The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-10-12

SPON6seScey 0m8S 092. Atp1eoH u lles
ele % sAesa oSjsea;aas. YSs, ssSu
Qhtistianity, the Mild III ;HaAvSS md
Tho &uilia9 star of nAxt' 'th6 tE4U -
kno&leieea = N .ishssts psslsA tslk
blssai.Ss ef = wise md staAlosS Hod,
was senee he garb enasr; ,vkieh, y1es
sloakaa itseif and ths SisSkssf sassni
tlss were committed, thtssaasss Of the
dsadlieet feuds aud ths AottSst p6asa.
Sattsas which stAin the pages Of hiatasy,
TO man, II sessns lett hy heaven's d.
eree, to Improve OF mar the gifts sf his
Maker. "He 10 to himself BIB own ORR
gin Of evil" Not, then, By their per.
version. but by their Legitimate tSnden.
eiss must we Judge Of Tho .institations
OF men as we'll as Of the proviaeness Of
God.
Hsunsh,ns tsrnsd aside aud brsksn In tAs rill,
Though turned aside L. shanahins stiii."
In this view, then, We may with mere
than confidence ask to be placed aside
the institutions Of msn-@Masonry
from comparison With none Of
them. Judge u by our principles and
by our fruita.
Our principles we have laid bare be-
fore you. We claim not to have fulfilled
"all their regulations In their broad
seope," but We do claim to have ap-
preached nearer to the realisation OF
these "sublime longing. end high sspi-
rations' than any other mere human
institution. And for proof Va. point to
our fruits they speak for themselves.
We ask irst, where has tho Mason
ever been found who was an atheist or
who bowed not, in reverence and awe, to
the Majesty Of Heaven, acknowledging
His Divine Providence in the govern.
ment of the world, and His goodness in
its blessings? I? Uuless he does this, he
is no Mason and hs cannot become
one.
We ask next, where was Masonry
over engaged in plots and conspisscies
against the government I Her children
ia thoir individual capacity and as mon
have often showed themselves tho "Sous
of Graohi." but Masonry rs such can
never forget this grand Fundamental
Lesson, and an unswerving fidelity TO
this great principle has marked her en-
tire history.
Again we ask, when or where has the
Mason ever been found naked, that he
was not clothed by Masons hungry,
that he was not fed by them thirsty [,
that his thirst was not queuched; sick,
that he was not mipistcred to Z; in pris.
on, that he was not visited (; or in want,
that his want was not supplied? Never.
Through all the trials and vicissitudes
of life, where the stoughtest hearts
qusiled and trembled at the rude touch
Of grim poverty and haggard want,
never once has the Mason, his wife or
his little ones had to knock for aid at
the aims house, or chew tho hard crust
of public charity. And when disease
broods over the habitations Of men, and
death looks ghastly in each face, when
terror is in each countenance and the
loud cry of stricken humanity comes
up from every household-when the
pestilence is abroad, never once know
ingly, has the Mason's sick couch been
unsoothed by the haud Of sympathy
never onoei has he beon left to die
alone and uuwept and never once has
his grave failed to be s.rewed with tho
flowers of affection.
When did Mason ever sorrow that
Masons soothed him not /! when was he
ever in distress that we relieved him
mott deceived, that We told him not
the truth; In danger that We ran
not to his assistance (? Never, with pride
we answer, nevor |!
Look At this picture: The demon Of
destruction is abroad. The watchman's
cry Of alarm is heard. The bells ring
The city II on are. Men are running
to aud fro and gathering from every
quarter. Confusion reigns supreme.
The flames rage on-burn on until tho
very elements, seem on FIRE. In the
progress Of tho fire doomed house be.
comes wrapped in the devouring ele-
ment. Its foundation is in ruin, the
flames burst upwards, each and every
passage Of egress Is out off, aud then a
cry Of distress is hoard from within. It
comes from fellow being, from . eid-
o,0s SON.. That cry reaches every ear
and pierces every heart. II comes al
most too late, the black volume is pour
ing from o5ery window, the roof is fall.
ing in, aud almost certain destruction
follows tho attempt at rescue. Every
heart quails aud trembles at tho under>
takingl But it is whispered "he is a
Mason" aud noble, self sacrificing spir.
its, true to. their duty and their prinoiA
pies, leap. to tho effort. And zee The
ladder is on tho window. The danger
,is braved, is met, 10 passed, tho son is
rescued aud the brother saved. It is but
picture, il is true, but the history Of
Masonry contains many such in the
realities it records. And thus, whether
10 Distress by land or by sea-amid the
raging storm that lashes in fury
old oceans waves, or 10 the rage
and carnage Of war, amid the
roar Of cannon aud the noiso aud danger
of the battle field, nevor yet has Mason
known unmoved Mason's danger. Did
time but permit, We could tell Of the
rough sailor, who amid gs fury Of tho
storm, still found room upon his already
overstrained life boat for one more
wrecked voyager, and of tho soldier, who
amid the hottest of the fight turned his