The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1872-08-03
From the Morehouse Conservative,

1872.
From the Morehousc Conservative
WOrshipful Master and Brethren
Ladies and Conference.-The are as
sembled to-day to commemorate one of
the great anniversaries OF Free and Ac-
cepted MasOns, and to honor the men,
Ory of Il just and VirtuOuS man, whose
example we endeaVOr to follow, and
whose life we love to contemplate.
Strong and mighty as has been the or
ganizatiOn and influence of our order
in all times and in all countries, we
probably owe much of the success
which it has attained to the efforts of
him who preached the gospel in the
wilderness, and who revived our then
feeble institution. The doctrine of
" Peace on Earth and Good Will toward
men was by him thoroughly incOrpO-
rated into our teachings, and has had Il
healthy and lasting effect on all our pro-
ceedings. "The voice of one crying in
the Wilderness,0 whose constant text
was Brotherly Love-" clearly demon
strated his knowledge of the value of
fraternity among men, and we may
prOfitably mediate upon such subject
on this holy Occasion-the fete Of our
Christian Grand Master, st. John the
Baptist.
It is somewhat singular when we be-
hold the wonderful effects that have re-
suited during the lapse Of countless
ages, from the combination Of men in a
common cause or for a common object
that hatred, enmity and bloody strife
should have marked and handed down
the history of the first brothers who in
habited this earth, to be forever Il warn
ing to all OF their pOSterity; but, we
may see in this a wise dispensatiOn Of
the Almighty Providence, for it cannot
be denied that the lesson has had its
effects, and prevented many fratenal
chickering's that otherwise might have
tortured the human race, and perhaps
diverted it from its progress i'll civiliZa-
ton for it is undoubtedly true that
more good men band together to up
hold the good than evil men to propa
gate unrighteOusness; that combinations
for laudable purposes may ever succeed
even against bitter persecution, while
associations for wrong and unlawful
purposes, exist but for the moment, and
eventually perish from the weight of
their own Wickedness and corruption.
It is collection Of good men, gathered
together and organized for righteous
purposes, that we apply. the name Era
ternity ;" a word which imports great
deal of meaning, and the contemplation
of which teaches us many lessons. The
leXicOgrapher defines it as a body of
men united for mutual interest or i'm
prOvement;7 but we must see at a glance
that this definition is too restrictive,
and that the conception of it cannot be
limited tor such narrow boundaries.
Looking at it from purely human
stand point, we resolve first, that broth
ers i'll blood should entertain for each
| other reverence, respect and affection
far superior and more elevated than
the ordinary feelings that exist between
strangers; and secondly, that we are re3-
ally all brethren i'll blood descended from
the same parents and fellow W-inhabitants
of the same world therefore we are
under natural obligations so to treat all
the human race as our natural instincts
and education teach us to deal with Ou1
| family. In this case, too, we feel as if
the word '' fraternity - therefore i'm
ported that it should be composed OF
those who are not directly brothers in
blood, but who are strangers in their
immediate relations and avocati0ns
and twhO, by joining together, place
| themselves under moral and social ties
to exercise towards each other the feel
ings and affection which are prompted
| Dy real DrOCnGrnOOQ.
| Probably the most beautiful illustra-
ton of our meaning that can be found
either i'll sacred or profane history, il
the story of David and Jonathan, fa-
miliar to every one, and whose love the
inspired prophet delighted to character.
iZe as surprising that of woman. II
that instance, we find that the relations
| between the two friends were almost
clandestine on account of the enmity
existing between one and the father
of the other, yet the son turns against
the wishes an purposes of his parent tC
shield his friend from danger here il
something more than an union fol
mutual interest OF improvements it is
a holy sentiment animating the hear
for good and implies not the slightesr
imputation of selfishness, on the con.
tra1y, it is forgetting of self, and al
immolation of all personal considera
tiOns upon the altar of friendship.
| And since that day the world has fur
nishel innumerable similar examples
many of which we fOndiy cherish anC
hand down from generation to genera
ton with a pride of belonging to the
same species which produced such he
roes. But bad men, influenced by wick
ed teachings, and for the advancement
deavOred to prostitute the word " Fra
ternity," and to drag it in the dust
such exertiOns ever have been and al
ways must prove failures.
| Coupling it with " Liberty" ant
Equality, y almost as holy terms, the mae
red republicans of France have twice
made it their motto, and initsname shet
rivers of human blood; but in the mids
of it all, it stood before them giving ;
| living and burning lie to their horrible
outrages, and silently denOunctng by it
very presence there, the men who dared t,
pOllute it, In the dark and bloody day
of the first French Revolution, whel
scenes were enacted which make strOns
men quake as they read Of them, ever
at this distant day when the roll of tn
tumbrill and the clatter of the axe Wer
heard from morn till night, an 1nciden
occurred quite appropriate to my theme
In q dungeon where they We're cruell,
and brutally treated, assembled on
evening a number of persons all o
whom were condemned to die the!
passed that night in fraternal ant
kindly intercourse, cheering and en-
cOuraging each other to endure the sen
tence which had been pronounced upol
them, and resolving to maintain thei
principles even to the moment OF thei
death, animated by that same mos
holy feeling which | am endeayoring
define, but which task exceeds my feebl
powers, they became as one, and commu
nfcated strength to each other to bea
the evils heaped upon them and iyin
thus in the face of death, they met hiT
together smilingly and happily, an
died pittying their prosecutors. Th
sad but beautiful and touching histOr
of the last days of Girondins carries
pure and perfect idea of the Fraternit