Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-04-27
LECTURE LAsg NIGHT.
Subisct---"Free I~nVestastics and Candid
and Fair DisGdssianF

The lecture of =. A. Tyler, Esq, deliv-
cred last night at the Masonic nall of the
S. NJ. Lodge, was on the subject of the
Importance of free investigation and can
did and fair discussion He said that men
were educated unwittingly to themselves
and their characters forming when they
least suspected it. That the masses of
men adhered to old customs and prac-
tees with such tenacity as to make pub
lie sentiment run in grooves, and that
they reached similar conclusions, leaving
very much the trouble OF thinking to
their leaders. Thus motive to conceal
ments made slsves adopts at deception,
and men held religious and political SEN
timents according as they might live in
despOtic or free, and Christian or MahOm-
medan countries. He compared races,
and said that The European was the supe-
rior, as is indicated by the advance he has
made in religion, science and the arts.
That the ocean Of truth lay before
him, wherein he could at most but enter
on the threshold and gather a few pearls
and Jewels and diamonds, with all the
exertiOns and aids which could be fur
nished him. And that q was his right
and duty to search for truth unrestrained.
He denied that any man should bind an
other, and put clogs Ia the way Of his
progress, or claim that something he con-
jectured to be true should be accounted
false for no better reason than that some
thing else is accredited and held as true
with no better right han that which was
his own. He said that men quarreled
oYer what was not generally conceded
with a vehemenee which grows greater in
exact proportion TO its unlmportance.
Thai it would be a novelty to find an oc-
casion wherein a man should be able to
speak out his thoughts without fear Of IN
popularity or injury and yet that opinions
were not crimes, and hat men would an
swer for their. actions rather than for
what they had thought to be true. The
conseQuenc was that societies, lodges
and churches contained a share of hypo-
critics bearing a large proportion to the
numbers who remained unafiliated. He
insisted that to give men liberty of
thought was to have more honesty In the
expression of thought, and that by giving
more liberty te 10 truthful, so much
would be done to make them so. he be-
Heved that men should be encouraged to
the free utterance of all their disbeliefs
and doubts, and the more any great truth
was attacked the more IL would grow
stronger and stronger, and shine out like
the sun. That the best way to convince a
man was first to hear his arguments, and
thea answer them; and that the
beA way to destroy false opinions
was to bring them into the field
where the artillery Of reason could NOW
them down. he said that no man denies
God, that ifhe was to designate the truest
line Of der9areatiop between the human
race and the inferior animals he should
AXE as the surest guide the conscious
ness of Deity; and that he would sooner
believe a monkey immortal who should
look upward toward heaven, han a man
who always groYeled downward with
his snout TO the ground. He referred to
the Masonic rule which required that the
Book of the Law" should constitute an
indispensable part OF the furniture of the
lodge. In this and most European eeun-
tries that book was the old and new tes-
tRments. But in q country where Juda-
ism was the prevailing faith the old testa-
ment would be Sufficient, and in
a Mohammedan country the Koran.
The "Book of the Law, 'so-called, was that
volume which, by the religion of a par
tieular country, is believed to contain the
revealed will of the Grand Architect of
the Universe. Masonry did moi interfere
beyond this with the faith of its disciples.
The reason he said was that no more was
essential TO its mission of benevolence.
He thought the same law of liberty might
be advahtageously carried into all OhrlS-
tian communities and into social life.
He thought the surest way TO prevent
universal scepticism was to encourage
universal freedom in the expression of
thought, and let every msn bring with
him the false or true reasons on which his
convictions were founded that others may
Judge as wen as himself, ''Fhe greatest
good of the greatest number" he said, /
was not more the law for the government
Of the statesman than its observance hy
was an indispensable eondi-
ton of individual happiness.