Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-11-28
THE NEW
Laying the former stone Of tEae
Central Baptist Church.
Interesting Masonic Ceremonies

EEPIAt 70 NuE mere OuLtkEens
! The Grand Lodge was convened acoor-
ding to the order published Ia the AP-
PEAL, and marched 10 the place where
: the stone was to be laid, and where there
q were already about five hundred persons
assembled
At the building the procession opened TO
the right 9nd left, ard ~uDcOTeFing, Bro.
Wheeler, the Deputy Grand Master and
the deputy grand officers passed through
q the lines to the platform after which
the brethren termed around them In 3
hollow square.
@ The Rev. Bro. Burns then addressed the
J., &ssemblsge as follows:
ADDRESS BY BRO. Mr.. BURNS.
Could we take our stand amid the stately
tombs Of buried centuries, and cause the
dynastiesofalltimet TO pass in grand review
before US, we would see that Masonry has
, stood immutable amid the mutations Of
all things earthly. PrimeFsl Masonry Jeff
her footprints on the valley OF the Nile.
She saw Egypt in the pride OF her glory,
that land of Tcndrous deeds and sacred
rec0HectiOns, on whose affairs the lamp
OF knowledge flrst burned, with her
thousand temples, cities ana OEecles. Slit
saw her in the darkest days OF her idGla-
try, ignorance sad superstition. She
witnessed the downfall Of her Thebss,
AACA 1AEALkF4AEH AEA 1RAAAA az e Va 1NaG
Ct Ammon. Masonry left her record on
her aspiring pyramids, which yet stand
as monuments Of q misguided ambition,
and relics of her glory may yet be found
among the CTumbiiDg ruins OF Bcli0poiis.
Masonry waved her banner over the
plains OF India, the hills o. Chaldea and
the mountains Of Judes; and, though
the magnificent temple built by King
Solomon, whose spleDdOr beggsTGeG the
descriptive powers OF JOsePhus, 8 Levy
and s ZenCphop, hSs long since beea
laid 10 ruins flor the Mosque CT Omar nOw
stands where the temple Of Cad Oncs
stood, yet Mount MoriEh looms up in
unrivslied sublimity and glory, and tells
Us, amid her surrounding desecrs.IOn,
that Masonry once crowned her brow
with the finest specimen OF architectural
skill the world ever saw.
The Moor, the Hindoo, the Asiatio and
the Russian, have worn her insignia.
She listened TO the matches reasoning
Of DsmOsthsnes, snd drank in the rica
streams of the ~eiGQueuce of Cicero. She
heard the first tones that ever proceeded
from Homer's soBndin 2 harp which have
come echOing down the corridors of time
/ 70 US. Sine listened TO the last strains of
/ glorious music which, ike dying echoes
floating far, fingered on cisssiC shores.
She saT Rome sitting upon her eve
hills in queenly pride, and ruling the
gorid from her throne OF beauty. she
san the wings OF Rome's proud eagle,
which hgu fetched from Ethiopia TO the
Gsrmsn ocean, efrsuI-1 ant siIlcESn 70
the earth by the vnltures OF tcs HCl-@sID
forest, and heard the last echo 81 re
Gsnicss' voices as they sounded in lie
halls Of thoughtless TevelTy. Masonry
saw the starry throne O. the SsraceD
rrlh az into d1a- Eha huz EsVFVTFvan :
Athens Rnd Lscedemon, for they are 10
more. She saw the land CT yRiOr, OF
orRtOTy, AID Of cong, bow 70 the bloody
Crescent q d listened 70 the ~ Get
strains OF the mnses on the nov ioyless
plains Of Olympus.
Since Masonry had an existence Whist
changes v taken place IN the world?
True, the same heavens sparkle in
brightness sld beauty above heads,
the sun still opens the dEyt the moon
leads OF She night, the esTth smiles With
beauty aud veTduTe beneath our feet, sad {
the seasons still run their snnuSl rounds
and produce the golden harvest. Bat ali {
else have changed Kingdoms, en-
pires, and still inishfisr dyDsslies have /
risen, h0urished snd passed away before {
the c~onquaring hand OF time, and are {
only knogn IN song and story. How
lru5hfully did Byron sirg: :
The isles OF Greece. :
Where burning Sappho loved AID sing, 7
here grew the aTts OF va- and peace, !
