, 1880-08-17

styling themselves ny nj honorable title,
anti Titus linking themselves rs by suecca-
sion with Orders whose virtues were tho
admiration OF Chriatcndul,t, do not consider
that kntGl,lhootl consists merely In the uni
form and Tho sword, In tho long plttnio md
cross-bcarinE hclt. Let It'd hope u,at tho
kiiaghtliond which today 50 brave1y pre-
scuts itself IN Chicago ias q deeper s!gnlt!-
ca,lce, substantial purpose, mid a broader
aina moro c!tlurfng meaning. Let ,ts hope
tint tho Knights arr, 81 far rs nil tho grand
preccpts alMl ureply-cl,crls'led memories Of
tic Order are concerned, knights out 1T uni
form and dlyestel Of their swDrds, as truly
us they aro when oil dresa-parado.
The world Inns moved lar away from tho
conttftlol, whfcl, existed when tho Knights
1'cmpiar tourislicd and wien they were n
formidable pnrt Of Tie military forces Of
their time. But alt tho good things OF tho
Order nre as goo.l III tho worlds estimation
to-day Us they were six hundred years ago.
All tho personal qualities for which tho
Knights Temptar were distinguished In past
centuries arc qualities n8 c0tiiuendablo amt
rs cnitobllng to-day as They ever were; nre
as worthy Of imitation and as worthy Of
practical adoption aad cultivation now rs
they were when the Knights md the Snraccns
represented tho opposing systems of cfsIliza-
tion. Tic Knights OF to-day aro no lonReE n
military botty, nor docs It rest upon tllem to
rescue Jerusalem nor exttrmtnate tic it,
fdcl. But they can bs mono the lcss Knights
III thn true sense, and rs sucl, exercise a yast
controlling p0wcr urbn tho moral condition
Of society. They can be Knights 1t. good
faith, Knights iii tho cultivation Ut personal
honor aud truth, Knights III the practice Of
dignity and courtesy, Knights Iii the CAUSE Of
human liberty and free government, Knights
Il, tho defonso Of tho great principle OF po-
lftieal cauallty upon which tho American
Republic las been erected; NIL this tho
Knights Of 1880 can be, and be more service
ablo to humanity than wcro their tllustr1-
ons predecessors In the brightest days Of
Cl,tynlry.
One Of tie great results accomplished by
tho Knights Of carly days was tlte elevation
Of tho social condition of woman. Tie
knights of to-day have oven higher inspi-
rsIt!on III this direction thnn hatl tho knights
Of past centuries. This Conclayo Is attended
by the wives, daughters, nrd swcethearts Of
all the Knights. Instead Of leaving these to
mourn the absence Ut their Knightly cham.
l,ions mud defenders, the Knights OF 1850,
more practical, sensible, and consdcratc,
carry their fair charges with then,, md to-
day, rs Coninandcry after Colnmand~y
passes III review, they will bc smiled upon
md dgreeted by brighter array of Queens OF
beauty, and Of their own households, tliall
ever greeted tl,u vision OF tho Knights re.
turning from Palestine or tl,tn over adorned
by their presence the most distinguished
tournaments. !
tmny BE-, after all, despite the ut,lltarian.
Ism OF the present tfay, that the agc Of Ciis-
airy, dlvested OF Its nonsense but retaining
all its great virtues, lIus already been re-
lle,yed. but whether It hns iii rcnlJty or not,
let us from the parade to-day express hope
that such Is nleasurudly tho case.