National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-01-15
SPEECH BY SIR c. F. sTANsBURY.
BANQUET ATTHEMPERIAL HOTEL.
TOasts and RespOnses-Wh0 Were
Present, and How They En-
j0yed Themselves.

Washington Commandery, No. /, Knights Tenn
plar, yesterday celebrated the fftieth anniVer.
sary of its organization as Q Masonic body in q
manner that cannot fail, in the future, to bring
pleasant "reminiscences to those members Of the
Order fortunate enough to be participants. This,
the senior Commandery Of the District, and out Of
which sprang the other three Communicates oil
this jurisdiction, enjoys the honor Of having per
formed Q long and faithful service to TemplaE
Masonry, and sent forth to the world three Of the
greatest lights in Masonic jurisprudence-Piker
Macksy and French. On its long roll Of member.
ship may be found the names Of many prominent
business men Of this city, and others equally az
conspicuous in private life. From its workings
under dispensation in 1925 up to the present time
in giving the degrees OF kniEhthood, its meetings
have been characterized by the utmost harmony,
and the fraters, as honorable Knights should,
have stood shoulder to shoulder defending the
Justice Of their cause, without manifesting any
fears for its success but confident that right must
and would prevail. In needing the appeals for
charity and exhibiting desire to answer all such
calls upon their hearts and treasury, they dis
played that true Christian spirit which forms q
BLOCK in tho foundation upon which the princi-
pies Of the Order rest. Whatever may be the
future greatness awaiting 1t, Washington Com
mandery can boast Of record in the past to which
she can point with pride, and which any sister
Commandery might envy her. Only fortnight
before the recurrence Of the anniversary Of her
W
Orleans flushed with joy at the success there at
tanned before the Grand Encampment In regard
to the uniform. That subject was settled for all
time to come and the mother Of the Communicates
in this jurisdiction was permitted to hold her
black dress and wear 1t forever more If she felt so
disposed.
of her semi-centennial that 1t was proposed to
celebrate them both on the same occasion, which
proposition met with the hearty approval OF all
the members of No. l. The form Of celebration
decided upon was brief street parade In the AZ
ternOOn, q reunion in the Temple in the evening,
where addresses were to be delivered, to be FOL
lowed by q banquet. In compliance with the
wishes of the Commandery, the Eminent Com
mander, Sir q. W. Bennett, appointed the follow
bury, P. g. O.; EDWARD Baldwin, E. q. Davis,
Gen. Robert Boyd, y. G.: W. J. Stephenson, S.
w; Warren circuit, Recorder: Allison Nailor, jr.,
Warder; David McFarlan. S. B.; W. Scott Smith,
Robert Graham, Joseph GaWler and J. A.
Stewart.
vote of the Commandery. This committee went
actively to work and concluded their arrange
ments by selecting Sirs A. q. Mackey and y. F.
Stansbury TO deliver the addresses, and the lm-
periaI hotel Col. James S. Pearce, proprietor,
and a member of Dewitt Clinton COmmandery
of Portsmouth, N. H., as the place for the ban
quet. The parade, owing to the unfayorable con-
dition of the streets, was postponed. Promptly at
O'Clock last night the Templars, clothed in their
full black regalia, began assembling in their
asylum. They were chiefly fne-looking men,
and with their Jewels and rich trappings together
with the elegance Of the furniture and other
adornments Of the asylum, presented q scene most
charming to look upon and dazzling in the eX-
treme.
THE coMMANDERY
was opened at the appointed hour by Eminent
Commander Sir q. W. Bennett, who in few re-
marks stated the object of the special conclave
and the pleasure it afforded him Of being present
the guests were Sirs EFT. Schultz, Grand Captain
General of the United States; Henry ": Marston,
SON, E. G.. No. I; Frank MARSHALL, I. g., No. 3;
John H. Hood, L. c., No. 8; Frank Daniels, Gen.,
No 2; Will A. Short, O. G., No. 2; Geo. CLARK,
third degree; /. L. johnson, Grand Master, Dis
trict Of Columbia; A. T. LOngley, G. H. p, Dis
trict Of Columbia; Major Ben. Perley PoOre,
Letters reeretting their inability to be present
were received from NJ. Z. Grand Master Jos. II.
Hopkins; W. L. Bragg, 9. q. Of Alabama and q.
Grand Recorder; Sir Edwin Wright, New Hsmp-
shire; Sir ]. G. Root, Dep. G. Com; Sir ]. W.
Fellows Grand Commander Of New Hampshire;
States; Sir ]. G. Balm. @. @. g. of Virginia; Sir
Albert Pike, Sir J. h. Hall, Captain General,
Washington, No. !, Hartford. Conn; Sir s. Berry,
Maine; Sir John Ballou g. o., Maine; Sir Chss.
A. Stott, &. O., Massachusetts and Rhode
Island; Sir BENZ. Dean, r. g. Captain General
Of the United States.
q. T. Stansbury, P. E. c., who spoke as follows:
Fraters: We are Assembled to-day for the pur-
pose Of celebrating the ftieth anniversary Of the
organization Of Washington CommandeTy No.
