Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-02-04
MASONIC ADDRESS,
NJ HoN AsHhh VVuAg
Delivered on tho occasion Of the Dedication
OF tho New Masonic Hall, at Per.
rysburg, January, IL, 1870,

. AtNHe uceiFc 10 FclNtN 10 NOu tuNtf thnnkh fOl
/ your presence Anl mid On the ptescnt occasion
/ and my own feelings prompt me n add broth.
/ er's welcome u this sacted rctrsat 4 wclcunI,
not only to this Hall and the festivities " this
| occasion, but welcume tn our town, where the
lights OF Masonry hAve aided to disp I the Abo.
riginal darkness, which Tor ages burg over for.
est and tuuntsin, river ani hillside, while non,
but the Indian disputed Sovereignty with thc
less savage animals which fell prey to his av-
arlce or his Appetite
But yesterday wc had among MS those who
saw the primc,al forest IN all It's lu1uriance vi
foliage and stately majesty of griwth, asserting
dDnlniun over the spot whcfp we have Tonight
50 auspiciously dedicated ills temple to the ho-
" Saints John, in the interest VI the peaceful
arts, And here may II stand through nll com.
ing ages, IN testify for Uud anl Humanity.
Here may the weary brother Rnd rcst aud the
needy relief. Here may peace reign supreme.
Here may Virtue lnA protection, and Industry,
aud Sobricty, aud Honesty their reward. May
the virtue OF the Craft here be such, that all
who turn th,ir eyes hiihcrwarl shal confess
the excellence tf the Order.
Upon uccisiUns like the present, II Is peculiar.
ly appropriate tu louk back on the llstry ui the
| Order, aud see whether IL has existed un the
| earth lor gpud ur evil
In all ages 1t has numbered amongst It's mem
| bes men of tho mnat exemplary virtue. men 0I
| Nsd IN, men who have devoted their lives Ia
the amcliOratiun OF the condition Of their fellows,
| And nearly all thnse ointment men. whose names
| have become hunsrhuld words, such M the
| Saints john, Solomon, Washington and Lafa-
| yrttS aul en- innumrrahlc nuinber of the most
eminent dvinrs have been Masons - while all
that other class Of names, the bare mention of
which causes shudder to rrn over the body -
men whose names hav9 bcculnc odiuus to man
kind -~havc been tie most deadly enemies 10
the institution o; Masonry. Men nutcd for their
cruelty aud love Of bloodshcd have never been
l.. I. - L..
was breathing vengeance Hnd slaughter against
the Christian, was no Musou. Nero, who fil-
dl 4 while Rome burned was not u. Mason T;
neither was the bloody ivrud or the cruel Potter
OF Russla.
Tho pr 9rcss Of the arts owes, much to Ma
slury. Ia the dark ages, when man feared his
nqighbor, and hid from him his knowledge rs
well as his treasures ii was nul among Mhsuns
that thcre could De \ free interchange Of thought
By which alone the urta and sciences eau he dc.
ycloppd.
To many, tho early formation nul tho long
continuance uf Free Masonry sccm 81 mystrri
Gus, that they look upon tho institution with a
Kind OF adherence, as II it had hGen brought
into existence and Is now sustained by sumc
evil power. But such forget that there are cyi-
denccs either OF divine origin and the sustain
ing power Of Uud. ur that 1t was formed upon
lhe philosophical requirements oi man, nnd 50
int'fwoven into his very nature IA to render
tTANltAtINll VT utNlTNClltU ltnpOASlUIe.
In the ently history aud savage state Of man
kind, We Bnd 1t broken nto hostile TRIBES mud
clans IA stiti from which no gond can result,
but one in which war was tho constant aud in
GrtNblp consequence. TWAS, therefore nccoa-
sarr that this pfimCvR state Of society should
he broken down, aud the inhabitants Of the
earth restored 10 that oneness so essentially v
neccssary for the progress aud development
OF the mGher faculties Of the mind. Aud
without stopping now IT, inquire how this
was begun, it IS sufficient for us To rccopn the
Tact, and knowing its beuchcrnt effects ON tho
race tp preserve aud purprtultc an institution
50 much nlcdcd amongst mankind.
The various conditions ol society and the diff
tdrcut organizations in the rarious nations have
given rise tn much phlosrphiZing upon the or
gnnizotion of society IN its earliest and rudcst
periods. The hopes and fears df mankind have
been takun nB the bass of all associations In
this, however, there il evidently an error. The
Author nf our being has implanted in our bo.
