The weekly echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1868-1876, 1874-04-11


Masonry rcaplre ri el9saps Ira
tefnal confidence sympathy and
love. asons ARE taughs 10 CONE
fide ID each other And 10 this
world, where there is 8 much cold
suspicion, and iealouslv and dis
trust, is i not cheering to feel that
there IRE iaitbfal hearts into which
we can pour oar soIrows, and
eriefs. ard wrongs and Is assured
that they VIII be met ~ no sueer-
ing r6pulse, by mo ingid ezhortii-
tion Is take care nf yourself and 20
manage your own nifaifs better
bnt rather With q warm, brotherlY
sympathy, that Il interested at
once Eor ynn ready 10 soothe and
counsel, aud lid. 4 Mason always
has 4 right which il recognized
bv d fao nthef, TIA ask CD SYM
pathy and aid 10 lis trials and
perplexigies. and to fear no betray-
al. Ia dread bb 0nhihl fepnlss tn
all Lis relations ID lie The Mason
II taught That, on ore hand it IL
his duty to give. and on Gle other
that he has 3 right 70 expect coHn-
tenanco aud assistance from bis
brethren. ether things being
equal, 4 ason has Tire first claim
ON a Mason. 0f eodrse there is
no right 10 require a sacrifice Of
the domestic Or social rclalious Of
life, or to require 4 crime at self
iniul Il but, as I have said, Otler
things being eqnal, Mason is
always bound to Irefer Masol
lis it objected that this is q wrong
and selfish principle? But how is
it So? is not every man concious
Of drawing Of affinity towards some
Of his fell0w-nlen rather than to
uthers There are soine men in
whom You prefer to conhde, with
whom You would rather converse,
deal in business, be associated on
moreintimatenud Neutrality-suspicious.
than others. You will aid them as
you may have opportunity, throw
business ID their way, and seek,
so far as You eau, 70 advance
an their interests. If there are
none towards whom you feel such
proclivities, no man for whose
prosperity and happiness you feel
a warmer interest than for the
mass Of mankind, you are t. be
pitied as poor, selfish mortal,
whose social affections have been
frozen III harsh and ungenIal
nature, have not been thawed bY
benevolenoe and social sympathy
Now, this genial sympathy, conn
mon to our humanity ia its higher
and nobler types, Masonry guides
along certain prescribed paths.
On some satisfactory grounds
every man las certain prefelences
and leanings towards other men.
Now, other things being equal,
Masons prefer Mas6ns. There are
reasons why they should DO SO,
and in doing 50 they are only di-
recting into different channels
those sympathies and encourage
ments which must find objects
somewhere III Two men shstain
to you precisely the same general
relations, and y2u, BY Jour inhu-
ence, can promote Che interests
Of one Of them, you will give that
influence I'll bis favor with whom
Won have the Most sympathy, i0r
whom you feel the warmest affecl
tom You would not iniure tile
Others bnt your affections draw
you towards your most intimate
fliend. Every man II conscious
of fhis; nothing more, nothing less.
Within the limits Of right, and
Justice, and honor, Il Mason will
always prefer one to his own SOL
rious detriment, or to the still
more endearing claims Of wife,
and children, and kindred. Mason
ry requires no neglect 81 TIE laws
fof natural and social Infection,
but it regards every AIason as d
brother, To behonofed, and aided,
mid served, ana loved, us oppor-
tunity may Be afforded Like Ill