The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-11-23
MasONIC INTELLIGENCE.
INTERESTING CEREMONIES.
Address of Past Master c. e. Chichester.

Address of Past Master c. E. Chichester
On Saturday afternoon, an extra communl
cation of Pythagorian Lodge, No. 21, was helt
at Masonic Iiall, at P. NJ, in order to take
leave Of their Worshipful Master, G. E. Chi
chester. who leaves Charleston this afternoon
to enter into business in st. Louis. Tht
LODGE room was crowded with the members
this Lodge, and also Of Delta Lodge OF Per
fection of the Ancient Scottish Rite, OF winch
Brother Chichester was also Master, anc
which thus united with Pythagoran Lodge IL
| farewell meeting. A large number OF visit
ing brethren we're present, among whom We
noticed Brother r. G. NJ. Henry Bulst; II. s.
Bruins, Grand Secretary ; Brother Paddon, "
NJ. Tyre Lodge; Brother A. I. Smythe, W.
III. Strict Observance Lodge; Brother Styles, r
M. Franklin Lodge; Brother Bartlett, P. III
Pythagorean Lodge; Brother Levin, W. NJ
Friendship Lodge, and many others.
The Lodge having been duly opened, Brother
Chichester arose and SAID:
My Beloved Breltren-I have called TO-
gether this Lodge in extra communication this
evening for the purpose of saying to you but
one word; q word easily pronounced aud often
uttered by us all, but which find to be the
| most difficult word to utter, upon this occa-
sion, in the entire vocabulary Of the English
language. That wort is, farewell: In The
providence Of the Almighty Ruler Of The Uni
verse, circumstances beyond my control COM
pei me to lesve this our beloved City by the
Sea, and seek another home among strangers
stranger in q strange land. This parting
from this Lodge is TO me an unusually sad and
sorrowful one. Within this Lodge received
my new birth into Masonry; in this Lodge l
beheld my first Masonic light; in this Lodge
I have enjoyed sweet communion with you all,
have shared your joys and your sorrows, have
labored with you in its upbuilding to its pre-
sent enviable position, and in this Lodge l
have received all the honors :. was IN your
power to bsstow upon me, e;en to the dlstln-
guished honor and pleasure OF presiding over
| its CELEBRATIONS, during the LAST Masonic year,
as its Worshipful Master. I had looked for
ward in the future to many years OF happy and
pleasant intercourse among you, and had
hoped long to labor in the interests OF this
our beloved Lodge-but all my bright antici-
pations are destined to be untul6lled.
In parting from you my beloved brethren, ut
this time, so much do feel tho separation,
and so deeply are the innermost recesses ofmy
heart stirred, that I cannot find words to e1-
press myself, and my feeling completely. OYER
poa ers me. would you could see into my
soul, you would find it torn, and lacerated. ani
bleeding with anguish. You would find such
deep emotion as can only find relief in tears,
unmanly though they may seem, and, feel
assured, that If were to give way to the feel
ings which now crowd my breast, you would
blush for the unmanlness OF your Master.
It has been my privilege to form many dear
81. 80 noso orln fr0T1
whom find it most difficult to part, yet the
separation from all Of them combined is as
nothing compared with the pang teel in Sc
parating from you. I have comrades in this
community who shared with me many perils,
and you who have stood shoulder 10 shoul-
der IN hours o. imminent danger, with death
on all sides, know what strong feeling of
shared the dangers with you, and how You
have felt that gladly would you sacrifice
YOUR own life could it but spare your
comrade. From all these can part.
Other associates and friends I have in the
BUSINESS marts and in the social circle, from
whom can also part; but from the Brother
hood OF this, our cherished Lodge, feel as
though could not separate. And yet 1t must
be so. The word must be spoken, the hand
must be grasped tor the last time, and I must
tear myself away from you oil, probably never
to look into your faces again-never moro to
enjoy sweet communion with you. Our courses
in life must hereafter widely divorge, and
while you still continue from month to month
to meet together and enjoy each others society,
shall be far away in my Western home.
Let me make of you, my dear brethren of
Pythagorean Lodge, but one request, and
shall feel somewhat reconcilei to my lot. Do
mol forget me. Rest assured that the counte-
nance OF every individual member Of this
Lodge is indellibly and nefaceably engraved on
my heart, and often shall dwell with fond re-
memb brance upon the many happy hours we
have here enjoyed. And oh, how pleasant it
will be to have the assurance that you, my
brethren, are sometimes thinking OF me. To
feel that my name is mentioned among you
when you meet together.
would that could convey to you the love
and affection I feel towards you, and believe
me when I say that it is deeper and more ardent
than that to many of my own kindred. The pecu-
liar circumstances OF past years have alienated
from me those of my Own flesh and blood but
their places have been filed by you, my Ma
SONIC brethren, and I could at this moment
part with them far easier than l can with you,
strong and unnatural as the assertion may
appear.
however, to show forth most beautifully and
emphaticaly, the beauties of our blessed
Order. Where is there another human organ
ization that can bind man to man and brother
to brother like Masonry? How often have yud
heard the invocation "Let brot' ~ love pre-
vail, and every moral and social virtue cement
u.s." And, truly, here brotherly love has pre-
vailed, and here virtue has cemented US.
And now, my beloved brethren of Pythago-
rean Lodge, let me, In parting with you, urge
you to rene wed zeal and ardor in the cause Of
Masonry. Do not weary in weil-doing. Per-
form punctually and promptly every duty which
may devolve upon you. But above all, ever
practice Charlty. To relieve the distressed,
and to aid the widow aud fatherless, should be
your constant end and aim. I shall watcn this
Lodge from my distant home with jealous
eye, and my best wishes will ever attend its
prosperity.
To you, my brethren of Delta Lodge, of the
A.. A. S.. R.. permit me also to express my
warmest wishes. Labor on vigorously and
untiriugly in your efforts to build up Scottish
Rite Masonry in this city. The noble lessons
which it inculcates, and the beautiful ceremo-
MES connected with it. should and must ere
long commend themselves to the attention OF
every Mason who loves Masonry for itself aud
Who aspires to become o perfect Mason. Be
not discouraged by the seeming difficulties
which environ you, but press on, labor on and
you will succeed. And lot me here remind the
brethren assembled, that Scottish Rites Ma
sonry is in no way antagonistic to Masonry OF
of the York Rite. They are one and the
same; they go hand in hand together,
and nhould always 30 exist In parting
with YOU, 7 am separating from many
whom / love and esteem; many who have labor
ed with mo in esa Jllshing Scottish Rite