The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1871-04-01
What Maso.ery - Dene, Can ID,
AaA WIN NJ.


--A
The following really exquisite
extract We teke from tho address
delivered before the Grand Lodge
Of Illinois, by Bro. Joseph Robins,
when Grand Orator.
1t eloquently depicts the great
ibeauties and advantages Of the &c.
cret system Of the Masonic Society.
and can not with sny degree Of
truth be rcfuted or disputed:
The subtle, md e6nabie lnnuence,
the quick. apprehensive sympathy,
engendered by the possession o:
common secret held sacred and in
violable, can never be fully COM
pretended by those who have not
themselves felt it, mystic power.
1t quickens the impulses of chari-
~, sharpens the sense OF integrity,
soften the asperities OF political
warfare. tones down the dogmatio
acrilnony of theological discus
sions, mitigates the horrors Of war,
and prompts to deeds OF truest
chivalry-of ecnerous self -socrifce.
Many tombstone, standing where
pestilenee has blazed its desolating
way through crowded cities, is bat
o monumental record Of the self
sacrificing spirit thus developed.
A striking illustration of its infiu-
ence came under my own observa-
ton q few years since. In Q rural
district, where the very name of
the disease is terror. Macon fell
! sick with smallpox. He WAS de-
serted by all save one young man,
bound to him only by the Masonic
tie, who watched over him while
living, and alone cast the ever
green into his early grave. A few
days later this young man came to
the city suffering with the initial
fever OF the disease and asked me
TO take him TO the pest house, to
remain until the danger Of injecting
his friends was past. In answer to
my questions he told me how be
had contracted the, disease remark
ing that 1.-THE man was a Mason
and he couldn't see rim Tie there
and suder without care" He made
NO ado about it, and seemed un
conscious that he had performed an
act OF elf-sacrihcing devotion re-
curing the highest type Of cour.
age. 4aa 43 ,F<5ra g q
This young man's surroundings
the atmosphere of his daily life
had not been Of an eleyating char
acter. Mere than likely he neg
lected the mint. arise, and cum
min Of the law, and might hav,
been termed . reprobate BY thos,
who adhere rather to the lette
which killeth. shan to the spiri
which giveth life; bat this compel
ling power of Masonry had takel
root in his heart and blossome.
into deeds redolent Of the swee
odors of charity, and blessed in tn
sight Of Heaven. The influence o
this sweet spirit-I might almos
say this instinct of brotherhood
in mitigating the horrors Of war, i
attested by well-know instances
and many more are known only t.
those who were parties to them
| It snatched Putnam from the tor
turing hands of his captors in til
old French war. It more than ono
unnerved the arm of Butler, wher
with Brandt and his savage 70
lowers, he swept with fire an
sword the lovely valley Of the Wy
oming. 9
! IS 1%st = -.
1 1t was this spirit which sent th
heroic Kane on his crusade again.
the elements, far up in the region
Of eternal ice, in . vain attempt
rescue his brother, Sir John Franl
lin, a forlorn hope, whose sad re
cord shines on the page Of histor
with br;llaincy which pales I'll
very Aurora whose dancing ray
beckoned him to this crownin
chivalry Of the century.