The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1873-11-22
From the Palladium of the 18th.


fore men, TO be seen OF them: otherwise We
have no reward of your Father which is in
heaven.
do not sound trumpet before thee, as the
hypocrites do, in the synagogues, and In the
streets, that they may have glory Of men.
Verify say unto you, they have their re-
ward.
e "But when thou doest aims, let not thy left
hand know what thy right hand doeth.
THAT thine aims may be in seci ct, and thy
Father which seeth In secret, Himself shall
reward thee openly."-Christs Sermon On
the Mount.
When anything is done in the pres
ence Of the public for the sake of let
ting the public know about it, and
when anything is done in a public con-
gregation in the most conspicuous,
ostentatious, and pompous manner for
the sake of making an impression, it
becomes, by right, the property of the
public and the subject Of criticism;
therefore make no apology for this
article, though I crave the kind indul-
gence of the editor of the Palladium
in allowing me the space I want at
present; friends mind will be easied
thereby.
wipe my eyes, and then my nose"
to think that the days of chivalry are
over. Shade of Richard Occur de Lee
on, and the sanity pafmers of old!
Alas, for the gallant Knights who bore
the banner of the Cross, inscribed by
this sign We conquer!'
When any class Of people during a
religious excitement set aside individ-
ual responsibility and declare that the
Lord is running the meeting" there
is some danger of laying too much on
the Lord; and if the Holy Spirit is to
answer for all the vainglorious, silly
things that poor mortal minds devise,
it may be good thing for the silly
mortals, but it is certainly taking un-
warranted liberty with the Holy Spirit
We have many accounts Of sword
presentations in by gone times that
| were appropriate to the occasion, and
had a meaning that could point a
moral or adorn a tale" but this last
sword presentation that claims the
attention of the Christian. and heath
en-, and Mahommedan world caps the
climax of all that has preceded it. and
is as remarkable for eecentricisy as
uniqueness; there is nothing coinci-
dent with it in the past, and as it has
no model, let US hope it will never
have a copy. ......,..-s
At the time that CORVALLIS wisely
concluded it was time for him to turn
his back" on the United Colonies and
surrendered to Washington, that man
who could not tell lie when he was
boy, handed the sword back to the
British General with great deal of
magnanimity, courtesy and grace. The
father of his country knew how to be-
have himself, and could get out of an
embarrassing situation with manly
dignity and christian spirit. Ever
since he told the truth about the
Ratchet he had been able to show a
good hand He held trumps that
day, and made point!
! Last Sabbath evening when GER
tain Right Templar presented his
sword and the rest of his regalia to
the minister for the benefit of the
heather, and concluded his speech
with the declaration, Il turn my back
on the world, the flesh and the Devil
the minister was evidently in the con-
dition Of the man who was presented
with an elephant, he didn't know what
to do with it.
''The world, the flesh and the
Devil" or the emblems of them, was
rather hand full for man of limit
ed experience; and afflicted with sane.
ti6cation in the supurlative degree
Yet he listened to the presentation
speech as one who is we'll pleased with
his pupil, and took up his sword with
a flourish, and an attempt at dramatic
Ijesture. We we're reminded of the
scene in the play of Guy Mannering
where Able Sampson gets ready to the
rescue of Bertram. and exclaims: "Lo
| have armed myself. | will smite
Justify" If there had been boy il
the gallery to sing out "pRODIGoUs!'
the burlesque would have been com
plete, and the que would have beer
easily taken. 1t is sometimes such Z
short step from the sublime to the re
diculous, from high tragedy to Low
comedy!
The preacher remarked that swort
was queer looking thing in Quake,
meeting in time of peace The con
gregation thought so too, especial.
the Sir Knights who were present
A sword was queer looking thing Il
be in any meeting for the worship O
God, unless the congregation expected
to be attacted by murderers. TIL
preacher said he did not know the us,
Masons made of swords. The Ma
sons knew he didn't too. They knew
he couldn't see the point! If he hat
been of the initiated, and had learne,
the meaning Of the emblems engrave,
on the sword, he whould have know
more and said less. He said some
thing about beating the sword into
plowshare: Blacksmiths, spare tina
sword! The FURNISHED steel is to-
lne, and pig iron too plenty! Let tn
heather have it. They can use it 70
toasting fork; it is long enough 10,
stick through good sized missionary
and fat baby besides.
1t is suggested that if there i
another such jackassical farce to tax,
place at the celebrated White Waite
Meeting House, at the close of the en-
tertainment, the wire puller thereo
shall say. finally brethren, let u
bray!"
Allow me to venture some advice t,
any who may feel it their duty to Civ
up society that they may better serv
the Lord: Go quietly anf .soberly t
your brethren and tell them your con
yictions, dispose of your regalia in
proper way, pay your dues and &c
your demit, and then turn your back
on your brethren, singing:
s'Adieu! a heart felt fond adieu,
Ye brethren of the mystic tie"
But whatever you do don't be influ
enced against your good sense, by ego
lists and bigots, to openly insult tn
best friends you ever had, and tn
memory of those who have passed int
the eternal world; and behave un