The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1869-03-05
Freemasonry.

was presented to the Senate, the latter part
Of last month"; praying Congress to refuse
charters to any secret associations. and to
repeal the law under which the Masonic Hall
Association of the District of Columbia OBJ
taned its charter.
The petitioners based their hostility to
the ancient institution Of Frccmasonry on
several serious charges, which, if well found
ed, would have fully justified their action.
Our duty as public journalists leads Ms to
examine these charges, as the organization
thus assaied extends over all the world, aud
claims to have been established with the
praiseworthy Object of intoxicating the pruc
tiee of social ANA moral virtue.
a CAREFUL study of its hsiory has conyi c.
ed Us that it is, what it pr,is,ses ia be,
beautiful system Of morality, veicd in ale
CORY and illustrated by SYMBOLS. There are
no secrets AS to its principles and objects.
The FIRST of the changes referred to, is that
''mas)nic associations are dangerous to re-
publican governments" Nothing can be
more untrue than this q.
Monarchy is hereditary, Frcemasonry an
elective institution. In the one the sove-
reign, cllimng to rule by an inherited right
divine, is regarded as the fountain of all
honor aud power, in the other, the people are
acknowledged to be the only source of con
troll
All Offices in the masonic fraternity, being
in the gift OF the craft, government is strict
ly elective and consequently republican in
its form ard character.
Freemasonry dangerous to Republican IN.
stituti, rs! 1t might as we'll be asserted that
knowledge was dangerous TO Freedom The
true model Of wei-ordercd rrpnhl,c is
Just and duly constituted masonic lodge
Our own great Washington. the memory
Of whose virtues, valor, and patriotism Will
remain forever rnshrinpi in tie hearts Of his
cOun,rrmen, was one OF the greatest Urna-
menls of the fraternity. Identified as be was
with tn. institution, il it had bcen antagOD-
.tic in its principles or practice to rrp.bli
can government, wOnli he have contentcd
himself with presidential chair when he
might have mounted Il royal throne?
The wis, acras OF Ohio whose minds it m " he
impossible to irrilIUte with the light OF truth
also asserts tAAt for long time masonic
societies have directed their riiO'ts IN this
county towards the support Of slavery ami
the incnltlOn Of rebellion in its behalf In
reply to this snfiic" it to say that every
mason is strictly cnioned to ie peaceful
'an quiet citizen, true to his government
and just to his country; not to cOuntpnaUce
dsloyaty or rebellion, but patiently to sub.
nit to legal authority, and CONFORM with
chcerulness to ih" government o! tle cOUn.
Try in which he lives The charge Of incit
ing TO rebeiiioc, &c, ia therefore, as tal,e
Is that OF preventing tlc nation, and for
bidding 10 give tribute TO Cesar which was
brou.hi agaius, the founder OF Christianity.
VINO docs not know that the essential char
actcrastic of Masonry, when not perverted.
i, charity. and that IjRorIEELY LOVE. EE.
LIEF ANp rRUFu? How then can that hr
a pro-layery institution, which teaches its
munihcIs to aid ia the erection # that uni
versal aud eternal temple, which viii. one
day, enclose ALL HUMANITY with its precincts?
The petitioners say that Fre"mosoua are
'bouud 10y harharon5 oaths rrpas'aut to iaw,
human and divine.
This is another infamous faishood The
solemn Obligation, which maSous voluntarily
a;sumr nave be"u entered into by some oI
the Mis"ot and most yIrtnuus men uf I'll ages
and countries siuce days Q. King : ,iomom -
Would THEY have bound themselves by bar
barous anI unlawful! ouths?'
Again, il is charged By the petitioners
that TIE YoUru Of the c0nEtry are taught in
masonic lodges 1.-THE pcriicious practices of
conspiracy and that these institutions,
thrOTgl the usn of vague signes aud symbols,
iusdiuu,ly calculated tO deceive, "habituate
the yUuHg aud the innocent TO the way. Of
dupiicy and decentralization. The aluSlOn
to the young and the innocent is easily dis
posed Of is no Que NOT OF LAWFUL AGE can be
made mason.
As to the rest, we have the best authority
for stating that II desire OF knowlrd re aud Il
sincere wish OF being servicdhle to his fellow
creatures is the 'orEN SESAME" for every man
to every mn,onc lodge on the rica Of the
globe, and if any evil tllng he discount IL
anced hy Freemasonry, more than another.
1T is dIsi0yalty, or conspiracy asinst lawful
government It's signs and symbols cOnst-
tute a universal language understood 10y all
MasOns. True they are secret anI ineviOla-
BIZ. THIS, however, is manifest necessity,
for were il otherwise how could one mason
know another with whom he was previously
untcqudintrd, with certainty. Tne signs aud
symbols are only vague TO the uuiuitiatcd,
but to masons instructed IN those du les to-
wards God and man which masonry ihcuI-
Gates, they are full Of meaning. truth aud
power. Wherever the ligliS of knowledge
has dispelel the mists Of ignorance, or the
the touch of science revealed the hidden
wonders of creation, or an altar been erect
ed t. the great Architect of the Universe,
there masonry cXerts its benign i,fluence
uni ing men in an adamantine bond of
"BROTHERLY LOVE
"The sacred tic which virtuous spi-its bind,
That golden ch in which links immortal minds"
''Vague signes and symbols" do they call
them! "lIcnce, says well informed ma
sonic author--''mauy advantages are de-
rived; the distant Chinese, the wild Arab,
and the American savage, will embrace a
Brother Briton, eud know that, besides the
common ties of humanity, there is still a
stronger obligation to induce him to perform
kind and friendly Offices In llne, the sacred
tenets of the order are so entirely incompa
TABLE with implety aud immortality that none
but "a truly good man can be Il GOOD MASON
i Mercantile journal.
--s-----
The Rev. Charles Brooks father Of the
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