The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-12-11

Tire soil airy anchorite in his lonely hut MAJ
fast on berries and sstiste bis thirst at the simple
spring. he may daily offer up his penitentta
P poes sass s0i il sl = Hyel Of IF i E 3 aaiSagn asd as ssIt! a,snSiI
he is doing God service, and winning q SOULS re-
ward; but LIE lives under 9 dark and dreadfq
error.
In fact; man In himself is weak and needs pro
lection. Nature has furnished him with no in
nate power BY natural weapons to defend him
self from the attack of the meanest or bis enc
mics. He Is born without power to protect his
fame even from the vicissitudes and inclemen.
nies to the artificial protection Of society, and
governments are created not by the wisdom but
by the tnaiequacy OF those who lock IN consu
tulional association for the assistance and pro-
lection which solitary weakness needs.
The recor IS Of history show not one great event
In The results OF life which was ever accomplished
outside or the system OF association Nations
have been planted or destro. ed. religions sus.
tanned or overthrown, political designs fostered
or abolished only when the leader Ia the great
design Of creation or destruction has cal ed to
himself the assistance or associated power. The
history OF the world 10 the history OF associations.
Whe her men are intent on %virtuous or on evil
designs, they must eongregate together that those
designs may be effected.
In the despotic countries OF Europe, where lib.
erty has been crushed under the absolute sway Of
some ABSOLUTE tyrant, political associations, work.
Ing In secret alone, have ever been able to win any
measure OF freedom for the oppressed peasant.
who. working alone, must ever have worked and
lived In slavery.
we see IL ihe word around US the aggranaze.
nent OF wealth, OF power. of dynasty, welding
great resources, accomplishing great results, sus:
tanned and strengthened without failure or inter.
ruption for long periods. "Sometimea, vaiuly
stretching out our hands for some OF this power,
which we think we can use for better ends, we
feel that we are abandoned. No.; there are also
men In this world who devote themselves aud
their fortunes to justice, to truth, to charity and
good works-anht these men Providence keeps up
In unorokPn succession u
1t is eminently true that whatever In the worlds
history has been .lhe object to be gained, what.
ever the design men meant to carry out, II the
mlssl n on which they have set fo:th ever was
accomplished, 1t was simply because the men ar
irving at this object, or moved by this design, or
laborlng In this mission, have lsbored together;
uniting In societies civil, religious or political.
worsing with one MUD, and with one accord,
and thus invigorating with the strength OF the
with the combined wisdom and experience OF all
the ignorance and darkness OF each; mutually
encouraging aud reciproca ly aiding In the one
combined effort. be that effort for good or for
And 30 governed by this great principle OF our
nature, q principle 30 UNMARRIED and 80 unexcsp-
tlonaole In all the history OF human action, that
one o. might ALMOST ans ISL snP 2 Ssen ~ 70 Dc ef an 1.a ansPi6 na s9.
perience. we ind III the worlds great history of
empires and dynasttes, OF religions and policies,
episodes OF humber events, sprtnging up at every
era, and sh wing rs men engaged In associations
for. particulRr objects not necessarily connected
with the great career Of national progress.
And thus It Is to this great instinct that we
must attribute, among otner ASSOCIATIONS, the
birth Of the Institution OF Freemasonry. Free.
mason, y IL one OF the most married., as well as
one OF the splendid opponents of that great prin.
ciple OF which l have spoken. 1t ts simply the
development, noble In intention, Still nobler In It's
results, OF the instinct spirit OF association. And
when we speak OF It legl1mstely, we must speak
of 1t only as an association of good men united
for the accomplishment OF q common object.
And II you ask me what that common object ;is,
or II there be more than one 10 which ftS dlscip 81
are engaged, l can only answer you ~ more
strictly de1uing the character or the association.
