The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1874-06-13

truths shine upOn ne so clPariy as when
We are walking in the way of duty and
prysevering to do good.
We want mere determination, pur
pose and pluck, to bring about that
wished for Millennium when 'tht true,
the good and the beautiful" shall sub.
timely reiun. History Is ever replete
with Instructive lessons and as an in
teresting effort by Ion" course of toil-
some discipllne,-of perseverance and
Of plnck, call your attention tor a mo-
ment o the hi story of the Crusades:
Jerusalem and other localities in i'al-
estine were regarded sacred and hal
lowed, and In lheearly ages pigrimagrs
thither were common, Uut towards the
clt,>e Of the tenth century they had in
creased tU overwhelming rrO rortiOns,
In consequence of the terror, then enter.
tanned of the approaching end of the
world. The idea arose it seems. from
an Interpretation gwen t, the 18th
Chapter Of Apocalypse. 1t was then
set forth, that after the lapse of thou
sand years, Satan would Ue let loose to
deceive the nations, and to gather them
together to battle against the holy city.
But the year 1000, that dreaded epoch,
passed by; yet the current of pilgrimage
still continued to flow towards the East.
IN the spveth century Turks obtained
pOs>ession of Palestine, and this wild
race of Saracen conquer"rs, subjected
the pilgrims of Jerusalem to every
SPECIES of extortiOn and outrage; and
the returning pilgrims spread through
all the countries of Europe indignation
and horror, by the pathetic tales Which
they related, of the injuries and insults
which they had suffered from the inf
dels, as they called them. Among
Others, Peter the Hermit, who was
afterwards engaged in the first regular
crusa;ie, returning from pilgrimage
to Palestine complained in loud terms
of these grievances and began to preach
in glowing language the duty OF the
Christian world to unite in expelling
the intidels from the patrimony of the
Savior. The project was seconded by,
and zealously engaged in, by the peo-
pie, Bishops, Kings and Pope and a
large band of all ages and professions
was soon in motion towards Palestine
This force was unsucc, s'ful; but when
we r, fleet that the loss of the crusaders in
this first adventure i, estimated at 3O0.-
600 men, we justly conclude that its
failure was not tor the want of valor.
After this loss the crusaders again uni
ted their forces in Asia Minor and the
number of their lighting men, without
including those who did not carry arms,
was 60O, 900, and Of these alone the
number of Knights wac 200, 900. The
expedition pressed on, encUuntering
iinumerable battles, trials and difficult
ties without murmuring, until Jerusa.
lem was wresed from the hands OF the
infdels; the great object of the expedi.
tion was accomplished, and the insti.
tutions Of Europe were introduced into
Palestine in all their vigOr.
The period between the first and sec
ond crusade is a remarkably interesting
epoch in the history Of Knighthood,
became OF the rise, ut Jerusalem, OF
two of the mot distinguished Orders OF
KniIhts the Ho. .pitallrrs and the Red.
cross Knights or TenplaIs. The valor
of 10th Orders became noted; 1t Is said
That the hnspitaliers ever burned a
light during the night. that they might
always be prepared against the enemy;
and that any Templar. on hearing the
cry ITO arms" would have been aSham-
ca to ask the number of the enemy!
lie only question was, "where are
they?" Olher crusades followed the
first great movement, and all were ex-
cited by some impending calamity to
Palestine. F0rty-eight years after the
conquest of Jerusalem, the loss of the
principal Christian f0rtresses in Paies.
tine, led to a second crusade, and forty
years after the second, Jerusalem was
taken by Saladin, the Sultan of Egypt.
The loss of he holy city filled all Europe
with CONSERVATION and ths third expe-
dition was fitted out for its recovery.
This as well as the cTu>adeS folio wing it
we're without any perceptable advan-
tage to Palestine and after long, trdi-
Gus aud trying struggle the lost vestiga
of christian power in Syria was swept
away. The crusadrs hal occupied a
period of nearly two centuries and had
led two millions of Europeans to find
their graves in Eastern lands, so enthu
siaslic and courageous was the spirit
which prompted them.
Strip the crusales of the bigOtry,
super stitiOn, and fanaticism with which
they were deeply tin. .ei, and thtre yet
remains one of the most fOrciOle and
prominent examples in history OF dis
interested, devoted, seli-sacriicing aud
heroic bravery.
The Knights of Pythias Of the 10th
century are also enlisting and coDcen-
tratiDg their forces for grand crusade
in the moral aud intellectual wOrli, to
resuScitate and cultivate the sublime
bravery, the undaunled spirit, and high
moral qualities, which Damon and our
reyered Pythias practically taught the
world more then ? 900 years ago, which
will adnrn hi,tory's pages and benefit
humanity long alter diplomacy, blood
shed aud war are forgotten. Who Is
brave enough to join them in their glori-
ous work? -.
The morality and spirit OF our time
seem to have great tlmidity mingled
with them, almost c0wardice in fact, and
much OF the mefcenary spirit. would
they cOulG be made more magnanimOus,
more heroic, more knl2htly, more dis
tiuIuished. would that more of the
true Pythian quality might be infused