The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-11-19
Buoyed by shouts Of loud acclaim
Winding th ir deeds 20 immortal fan


For not less hero than he whose plume
Goes blooi-stained down in the conflict
gloom,
Not less a martyr than those who slake
y blood-thirst bound TO the bu ming stake
In he who stands al the last defence,
Against the shock Of the pestilence.'
The year 1878, SIR Knights. was an epoch
in this generation. Ii was indeed a time
that tried the souls of men. 1t was then
that especially our own section was visited
by that great atmospheric pestilential curse,
which left uaught but death and desolation
in its wake Ii was when the sahron-hued
bird OF death, leaving its perch in the far
Isles OF the South and wiuging its way
northward, poised i'm mid air for awhile over
the tatcd little city of Grenada. from
whence, ii was thought by many, 'twould
no farther travel, yet it resumed its flight.
and over your own happy and hospitable
homes It lowered low and long, rustling
from its dark wings at every breath, the
poison of death, leaving the air reeking
with charnel odors and rife with means and
/ lamentations.
All who of US can forget those days of
/ dismal. dire dongs of the Iusatiate Fieud 2
And who ,cJUid forget the dead and their
glorious deeds Sir Knights, think Of
/ Walter, the Falconers. Hugh Wmbou.
/ McLain Willis, Ross and of Butler-whos
/ death Is of such recent date that I wout ;
/ not iHtrude upon the sacred privacy OF
/ your grief-of Fairchid, of Saunders and
/ Of Worsham, and host OF other Martyr
Knights who believed that
Or in the battle van,
The httest place for man to die,
Is when he dies for man.
But we should not mourn the dead. for
Men drop SO fast ere lifc's mid stage We
tread.
Few know so many friends alive as dead"
Have you ever Thought, Sir Knights
of the startling truth contained in those
last two lines That by the time we reach
life : meridian, there are hut few of as but
have more friends dead than living This
fact contains two lessons for as all First.
that majority of the children of men die
before they reach the middle of !iGe's max
imum, which should teach the Younger that
they should be prepared, and should teach
those that have passed that point, that they
are but exceptions to the rule, with the
odds against them; therefore, | would saw
to them, BE We also ready" But our
Order teaches us that there is a "Rcsurrec-
ton and Life that
There a world where all are equal
We are hurryiug towards 10 fast
We shall meet upon the level there,
When the gates of ath are passed
We shall stand before the Orient,
And our Master viii be there,
To try the Block we offer,
with His own unerrIng Square"
Sir Knights, let us so live that when we
shall be ohered the last Libation, and re-
ceive our summon to cross the river that we
may quail the cupwith "a conviction that we
will rest beneath tho trees, and NAV we
realize that we are but called from labor TO
refreshment, and 20 not like the quarry
a 5patrtral ia, Il L..
with an unfaltering trust in the power of
the Lion of the tribe of Judah" And let
each OF us, Sir Knights 50 live and act
towards each other, and society mt large,
that those who are not of Us by compact
will say, "Ite IS q Knight TtDtDEar" Let
US remember our dead fratcrs; they have
left us a noble heritage. We, as Knights.
have succeeded to grand legacy, "A sacred
trust, Let us not prove unfaithlul or un-
worthy of the high boon committed To our
care that Of preserving the fair escutch-
con of knighthOod, which has been bur
nished, and, if possible, made more brilliant
by having had in its ranks our departed
brothers. And in remembering those that
have gone, we cannot forget the living
Let us take an interest in the increase Of
our Order. Think of the good il has done.
Our retiring Grand Commander, Paxton,
in his annual address says "that scarcely
had the winged lightning made known our
distress and needs, when the responses
came full, free and unstinted, embracing
every nation and every country from
the rivers unto the sea- and even the Is
lands of the sea, contributions of money. of
medicine of supplies of every kind. There
came too, brave, tender hearts, fully appre-
eating the dangers, but ready b do and
die And with
this material aid, there same such words Of
q a 81
fears of gratitude 10 flow, and made as
know that the ties which bind US, are as
tour-fOld cords-not easily broken-and
that from Masonic sources we received ex-
ceeding $4,000, and that the flow of gen
crosby was only checked by repeated as
surances that our pressing needs had been
abundantly supplied"
In conclusion, Sir Knights, / would adj
m0nish, that while il is laudable and cmi-
ncntly proper to use all efforts within the
limits OF the landmarks, to extend the in
tuence, and strengthen and uphold our
Order yet we should remember that we
want character and not timber remember
that good men make good Knights. but
bad men never; and we look not at mans
pecuniary condition, be he a peasant or a
prince, for "a mans a man for a. that"
And now word to those who have ever
been the special objects Of our kuightly
been beautifully said that there is a mys-
terious magnetism drawing beauty and
chivalry together. Chivalry executes what
beauty inspires, and beauty delights in and
rewards the valor of the Knight, and !
would say that it has never been NV good
fortune 20 witness a stronger current of that
mysterious magnet, in drawing together
beauty and chiyalry, than / witness here
this evening, and ! am sure that if chiyalry
,.tafr I'll b
beauty will he busy in this assemblagc re-
warding val0r, when opportunity offers for
valorous display. Aud now, Sir Heights I
trust that while beauty has inspired your
chivalry, that / may elicit your sympathy
in this my first effort Of this nature.
Before this excellent address was delivered
the infant child Of Mr. Jno. McCarroll was
presented for baptism, and the sacrament
administered in behalfof the order by Rev
j. ID. Cameron, of the NJ. +. Church. In
presenting the child for baptism the Grand
Commander, being present, said:
REVEREND SrR-We appear before you
at the request Of the parents of this babe
to ask at your hands the rites Of Christian
/ baptism for it,
I We, sir, as Knights Templar, acknowledge
/ the Saviour as our great Captain aud
/ Leader, and our noble Order is founded ON
+ the christian religion and practice Of the
Christian virtues. 1t is meet and proper,
! therefore, that we should come to YOU, a
Christian minister and fellow-soldier under
the same glorious banner Of the cross, and
ask that you bless this little one, and con-
secrate him in the name of the Great
/ Captain Of our faith, jesus Christ
To this Mr., Cameron responded as fol-
| lows
SIR KNIGHTs-I am pleased to hear you
make this declaration. / am also pleased
to state that so far as my observation has
extended your principles harmonic with
1 your declaration, and in compliance with
/ your request and in behalf of these parents
/ / nov proceed to administer the sacrament
Of holy baptism to this child.
/ The ceremony having been performed
and the address delivered, the Knights and
audience retired from the hall.