Of Knights Templars, and to mo has been assigned
the humble though arduOus duty Of presenting q
sketch Of the history Of the Comm6ndery from
the date Of its charter, January IA, 1925, to the
present time. For nearly half Of this period,
however, we are not In possession OF any records
from which any satisfactory account Of the Com
mandery can be obtained. The following very
brief synopsis Of our history was prepared in 1859
Il hA Rod hAA and
corder Of the Grand Encampment of the United
States, and was at the time this memorandum
was prepared, Past Grand Master Of Templars Of
the United States. The General Grand En-
campment Of the United States was formed at
the city Of New York on the LIST day Of June, 1876
The constitution then adopted authorized the
four first officers 'tO institute new Councils of
Knights Of the Red Gross, and Encampmeuts Of
knights Templar.n Under this Jurisdiction,
which remained unmodified until 1885, 1t was Gus
tOmary for the grand officers TO issue charters
direct without the present Intervention Of dispen
sation. In this manner a charter was issued to
Nicholas Blaisdell, John Frank, Benjamin o.
Tyler, John Davidson, Joseph Ingle, Benjamin
King, George W. Dawson, William W. Seaton,
]. G. Mozart, Charles Cassells, T. T. Suther-
land, D. Kurtz, W. Hayman. and q. w. Halla,
on the l4th Of January, ls25, by Henry FOwle
Deputy G. q. Master, "to form and hold regu-
lar Council Of knights of the Red Cross, and an
Encampment Of Knights Templar and Knights Of
Malta sc. The three persons first above men,
toned were appointed the three first officers OF
the said Encampment. Under this charter, which
was duly c0nlrmeQ by the teneral STranQ EQ-
campment, at its next meeting, Washington En-
campment was duly organized, and proceeded to
business.
The Enesmpmsnt went regularly on with its
business until some time between 1885, when it
was represented in the General Grand Encamp-
ment, and 1888, when II ceased to be represented
The old records, commencing in 1926, lost, and
the only data from which any information can be
derived respecting it, except the charter, are to
be found on the files Of the Grand Recorder Of
the Grand Encampment of Knights Templars Of
the United States. On the 18th of April, 1sl7, q
number Of Knights Templars in the city Of Wash
ingtOn, some Of them having been members Of
Joined in q petition to Sir Joseph X. Stapleton,
NJ. L. d. G. 6. Master Of g. q. Encampment,
asking him to issue his dispensation for the re-
vtval Of Washington Encampment, No: l.. This
petition, with the old charter, (which had been
preserved with the regalia of the Eneampment
by our worthy Knight, Sir James King, was sent
revival Of this Encampment April -, 1sI7, It has
proceeded in prosperity and harmony-never, IL is
believed, having failed to hold its regular meet
ingF, and It has conferred the orders Of knight
hood on three hundred and ten Royal Arch MasOns.
1t has now on its roll more than IFS members.
There are probably few Communicates in the
United states having q larger number Of men,
bers or in which greater degree OF harmony and
knightlY courtesy prevails. 1t will be observed
i5St nI tnii RsPs5' prepared ~ M b SE Knight
Oluton Of 1852 in relation to costume was adopted
and seven years after the adoption Of the new
regulation dress 10 1852. Our ComnAndery had,
with the sanction Of the Grand Master, continued
to wear the old black uniform which 1t originally
received as the dress Of the Order from its orig-
nal founders, and which IL is proud and happy to
wear to-day. wish also to call attention TO the
fact that throughout the original charter OF 1875
and the renewal Of the same in 1s47, the title Of
the Order is always given as knights Templars."
The modern barbarlsm Of designating the Order
as knights Templar" finds no sanction in this
early document, and It is pro bable that the dis
tinguished fraters who signed It did not consider
questions Of literary propriety, historic truth or
even sthe grammarior philsloHy Of the English
language when affecting its own usage as be-
You'd the province or beneath the notice Of the
Grand Encampment Of the United States. am
happy TO say that Washington Commandery has
generally maintained the correct designation Of
the Order in her ofcal papers and records, deriy-
ing her authority therefor from the charter under
which she works; and / venture 10 assert, AFTER
an elaborate and exhaustive examination OF the
subject and sustained by the hrst literary and
Masonic scholars in our Order, that there Is no
historical literary authority, outside Of the Or
der itself, which does not Justify her practices.
In looking over these old charters, we are pain
fully reminded Of the ravages which the hand Of
death has made In our ranks. of all those who
received the original charter or its renewal, not
single name remains upon the roll OF our living
members.
1.-THE knights are dust
And their good words are rust
Their souls are with the saints, we trust.'
From the 18th Of April, 1S47, to the present time
Commandery At that date We were in q large de-
gree indebted to the energy and true Masonic
zeal Of Sir b. B. French, and In recognition Of bis
Valuahla the OommaH arv lEhan aaIlad