Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1869-04-02
eemason

Congress to rciuso charters to any secret usso-
Citations, and to repeal tho law under which
the Masonic Hall Association Of the District
of Columbia obtained its charter.
Tho petitioners based their hostility to the
ancient institution of Freemasonry on several
serious charges, which, if we'll founded, would
have fully justified their action.
Our duty as public journalists, lends us to
examine these charges, as the organization
thus assailed extends over all the world, and
claims to have been established with the
~praiseworthy object of inoulating the prac-
ticc of social and moral virtue.
A careful study Of its history has convinced
us that it is, what it Processes to be, a bcauti-
full system of morality, yelled in allogory and
illustrated by symbols. There are no secrets
as to principles and objects.
The first of the charges referred to, is that
"nasontc associations are dangerous to re-
publican g~ovc,nment." Nothing can be moro
than this.
Monarchy is n hereditary, Frccmasonry an
elective institution. In the ono the sover-
cign, claiming to rule by an Inherited right
divine, is regarded as the fountain of all hon
or and power, in the other, tie people are &C.
knowledgcd to be the only source of control.
All offices in the masonic fraternity, being
in the gift of tho craft. government is strictly
elective, and consequently, republican in its
form and character.
Frccmasonry dangerous to Republican in
stitutions! 1t might as we'll be asserted that
knowledge was dangerous to Freedom. The
true model of a well-ordercd republic is o Just
and duly constituted masonic lodge.
Our own great Washington, the memory
lof whose virtues, valor, and patriotism will
remain forever cnshrinod in the hearts of his
c%ountrymen, was ono of thc greatest orna-
ments of the fraternity. identified, as he
was, with tho institution, if it had been au
tagonistic in its principles or practice to re
publican government, would he have contcn-
ted himself with a presidential chair when he
might have mounted a royal throne?
The wiseacres of Ohio, whose minds it may
be impossible to irradiato with the light of
truth, also assert, that for long tirc, mason
ic societies have directed their efforts, in this
country, towards the support of slavery and
the inception Of rebellion in its behalf. In
reply to this, suffice it to say that every mason
is strictly enjoincd ''to be a peaceful and qui-
ct citizen, h'ac to his government and Just to
has country; not to countcnancc disIoyalty or
rebellion, but patiently to submit to legal au-
thority, and conform with chccrfulness, to tho
government of the country in which he lives"
The charge of melting to rebellion, &C., is,
therefore, as false as that Of "pssTorting the
nation, and forbidding to give tribute to
Cesar" which was brought against the foup-
der of Christianity.
Who docs not know that the essential char.
a~ctcristic of Masonry, when not perverted, is
charity, and that Brotherly lovc, Relief and
Truth, are the corner stones Of the Masonic
Temple? How then can Tint be a pro.slavory
institution, which teach its mombers to aid
the erection of that universal and eternal tenn
pie, which will one day, enclose all humanity
within its precincts 2"
The petitioners say that Frocmasons arc
"bound by barbarous oaths rcpugnant to law,
human and divine"
This is another infamous falsehood. The
solemn obligations which masons voluntarily
assume hayo been entered into by some Of
the wiscst and most ~virtuous mon of all ages
and countries since tho days of King Solo.
mon. Would they have bound themselves
by "barbarous and unlawful oaths 2"
Again, it is charged by tho petitioners
that the yoah of tho country are taught in
masonic lodges 'the pernicious practices of
conspiracy" and that these institutions,
through tho use of vague signsEand symbols,
insidiously calculated to deceive, "habituato
the young and innocent to the ways Of duplic-
ity and Generalization" Tho ~allusion to tho
young and innocent is easily disposed Of as
no one not Of 1ayfM age can be made q ma
sou.
AS to the rest, we have tho best authority
for stating that q desire of knowledge end a
sincere wish of being scryiceable to his fellow
creatures is the "opea sesame" foroyory man
to ovory masonic lodge on tho face of the
globe, and if any evil thing be discountonano
ed by Freomasonry, moro than another, it is
disloyalty, or conspiracy against, lawful gov.
eminent. It's signs and symbols, constitute
o universal language understood by all Ma,