The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-06-15

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society In bYgone ages which is still seen Ia many OF
our modern pames and customs. They studied ma
the flowers that bloomed along their pathways from
their calendar saints or some supposed connection
with Christianity either in creed or legend making
Some holy deed or martyred saint.
"one blossom mid it's leafy shade
AND a5sR ons Rb bPSry onp al ROgsnysGd sfi%.on dyed
Spoke Of Saviour cruchsd;
This little forest flower brought
What though in our prides selfish mood
We hold those times dark and rude,
EEssding ESd I,sI% more 2s sTsteipl f. q refined
OF leftier or of holier Thought
Than Than t they % who gave .ublimest power power ,n
But with whatever falcies they decorated their
religious doctrines and customs, the pillar Of their
In remembrance Of this their sacred words OF
friendly greeting on Christmas were, "Christ is
rlsen Tnls brightest gem In the diadem OF ancient
Christian knighthood is day jewel in the casket
OF American Templar Masonry. brighter one
cannot De added till the coming OF that nnal morn
when the Son OF Righteousness shall again arise,
and Masonry, Christian knghthood, and revealed
religion be swallowed up in the enuigence OF It's
i have spoken of the traditionary ancient alliance
corded pnion Of these oTSapkatons nnt after the
establishment OF the two rival Grand Lodges in Lon
don just before the middle OF the last century. am
aware that system of Templar Masonry of re-
puted political character is said to have been formed
| in the time OF Cromwell (about 1650). But 1t was
probably neither true Templarism, nor Masonry, ex-
| cept in name. L..
Time does not permit on this occasion Of his
teric review, showing the infant footprints Of FEM
plarsm in this country, while Masonry was provn-
cial. Our Very Eminent Sir Knight who is the Off
tion has already well shown you how its early orga
nizations were formed, and hope not to seem to
| frem American historic documents Illustrating the
point have already set forth, that twas the An
and Ireland, that first introduced the degrees of
| Masonic Knighthood here.
The earliest working OF them seems to have been
| supplemental purely honorary, and scarcely re-
corded, without any design to form with them dis
There is among the old records of St. Andrews
Lodge in Boston an entry under the date OF 1852 like
this:-
1.-THE petition.of brother william Davis coming before
Lodge to hSys and nss sss the Parts belong
ceiyed and he unanimously voted in, and accord
and fe@par
Others may have received the Templar degree as
early or earlier there in connection with the Royal
1dS5 dSs ss sEls
Has biotted from her rolls each name" .f FL.
st: Andrew 8 Lodge was then working there under
when, degrees beyond the first three were con-
| Tered under ", ut was In what they termed a
| Such was also the Ancient York custom in those
provincial times. In accordance with 1t the early
6OrK h0ages OF % woseG the @
Templar or other orders in KngRthood, as Masonic
degrees, long before distinct bodies Of these
orders were organized in this country. We thus find
the Master Of the oldest lodge ia that City at the
| commencement OF the Revolution addressed as q
| knight Templsr in 177s in the Masonic Ode to him,
| published in 1888 in our old Pennsylvania Altman
In letter from Edward Day, Master OF Lodge No.
10 Of Cincinnati, who was Pennsylvania Ancient
Jersey in March, 1895, he speaks OF having been
INITIATED into the sublime degrees OF Masonry as far
AS further illustration OF the Pennsylvania Gus
tom, while Ancient York Masonry was provincial In
i7ss by BY ali Ancient York % lodge % IN Georgia, then
| working under warrant from our Provincial Grand
/ LODGE e.HTa .tI .'f.r 70 f..4 sraH
"We the High Priest and officers of the Royal Arch
chapter and King G0yernsr And General q the Order
bearer true and well beloved bI:sLss Uric Gobisr,
S n s 1cssn a
Mason, having with due honor 70 al the Royal
bis admission after making suitable proficiency
as sn s RED
And he having conducted himself like true and faithful
g y :E
:ssfis II; ssss January
/ The seal Of this diploma was OF red wax, and bore
various Masonic eDblems, among which was the
motto above, IN hoe signo cinces. II also had in
circle ''Lodge No. AZ, Ancient York Masons." ~
last century scattered about the old States which
show the recognized presence OF Templars on many
occasions in public Masonic professions in the early
days Of our Republic. Thus, at the public celebra-
tion Of ST. Johns day In both 1871 and 1885, in New
York city, they were noted as present In the pro-
ceedings and also at the laying OF the cornerstone
/ OF the old Academy in Newark, New Jersey, in
1892. ~ $500 = F..
/ have thus hastily selected these historic notes
relating to features and incidents in early Templar
Masonry in America to show you its more intimate
relation with Ancient York Masonry In our Ameri-
can system than to any other theory Of polity
and rltualism which existed here while we were
provincial, has since the present American sys-
Did time permit, and dared trespass longer on
| your patience, would remind you here, as Penn
sylyania Ancient York Masons OF the Templar
Order, how, when the provincialism OF Masonry In
this country was changed to independence at the
close OF our colonial existence, and the craft orga-
nized State Grand Lodges In each jurisdiction in
every one except Pennsylvania, there We're compro-
misses to greater or less extent made IN their polty
and manner OF work, to harmonic and unite the
| various forms OF Provincial Masonry which had
heretofore existed in them.l ..r II u
Pennsylvania alone had at the time but one class
OF Masonic lodges in existence, for the lodges OF
Moderns which had had their origin under DIR.
Franklin had all become extinct during the RevOlU-
ton, and OF their elements were mingled with
Ancient York Masonry in the formation OF one in
dependent Grand Lodge. Pennsylyahla therefore
stands to-day, in her primary head or the order,
purely Ancient York as when under her provincial
| system; while in all other jurisdictions in thIs
country changes, perhaps unlmportant in them
selves, have wrought out a distinct American sys-
You thus see why Tempiarism in this State was
the last leave the ofiea protecting wing OF our
Grand Lodge, and adopt the forms and polity OF
| American Templarsm by union with the Grand
Encampment OF the United States, with which IL Is
to-day connected. Ancient York Masonry still
stands in one State IKE an aged oak, with its
The nr trees and the cedar trees OF other jursdic-
tions may be taller and to them more fragrant and
beautiful hut wSdS N e our STATE Loves ns
so long entwined among It's branches. ait n