National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-01-15

body here, was not found wanting in devotion 70
the sublime principles Of our nobls Institution.
Volumes would be needed ID chronicle the
| deeds Of unobtrusive charity and benevolence to
men Of both armies, and all nations and creeds
which were daily performed by our brethren
here, during AL those melancholy years OF frat-
| ricidal strife. Our CommGndery not only kept
| up its organization aAd its meetings, but even
came the mother Of vigorous offspring which has
since, a. children sometimes viii, outgrown its
parent. We were timid, confess, about the
\ time, and did not give It our Recommendation,
/ but those who formed It obtained the Grand
Masters esPsn,aS1 aP nc SGS@oH sSs
/ throes Of civil war. She has since made vigor-
| Gus growth, and has become the largest and most
happy q sSd that sss has long since forgiven the
the two have lived together in . spirit Of har-
| Two Erapdchiidren, both healthy, though one is
small Of her age, already attest the Vigor Of the
pur Hitsiify The propostionS which eyentGsliy
resulted In the erection Of this temple, we're first
distinctly preached in the very middle Of the war
knight Pastsiio introduced resolutions looking
to the building q z Masonic hall % be Owned By
| Commander on Good Friday, April 8, 1858,
| and served for three years. July 4, 1858, Sir
| ]. p. BartholoW presented the Commandery with
imUressiye public eeremonies, and soIemniy dedi.
Gated by sspersion to the serAice Of the COmman-
| derry. July 20, 1854, the Commandery assisted at
dry CMet6odist) church. April 1s, 1855, the most
solemn public service in which the Commandery
| ever took part was performed, when It acted as
escort in the funeral procession Of President Lin
July ID, 1885, the Commandsry assisted in
laying the cornerstone Of the Protestant or
phan asylum, on Fourteenth street. Sir Ed
ward Baldwin succeeded Sir s. P. Bell as
Eminent Commander, on Good Friday, March
g. % the oSsSs Of aT5r
stone Of the Masonic temple in Baltimore, one Of
| the most costly edihces in our country. On Good
Friday, April To- 1867, Sir J. b. Will was elected
Eminent Commander, and held the position for
| three years, and while under his command the
Commandery had the honor Of acting, in conjunc-
| ton with her sister Communicates, as escort
| to the President Of the United States on pill
| grimsge to Boston to unite with Knights and
Masons Of all orders, from every quarter, in the
that city. In January, 1867, We were called to
mourn the death Of that noble man and Mason,
whose memory is still SO fondly cherished among
| us, Grand Master George q. Whiting. In the
later records OF the Commsndery ind the no
tices Of visits received and visits made to sister
Communicates, so frequent that time was wanting
to do justice to them-RichmOnd, Baltimore,
Philadelphia, WilliamspOrt, Putin-B Bay, Hart
ford. What memories OF pleasure do these
names recall2 Among the most pleasing ones
was the visit to Philadelphia attend the semi
centennial anniversary Of st. Johns Commandery,
No. 4, on the 18th Of June, 1859.
Sir knight ]. F. Wollsrd was elected Eminent
Commander April 10, 1870, and served one year,
and the first meeting at which he presided was
the first held by this COmmandery in this asylum,
on April q, 1870. August II, 1870, the death Of
M. E. Sir b. b. French was announced to this
Commandery and to the Masonic world. All
that grateful and sOrrOwing fraternity could do
say to manifest its respect for his character,
its estimation of his services and its honor for his
memory has been most fully and generously done
and said.
1t was our melancholy privilege to take part on
the 14th Of August, 1870, in the funeral hOnors to
his remains. Sir Charles f. Stansbury was
Emfnent Commander AnFil and
installed April II. In September Of that year
the General Grand Encampment met at Balti-
more and our Commandery in common with our
sisters of the District had the honor of receiving
and entertaining nearly two thousand OF the Sir
Knights who attended Baltimore on that inter-
esting occasion. In January, 1872, the Command
cry, at levee held in the Temple, received and
entertained NJ. T.. Grand Master Fellows, who
had been elected in September TO the Supreme
office in Templar Masonry. Everything which
courtesy could dictate was done by the Eminent
Commander and officers Of this body to manifest
their respect for the Grand Master and their
honor for his high Office. January "a, 1872, the
famous General Order, No. 3, was read in Com
mandery, and from that day to this has occupied q
large share Of our thoughts and attention. While
Obeying it as it was obeyed nowhere else, we yet
determined by every proper means in our power
to its final enforcement In the Grand Encamp-
ment OF the United States. In the execution Of
that determination we have been persevering, in
defatigable and, thank God, successful. need
not recur to the struggle through which we have
passed or the sacrifices we have had to endure
Tor the last three years. They are fresh in all
your memories. The suspension OF your Eminent
Commander, September T. 1872, from his COM
mand only led him to more vigorous prosecu-
tion Of q controversy in which most Of the Emil
nenI TemplRrs Of the country have taken part.
