence? This question
drew our ancient brethren within the
sacred precincts Of revelation. They
looked mp to the Great Father and
heard His words. "The dust shall
return to the earth as it was. and the
spirit shall return to God who gave
it" Henceforth, the hope Of i'm
mortality became q cherished posses
sion; and Masonry planted upon the
grave the evergreen emblem of an
unfading life. I have thus (said
the speaker sketched the natural
history and shown the rational ge-
nesis of Free Masonry, springing up
amid the simplest necessities of our
, nature, and eliminating in religion.
Art has its ideal of beauty; religion
its ideal of holiness, and Masonry its
ideal of virtue; but none of them is
ever realized in this world. He is
the truest Mason who approaches
nearest to the great exemplar: and
only those who are striving after this
high attainment are worthy to kneel
at the altar, which we, this day, erect
to the Supreme Architect. This ideal
can be reached only by persevering,
daily effort. In the formation of
character, we are operative Masons.
We must work. When the Emperor
Severus lay upon his death-bed, the
terminus of an agitated and toilsome
life, his ruling passion spoke from
his closing lips, whilst he said to his
Observation-Disclosures, qre must aporh."
Let this be the maxim of our moral
and spiritual life-LabOremus we
must work.
The interest and pleasure of the
proceedings were materially added to
by the successful efforts of the choir,
and several Masonic odes were adj
mirably executed. Our Masonic
friends now have place of assembly
which Is an ornament to the city;
and the erection of the building is
substantial monument to one Of the
cardinal principles of the order
charity; as the most of the funds re-
quired for its erection was contribut-
ed by sister lodges in different por-
tions Of the United States-Califor-
mia making q substantial donation,
and Maine responding in an equally
liberal spirit.
The proceedings of the day ended
in Masonic banquet, prepared, as
we suppose, in Mr.. McKenzie's best
style-but, as "we" are, unfortunate
ly, not connected with the mystic
brotherhood. we cannot speak def
nitely of what was provided, said or
done around the festive board.
--~~-o-~ ~>-----No~-~-~---
ONE FARE.-We are authorized to
state that delegates to the Democratic
State Convention, in Columbia, to
be held on the I'd Of April, will be
passed over the railroads, to and fro,