All men nave q right to ask this question, for,
however u%nobnuslve the Masonic Institution may
be, however It may retire from the public gaze
INTO the mystery and privacy OF Its own dWelltAy,
yet the fact that In the midst or the people there
is q bauded organization, distinct In 80 Tar as the
relations OF This organization are involved from
the rest OF the citizens OF the stale, would be
pregnant with mischief II men were not permit
ted TO inquire whether such an org anization was
directed towards the abridgement VI liberty, the
support OF corruption, or tho maintenance OF pc.
lLical or religious power. It Is the safeguard OF
the people that they should know what OF evil or
OF good there is working within their midst, or
nOVSrlQG 0IOuuQ Lu6Iu-l " evil Inob IiiCy muy
be warned, II OF good that they may be Iauaht.
Standing here then on This day as the Wiling
institution, surrounded oy these
intelligent Jurors, who are anxious 10 give their
verdict only on competent evidence. anil In The
presence Of this fair and enlightened auditory: !
readily reply to the question as to the true design
OF Preemasonry. 1t Is eminently due to the occa-
sion that we sreak not In 'the caballsttc language
@ the craft, but In terms Of general import and
intaresr.n [ say then that Freemasonry is an as.
ISOLATION for the cultivation OF intellectual phil.
losonhy; 1t 10 an association for tho propagation
Of moral and religious sentiment; II ID an ass0-
clatIon for the exercise 3o Of chsTity ana suc inc en- ~
showing that its philosophy Is scholarly, Its moral
and religious teaching Orthodox. lts practlce OF
charity difiIslve, and Its pIino'ple OF love pure
veloped that 1 know Just men will be disposed to
bestUw. I will not ask more; under sucu cfcum.
stances y0u could not give less.
As an association engaged In the cultivation OF
intellectual philosophy, .Freemssonry peculiarly
recommends itself TO our attention. AS a scieu-
tide or philosopbic institution, 1t Is t ne that even
many or its " disciples are Ignorant OF It's pre-
tensions. But not less certainly are these pr1ncl.
Piles Of philosophy aud science there. and opr
brethren are right Wnen tney eau the
Masonic Lodge an academy.
Lire the groves OF Academus, where Plato
Taught his almost divine lessons OF WISDOM. OF
the school OF the sage OF Croto7a, where truth
was unveiled by the master to hi5 silent pupils,
the L0dae pours forth to the ear and the intellect
OF the willing and searching brother It's sublime
The philosophy OF Masonry is not patent to the
inattentive or the ignorant. As Py'nagoras r.
quired o proba.i ion OF several years oelore ne en-
arcana Of his dozmatic philosophy, because the
Hnculturei intellect coull be no 1T r. cipienr OF
the mystic learning which Egypt and Chaldsa
had first unfo!ded to the laborious sage OF Croio'
ma, 80 the school Of Masonry be :tows not at once
and on all the inspirations Of its abtruse ph1l0S0
phV. wisely, therefore. has the Institution pro-
vlded grades Of advancement through Whlcn tne
aspirant must pass, making each grade tne scnol.
ar OF the one that preceded 1t, and receiving AZ
each step an instalment only 81 ma ngnt wn. Sa
matured scholar who has diligently wrought nis
hours of labor and receives his rich reward IN
the pnllosophlc Light OF wh:ch that, light ID put q
Bymnol. u,,., ..
It.. Nor Is this an Incidental character OF the IN
stitution. 1t Is not something that has peen su.
peradded to 1t after It's organization. ~ u not
the meretricious and extrinsic ornament tnsL nss
been thrown over the structure after ls coIupIe.
ton to attract the admiration OF the wI ~ weann.
~ lies at the very foundation OF Inc lns.ttua9a
On This has 1t been built; this is the great lanus
mental principle OF It's EXISTENCE: fuI jug sa
walton OF CHS lr WAS Designed; Ior ita Presei va.
tinn has it been continued. Our charity, our
h w are common to Us with many other
sssociations. They are oisnoot| from me prouac
root. bnt however admirable they may % t1ey
are q 1.-THE tree ITSELF They might DC alsmlsseai oI.
ever from our system, and though WIN eVloent
loss and dininntlon o. u as,1 a anp t Desu fgom m
it lis philos ,phic teaching, the sublime arcans o.
God and man, OF life and death. OF time and eter.
niIy, which It was brought forth TO 1eveiop w ta
own peculiar way. and Mssohry "ouio Ho