Three years OF argument, testimony, protest and
appeal threw such light upon the subject that
the victory was substantially won before the
Grand Encampment met. 1t was completed and
crowned when last month, at New Orleans ms our
accusations and punishment virtually acknoWl-
edged.
Our present Eminent Commander, the senior
officer In the jurisdiction, succeeded Sir STAINS
bury, April IL, 1873, and is now near the close Of
his second term. His task has been an srduous
the Commandery during this dark and gloomy
period OF its history, and we owe him hearty
thanks for the patient zeal with which he has
watched over our interest at 3 time when no pub
lie eclGt could be attached to his command. But
.fRis coroRGt opuS-the end crowns the Work-and
tSrm cSas aSeS bays - iopa loRs S oyeI
us have cleared away, and that the sun Of pros
perity again cheers us with his beams, and Pours
upon our future pathway the light Of hope; and
dren In this place celebrate the centenary Of Ma
sonic KniEhthood, may that same sun ind moth
IL will be ashamed to shine, but may 1t pour Its
full-Orbed glory upon its upward course. while
its mellower rays gid the flowers on our, trust,
not wholly forgotten graves.
The speaker was frequently interrupted with
Sir A. G. Maekey, p. E. O., was next intro
years ago, when 1t sprang into existence; the
turbulent spirit that prevailed throughout Eu-
rope; the Holy Land being in the possession OF
Inhsels; and the beseecbinES Of Peter the Her
nit as he passed from hamlet to hamlet urging
the populace to arise, Wrest Palestine from the
unDelievers and restore Christianity. He then
spoke Of the difficulties encountered and to be
overcome by the Pilgrims In their efforts TO reach
Jerusalem and worship at the shrine Of their
Master; how the Order OF Templars arose from
the protecting guard created for the safe conduct
Of those Pilgrims, and which is the nucleus OF
the large and extensive Order Of to-day. They
were the poor soldiers of Jesus Christ, working
for the same cause for which he died, but working
in poverty. He then gave q brief account Of the
ancient Templars, and followed them down TO
modern times, dwelling with feryor and stress
upon the origin Of the Order, being conceived in
the spirit OF Christianity, and which now, as then,
is the fOundatiOn-stone that supports the super
structure Of Templar Masonry,
The thanks OF the COmmandery were extended
to the two speakers for their able addresses.
members, preceded by the Marine Band, marched
via Ninth street and Pennsylvania avenue to the
banquet hall.
THE INTERNAL HOTEL
was profuse in decorations. On the outside, i'm
mediately over the entrance, was suspended an
immense banner Of the order OF the Red Gross,
while above was q double row Of streamers from
the apex Of the isg-staf to tn east and west cor
ners o. the building: WIZ, Mtnn tne proprietor nS s
his part Of the celebration complete in every par
ticular. lnnumerable gas jets sent forth a
1t would appear as II the hotel had been given up
entirelytO the Of the Templars, and the guests
Of the house We'd with the host in making the
evening gala one. Adjoining the dining room,
a large double chamber was set apart for the use
Of the fraters, where they could TEN porarily dis
pense with their reRalias while at the feast and
enjoy the entertainment Of the evening with ease
and comfort.
The banquet-room was handsomely decorated.
At the north end was Maltese cross in flaming
lets while directly opposite was the Passion cross
reflected through red-colored glass, showing with
hne effect. The halls, on either side, were
adorned with the portraits Of prominent Templars
and Masonic testimonials. The tables, arranged
in the form Of double cross, showed of to great
advantage, and reflected the ability Of the pro-
| prietor Of the hotel to execute the task under
taken. Masonic and Templar emblems in cakes
and CONNECTIONS were abundant and Buperbly
finished, especially so were those Of the double
headed eagle and skull and crOss-bones. Flowers
were abundant and besides the table decorations,
there was . tiny boQuet. Just large enough to 1T
. buttonhole, for every TemplAr's coat.
Colonel Pearce did his part as caterer to the
satisfaction OF every one who partook Of the ban
| Quet, presenting and filling bill Of fare choice
in all Its selections and excellent In quality when
| furnished. The Templars sat down TO the table
about $50 O'Clock, and AFTER doing ample Justice
| to the FEAST the following toasts were offered:
"The Grand Encampment Of the United
| States" Responded to by Sir L. I. Schultz,
| Grand Captain General United States.
"Grand Master Of Templars.n Responded to
by reading Q letter from Most Eminent Grand
| Master Jos. H. Hopkins.