Mherc pelrs lose and PEUbus SPruEg- q
bts. mai simmer giios them yet, .
Bot all exeepttheiF sun is set" I.
But Masonry still lives. II passed the :
Sea, and recognized the orders Of >
he sgs Of chiVslTy, when brave men !
we're stimulated "a deeds Of noble daring =
BY fair women the days CT the shield 4
the lance, when men gioried in high =
and richly CapGgisoned stesds, \
piunes, emblazonsd shields, :
~peHoants, streaming in the wind, =
the scarf, that beautiful emblem of =
sdy-l0ye, their motto, HONOR AND THE y
AIDES. 7
Masonry lived 80 tGa old world smid r
evolutions which shock stars l-Om their -
,rbits, and suns from their systems. Il M
rossed he mighty waters, and found 3 Il
lone IN the new world, where it hes r
and dcUrished under the genial n
avs OF the sun Of RepCbiicanism, And =.
O-day we see here the representatives OF a.
his ancient and tims-hcDore6 Order, in .,
modern MEMPHIS, on the banks Of y,
be Eiis o. America, laying the corner al
tone OF > temple being erected to the -
Of the only tTue and living God. -
Brethren Of the fraternity, lnemEeTs OF \,
ne Central Church, "a friends OF this n
lOble enterprise, l congratulate you on ;,
our zeal, Kbsralitg 6D3 devotion in so ~
iOole q cause. May the walls Of this sa- a.
red edihoe sO0n rise il al their be2uti- -
nj proportions, sud as the spire lifts ;
~heavenward, around which Days ri
sst beams lingeT IN departing glory, msy (,
/ say to every passer-by That God still M
las a people on earth who delight to -
snd serve him. az
Rabbi Fusks, Grand Chaplair, then de- BE-
.vsred the following prayer; OF
Almighty God, Supreme Architect Of Gil
be UniveTsei We thank Thee for the CT,
peoiai privilege Of being again called to- N
CSher fog the Doble purpose OF assisting Ii
'ay cnsidFen ia the Building Of q house ne
} be dedicated 10 Thy seryice. Look sci
own, we pray Thee, In loving kindness ii
ON Thy holy abode, and vSuchssie W
nto US Thy blessing in the work before fol
3. While the nation, throughout the Nj
myth and breadth OF this land, bows Br
efOre Thee this day, in deep humility an
I'D profound gratitude, acknowledging 70.
lelr Indebtedness to Thee for ell the
they severally enjoy, we have art
here under the vaulted canopy III
( Thy heavens t. otter unto Thee a sa- pu
red sdifies as an humble token Of graft Gle
lde for the visible manifestation o. Thy sio
DtulrH5s We AA1Ws 4hACcls W htAAs NJ
lat "rhine is the earth aud ell the ful. wi
ess thereof "-that unto Thee, who art sgI
ie giyeg Of every good and perfect gift, dis
eloDg El that We ere and have, and dis
lat Whatsoever va oler unto Thee will Nj
My serve for our own coed and welfare. Col
'et weuid we ask Thee to occupy tbs Br
anctuaTy that we are about 70 erect cui
ITO Thee, lot for Thy benefit, but for lee
ls temporal and spiritual veal Of Thy tru
hildEen. Fer in this do we recognize Bis
distinguishing grace, in thst Thou
BY Thine ~secsptspce the tenn Len
oral means BY which vi strive TO attsin
&c higher and Bobler ends of cur exist dis
bee. Delgn, then, most merciful Fa- ds.
.eT, TO look with grace and favor upon ins
20 pions undertaking Of Thy faith. tbt
I children. Bless shsIT handiwcik, ME
lat it may indeed rebound TO the rae
snest q man aud the Qualification of MT
" wisdom and love. Let the ali-seeing lib
e q Thy benign Providence rest Bpoa the
is stosas, and cause 1t 10 become the Ssh
.rner stone Of sll that 10 true and lovely co!