SONS n love Of cnmpanionslip, which cold AMI
unsympathiEing Philosophy can not solve, and
| whch nothing but the cordial welcome of
| Friendships unsuspieibnE smile can gratlfy
| II ia this desire to meet the frirnd where grief
| may bo uDbnsoncd aud pleasure shared, which
! causes man to look out upon society aud draw
from the crowd cougonial spirits with whom 10
smoothe the rugged path Of life.
II we should anayEe a nation, we should find
l
Lagos, but each Of these subdivdcd into socic-
ties, communities, visiting neghborhoods and
social circles aud all those based not indeed on
| the sopcs and fears Of those who compose then,
| out upon the peculiar social feelings Of tho
| membrrs Of whom they are constituted nut il
| Masonry Is founded On the social faculty IL is
asked, Why are not all mon Misons2 Because
all mn are not rrcshytcians or Mrthodists
| Nor do all men meet in the same sOcnl circle
Each selects those Nr his companions who
, have the most traits ot character in common
with himself lienc, the Christian seeks tho
Christian for his companion the gambler, tho
! gambler; and tho drunkard finds his bon com.
| punion at the bar, or beside the bottle. Men of
| literary tastIS, or literary clubs and snci-
cites for the advancement of knowledge aud tho
/ sprrAt or sciruu5.
Agrcutursts, those engaged in the tillage of
| tho SOIL form agricultural societies Tor the col.
| lection aud dissemination of the knowledys or
| their art Aud similarity OF pursuits among
mon always hegctS corresponding similarity
| OF thought and action.
Thus It ever has been AMI ever will bc with
mlnkind. There is not school or u work kshop
| whore this principle Of association In not an
! piled aud carried oul. In 0ur youth we com
! mencc selecting our associates. share lifc's
joys with them iu manhood, and cherish them
| even in our age.
Who then, IN view ofthis, will SAY there l.,
oNi IN the formation of benevolent societies 2
Tho man who takes this ground is grossly ip.
nnrant of the nature and wants of man.
Or, who is there that will ask for the dcs,ruc.
tion ut u single society whose object ia the els,
Nau"n or sme'iora,inn OF tho condition ot man
/ KIND trust mt Que, Who would be willing
to see one church with lordlv head crushine
/ ou' all life from the body of Christianity, or a
/ single government with central orraniI Atom
! grinding the subj 'ct with opprc.s and max.
! inS mncServ OF Freedom. No not these; tor
/ IN the diversity Of our societies MS in the diver.
shy ol onr pursuits, consists the purity Of our
/ religion, the disincrcStedncsS af nur charity
and the unseliShncss of our patriotism,
When, therefore, We, as Free and Accented
MaSons, step aside from the usual routine or or.
I dinnry life, and tolm ourselves into a society oC
/ brothers, Ior social aud benevolent purposes wc
4 are but carrying out the gicat social Lrnciplc
/ OF our nature. but while many agree that 40.
. ciabihty IN man is an evidence Of his divine or
; igln, aud the great nucleus about which all hi,
hopes o Immortality cluster they still object Ia
I Masonry because II is n secret organization
This prejudice, ! am glad however To saw, has
been fast wearing away before the spread
OF knowledge, un,il We have reached period
IN the worlds history, when liberation guided
by enlightened reason, allows all sects anL dc.
nominations OF men to publicly announce ia,
objects ul their suciil urgauizttilns
And though Masonry is, bcyoul all dnuht
. the unCNt urganN ltl0u ut men, and one which
has existed al all periods q. the worlds history
itS objects are the least understood and the mos,
| mlsryprrStn'od, McH, isuo-ant ur its aims and
! unwilling "a inform themselves on the subject
J hoN MP i,s mysteries as iupcrtcctionS and seek
70 give 1t the fatal blow, while fnr their n,lir,
naot hate, they beg 'he shadow o( it's unbound
ed charity.
Unable to equal its merits, anl too ungener
Gus to acknowledge its excellence, they would
destroy tr"m spite what they can not control b,
cunning Tms, however, can bt Justly said o
but small portion ot our comnlun ty the prvat,,
p'rt OF Ihose who do net unto with us hring In
tae most part injih rent observers a. nur l,bors
or IN many instances warm friends. Indeed
tie Order counts amnnsSt the unnidAIcd som,
of it, warmeSt friends r. those who with upligs,
La Jda bid us. God speed
To some the mysteries of Masonry scam n,
o6sitclS TO its prgnSs. liut To- the initiated
, Masonry ceases ~ Lc a mVstrtv, aud all tina
whlch before Was conjecture, an all the man
! curious and Wonderful things which the ina Vi
nat,nN has conceived To itself NnishcS when th
reality IS Opened in all tS beauty b,G,rr then
: Bgt g. tae uninntatcd. tho working oC the Graz
stu remains mystery, nutwIIh standing Ga