Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-03
-GHtsaGSC NAY sCn0EuscHE-aa p.sA

| held up. before us to stimulate and urge us t.
strive earnestly for ''the recompense of the re-
| ward
said a little while ago that we had
| shared in the prosperity and growth of oul
| state There has been no anomalous growth
IN numbers, perhaps, but doubtless
as great as prudence and the good of the order
requires. Our strength and usefulness lies not
SO much in numbers as in the character of those
who compose our ranks. Our mission is high
and holy one, and none but the good and true
can do effective knightly service, and of this
class we can't have too many.
Our principles are heaven descended-diyi1e-
emplar. We have vowed fidelity to these prin-
ciples. Let none prove recresnt to these vows.
The field in which we labor is ample, and no
lack of opportunities for every valiant knight in
our ranks to exemplify and impress our tenets
in our respective communities, and il faithful,
the aggregate Of good through our instrumental
ity cannot but rebound to the good of templar-
ism and the glory of the great Captain OF our
salvation.
has been fulfilled. "Swords have been beat into
plow-shares and spears into pruning hooks.
Our weapons are no longer 'carnal, but spirit
ual, and mighty through God to the pulling
down of strongholds." No sanguinary conflicts
characterize modern Templarism. The sword we
bear is but the emblem of the Sword of the
Spirit''-E'the word of God, - and its mission
is peace-'tpeace on earth and good will toward
men, - Thanks be to God, we have no heartless,
revengeful Philip the Fair; no INSCRIPTIONS and
perfidfous Clement the Fifth, or a successor,
from his papal char to hurl bulls and anathemas
to stay the onward progress OF our order. The
horrors and inquisitorial tortures of the Thir
teen and Fourteenth centuries are past, and the
banner Of peace floating over us, we can meet and
worship at our own shrines none daring to
modest or make us AFRAID Surely "the lines
have fallen to US in pleasant places, and ours is
goodly heritage"
Many are the evidences Of approving heaven
in our moral and spiritual warfare, and IN our
than compensatory. reward for every deed OF
mercy performed.
observation in proof of this assertion, did time
permit but may be paIdoned for quoting from
the address of r. E. Sir knight Norman T.
Gassette, grand commander OF Illinois. 1883,
which 1 find in the report Of the committee on
foreign correspondence for Louisiana, received
few days since. 1 honor R. E. Joseph P. Horner
for copying It. Sir Gassette says:
~ should feel, personally, that had neg
lected duty did not at this time express to
you my appreciation for the honor conferred,
and make public avowal Of the principle motive
which has impelled me for sixteen years to work
for the cause of Templary, and to perform the
duties which have been incumbent on me for the
1.-THE truths inculcated by the order were the
indirect cause by which Twas led to profess be-
lief in Jesus Christ as the savior OF the world,
and to acknowledge Him as my personal re-
1.-THE faith which was thus promoted has been
my sol.ce IN hours Of tronnie ana tnroug gnu y
with the hone that shall again see those vino
were so dear to me on earth, and whose eyelids
saw closed IN OeaIu, III bhc envy AnSAb VI y
blessed Immortality
mo greater benson could have been vouch-
safed to any man than has come to me through
it. and my gratitude will continue to well up
from nv heart until its fount has run dry
Sir Knights, how should such testimony TO the
fruits of our order encourage and stimulate US to
greater zeal in our cause, and higher consecra-
ton of our lives and influence to the promotion
Of virtue and holiness.
We are free to confess that we fail far below
the standard Of our profession; that we have not
all reached that high moral plane which makes
us examples worthy OF imitation; but have evil
dences of moral and spiritual growth all through
our ranks, and an inspiration stirring all hearts
for higher attainments in morals and purity of
life and consequent greater usefulness to our
fellow men. ii this is not true Of all, I know
there are faithful ones in all our communicates
who are laboring to this end.
Orr principles are published and known to the
world and the world viii judge us by our 1del-
ity, or want Of it. to these principles. Unfor-
tsinateIy though. the world Judgment is wrong
when it condemns the whole body BY theiin-
Of a few er-ing ones, and while we
are no aooloRists for their errors. we have no
arrurneut to meet the censures urged against us
for intemperance profanity or other unknightly
Irregularities.
Every member of this grand commandery has
more than once been solemuy enloined to
warn the unruly. to rehuke and exhort with
all long suffering Let MS be faithful to this
Injunction The remedy lies within ourselves.
Let all communicates. and especially the grand