Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-06-28
Trr0Neshlp Gapltollan
ADDRESS
HON. DAVID n. BARROW
Deliyered on ~. Johns Day at the
Masonic Picnic, mt the Garrison
Grounds, June Gath, 1851.

Ja1 should consist in an address to us, | had
battered myself upon being listener TO be IL
Illuminated by some OF you, more able, from your
lana experience study and research into the sub.
ierfs proper TO be considered, than feel myself
10 be- And when your committee selected me,
NV first determination was TO decline aud Insist
fiat some other brother having more right and
greater capacity to entertain and instruct should
be selected.
But rtmemberingt hat had come up to assist IN
the erection OF Our great temple, without inc
hope OF fee or reward, y and that had declared
my willingness to undertake any part OF lhe
work however serye or arduous the same might
prove, concluded could not decline this part
assigned to me by the united counsel OF your com.
mittee and that II becomes my duty to tig dowh
into the foundations OF the history ana prlhviPcS
OF our beloved institution, removing the fuppish
that may conceal their true WORTH III tno hoPo
that may make some discoveries, Wnlcn, Wneh
brought tip and submitted for your inspection,
will be found Of sufficient value. 10 DC Stolea
away in your minds; and which may DO iouho
useful to you in the erection OF that Tempe ule
construction of which each brother began when
for the first time nc stood III the northeast cor
ner The Lodge room.
And with the further hope that those OF you
who are not Masous, but friends, as ltakGSou an
10 he NAV when you see tho beauty AMI excel
lence OF their principles, prccepts and practices
le coutirmrd In your good opinion OF our order
and led to encourage rs to perseycre III our IN.
dettaking however rough and rugged the road
NAV be. Masonry in its origin being both specu'
latiyc and operative and in its carly history the
operative being the most conspicuous conform
81 cd to the universal custom prevailing ut that
time and sought for its protection aud encoGr'
agempnt tho patronage Of the heads OF the GOV
eminent the constitutions N York ordained that
"A legitimate societies, Of MasOns, shall labor
under patron" But their labors having always
been speculative, by which We understand the
inctcation of those principles by which We are
taught to rnle and direct our passions 10 have
faith and bDpc in God and charity toward man.
Masonrg has always had patrons for this part OF
the work 10 whom her lodges have been dedlCat'
cd. From the building Of the first temple ut Jc'
rusalcm to the Babylonist captivity, they were
dedicated 10 King SOl0mOD--that prince to whom
the great architect Of the universe declared he
had given "a wise and understanding heart; 50
that there was none like him. neither, after him
shall any arise Ike unto him.
From that time to the advent OF Christ they
we're dedicated to Zcrubbabel, who built the gee
Ond temple and who though BON and reared in
captivity by the rccttudc of his conduct the
Wisdom ofhis counsel and zeal with which he scrv
ed gained the confidence and friendship OiCyrus
King of Persia, through which he was enabled tc
release his countrymen from captivity, and begin
the work of rebuilding the temple, and when op
posed lay enemies he was able to obtain through
the same influences the order Of Darius for it.
completion.
From the advent OF our Savior to the destruc
ton of the Temple by Titus Our Lodges were
dedicated to st. John the Baptist, who is repre-
tented ~ 'thc voice OF one crying in the wilder
ness prepare 20 the way of the Lord make his
paths straight. Every valley shall bo tllcd ant
every mountain and hill shall BE- brought low
and the crooked shall be brought straight, ant
tine rough shall be- made smooth, and of whom
Christ said Among them that are born ot wo
men there hath not risen greater than John the
Baptist
We are told that owing to the losses that vert
sustained by this memorable destruction OF tn,
temple Frecmasonry dcCliucd ~lany Lodges vert
broken up and the brethren were afraid to NEE
without I'M acknowledged hCad At sccre
meeting oI the craft holden III the city OF Bcnja
min, this circumstance was much regretted, ant
they depuled seven brethren to solicit st. JOIN
the EVANGELIST the disciple whom Jesus lOvCt
anil who WIS ut that tins Bishop of Ephcsus, t'
accept the (irand Master. He replied to the dep
utatiOn that though well stricken in years, hay
ing been in his youth initiated into Masonry h
would aCQuiesCe in their request, thus completing
by his learning what the other 81. John had be
gun BY his zeal and then drew what FrCcmasOn
call lineparnllci Ever since which time al
Lodges in all Christian countries have been dedI
Gated Ia the two st. Johns.
II rs in the celebration Of the birthday of thcs
twO saints that the pnSts of our order have bccl
fixed on the 9th ofJunc aud eth of December
and every Lodge appoints these two days. ~ time
for their regular meetings.
These excellent and exemplary men, beng on
acknowledged patrons, it becomes on this coca
sion u TT enquiry III how fM the institution
worthy of such patrons aud whether from tn
time Of ts origin it, members have served thcl
with '}reedom, tcrueney anil zeal.
The institution must command the respect 4
the world because Of it, antiquity. Nation
have passed away since it's institution, All IN
ancient rystctrI and societies have disappeared
and We only know that they have been from III
pages Of history. But from its origin down
this day $50 can trace Masonry asa snhsisttn
and living institution In the civilized worl,
Sometimes ~ the barbarsm of the dark ages rOl
ed civilization back or dmmcd its light the lam
Of MAsOnry burned low. but II continued to retail
sufficient vitality TO shine out lighter and brigh
e. ~ intelligence, 'OicrHnCe, friendship and brCt
etiy bgc, bore down ignorance, persecution, n
nifty and hatred
# rmnot br rontroycrtcd that prior 10 the con
tucncruieut of the first tcuplc by King Solomon
IN i0l! before the Christian era, science and n
ChitcCturp had reached great point Of pcrtccti0
among The nations Surrounding the Jews Tbs
the wurkmen engaged IN constructing the built
iugs had organized societies for their MUTUAL pr
lection and perhaps instruction. We cannot doul
that thu architects ofTyrr were moro skilled ST
expert than any Of those Of Judca, il dcmoustla
cd by the fact that Solomon applied to Hiram, Xii
OF Tyre, for assistance, and that monarch SCI
him \ company Of 1yriau architects under Il
superintendent of Hiram Ali who Is dcScrib,
In Scripture as u man "lrd with wisdom, m
understanding and cunning 10 work al works
brass We claim however that it was mt Il
building OF this temple that Solomon by the "
dom given him by the supreme architect at &
universe, organized Masonry into its speculate
features aud made the institution, which has fro
that time till now subsistcd ~ real 0rgani2atit
without any material changes in itS principles
It's boGy. The temple itself though built on
plan furnished by God being hut material h
passed away and the operative branch of our
der has also unfortunately been hpscd OIL but
speculative feature cninatmg from the wiSdo
al God and intoxicating lessons Of truth, viii
lie ut the foundation Of society itself has stood
this day
There ia no difficulty in tracing the order fire.
the building Of the first temple to the dcstItlcti
Of the last by Titus, 4. ID, d. not only in Iud
but throughout the then civilized world. SO
mons temple built ptn furnished by Gt
could moi tail 10 be- what God intended it shCr
hc-thc mo1t perfect specimen OF architcctu
bearing
II was not its size that made il so rCnOwnt
for, comparatively, both the second and thi
temples were much larger It was not grotcSql
ness not get did 1t present any eYtraorllina
properties Of mechanism. This Eastern descr
ticn of SulDmOus throne built at the same pla
shows il to have been far SURPASSED in these p