Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-06-10

DduuS anu SOllLaFlly dS IuulNiiudiS, were 10 Do
seen, distinguished by their peculiar garb,
vending their way toward Holy Land.
Thousands of these pilgrims of solemn and
serious aspect, filed that land of wonder
full memories, crowding Bethlehem, and
Nazareth and Jerusalem. They stood and
worshipped in holy ecs.acy on Mt Olivit,
upon the spot where the Master had stood.
They watched and prayed at midnight on
DARK Gethsemane, where the Man of sorroWs
had wept and prayed. And with Joy un-
utterabIe they thronged with bare feet and
uncovered head to kiss the sacred stone
where once lay the inanimate body of their
Lord. But the Great Adversary Is
always busy in this sin-troub]ed world
The enemies of the Cross, and the religion
of the Cross, were gathering, and swoOped
down upon the defenseless worshippers as
eagles upon their prey, robbing, imprison-
ing cruelty numbering, multitudes, until
the monk, known in history as Peter the
Hermit, escaping f1om prison and chains,
thrilled all Europe with the story of his
wrongs. His clarion tones rang out with
marvellous eloquence, moving 20 tears ali
who heard-inhabitant of the crowded city,
grape -gatherer of the sunny South, aud the
stern, ragged wanderer in Northern forests.
He spoke again, and history tells US that his
voice sounded like a tocsin, startling the
dwellers in Britain and Spain and Ger
many and Italy and La Belle France,
who, in vast multitudes, guided by
chosen leaders moved toword the East,
believing that God willed the destruction
of the Crescent, the symbol of Saracenic
tyranny, by the Holy Cross. IN h0c Sig110
0inces, emblazoned upon their banners, was
their watchword and battle-cry. And with
o 1;r,i nd
had never seen before, and such as it has
never since Witnessed, for full two hundred
years the eh' yalry of Europe precipi,ated
itself upon the rocks and barren sands Of
Asia. The story of Christian suffering and
Turkish barbarity, 1.-The bleeding Cross b
meath the cruel Crescent" never failed to
awaken enthusiasm and sympathy, and TO
nerve courage and bravery to their utter
most.
1t was during these troublous times,
when paroxysm after paroxysm con-
vulsed the whole of Europe,
that the order of Knights Tempa-
first appeared, insignificant at first, but des-
tined 20 attract the attention of the world
yea. to command its ADMIRATION and ap-
plause. The minstrel wandering from cas-
tie to castle, the poet with language inspired,
the romance of the cities, were, through the
coming centuries, to vie with each other in
telling the story of their noble deeds of
yalOr.
Our chronicles speak the names of Ray
mond DuPoy and that of Hugh DePaynes,
Who, together with eight Frenchmen, men
good and true, formed themselves into a 60
cie,y for the protection of the pilgrims.
From this germ-this feeble beginning
sprang the noble order of chivalrous Knights,
I, +I,o 4 Of +ho
They called themselves the Soldiers of the
Cross, and upon their banners waving, upon
shield and gauntlet of steel, upon coats of
mail yea, upon the very sword
hit - the cross, the sacred emblem
of their order was seen to blaze and burn.
Their camp was upon the sacred hill
Moriah, and for their fearless devotion to
duty, were first called - Knights of the
Temple of Solomon" by King Baldwin, Of
Jerusalem. lis true that wealth and power
and success whelmed the order in ruin at
last. The sun that rose with such IN
clouded splendor set in a sea of blood y
IT'S true that as the order became wealthy
and powerful, it failed to practice the severe
and rigid creed OF the founders 1t is true
that chivalry valorous and noble, was be-
trayed into eXceSses which left stain upon
its proud escutchen. But when we remem-
Der the times in which our ancient fathers
lived, the cruel foe whom they encountered,
and that the strong are made weak by self
confidence and success, charity would hide
their faults with the veil of silence, while
memory would alone recall the story of their
knightly deeds.
But, rue it is, that the name of Templar
will ever be a synonym for courage, chiv-
airy and knightly courtesy. History re-
vi l,a+ DfN1No har
against the chevaliers of Holy Land, as did
Herod and Pontius PLATE against the Christ,
and in dreadful martyrdom the brave spirit
of the order was crushed The light went
out; it went out as a military order forever,
no more defence to the humble pilgrim
no more an Otfense to the naughty Turk
But as the body dies, and with its last throe
of agony, releases the immortal spark
which must live while the heavens live, So
the Great Love of the order of the Temple
survived. The great cardinal principles
the immortal trinity of excellences
COURAGE, COURTESY AND CHARITY
live on, though the days of Baldwin anc
Raymond and God erey of Bouillon, and h,
of The Lion Heart are no more. The spiri
of true chivalry still lives in the breast O
every true knight. Men die, but principles
survive.
This is but hasty and most unsa isiac
tory glance at our order as it existed in the
days long gone. But we must not forge
that its real origin was purely religious. |
dates back for eighteen centuries.
Eighteen hundred years have rolled thei
suns away since the death of Christ give
birth to the principles of the order. Fo7
true it is that on Calvary, amid the gloo'
that enveloped the world, while the ear
rocked to the center, beside the Gross en-
sanguned with the blood of the Son of God
the principles of the order had their birth
and true to its orig in and its tradition, the
Cross aud Sepulchre have ever been mos
holy and sacred. And the closer to the
Cross, the more truly noble and knightly
We would not, if we could, bring the ole
days of chivalry back again, when the Turl
laughed at the tears of the Christian, anC
when the cry was heard on lions Hil and
when alter the thunders of battle, ou1
.fiGters met, with unhelmetted head to drinI
Joy to the victor and confusion to the van
quished. No, no, we would not back the
old heroic days" Still we are engaged in &
contest as real as they. While we may moi
WELD our swords in defense of helpless
maidens, weary pilgrims and the Christian
religion we are none the less called upor
TO show knightly courage, courtesy
and charity, courage true and gen
u.ne, which makes heroes of men,
a determination to uphold, to sustain the
right; a courage of C9ur de Lion, which
gave to the world Luther and a Paul not
mere brdte force, but a noble, lofty, chiv,
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