Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1892-12-02
reed, whether sacred or prolane.

wonderful and curious one. Sects
and creeds, whether political, social
or sacred, have forced themselves, by
resort to arms, npon an unwilling
humanity. Not sword has ever
drawn. or drop of blood shed to
enforce Masonry; not battle has its
cohorts ever waged. One king of
England would suppress it by royal
edict, the next would be It's Grand
Master. Napoleon would not e1
p!ore its mysteries, but he placed his
brother, Joseph, Mt the head of the
Grand Orient. Frederick tho Great
hended nation of Masons. The Ro.
nnn prelates stamped it out in South
ern Europe. Thus it has nourished
or waned rs the welfare OF nations
demanded. Let all the ends thou
aimest at be thy country's, thy Gods
and TRUTHS is its sacred precepts.
Kings have forbade it, Popes have
denounced it, politicians have thun
drred philipics Mt it, still it has bat
tied on ami on, resistless, but unre
sisting. quiet and unpretentious, UNI
I'll il now flourishcs i'll every lund
where the Caucasian treads, save in
the land of the Russian Car It's
devotees submit, but it cannot live
among tyrauts or slaves.
The uuhiddon acts Of the mystic
order are no less peculiar thnn its
secret mysteries. 1t will not strike
All offensive blow for itself, but It's
craftsmen must battle for their comn
try. The bnyom is of contendipg
armies may lock in mortal combat,
but the fallen brother must be borne
from the field. Forever CARRYING the
olive branch of peace, yet its power
full arm is most felt it wnr-not UNI
der II iiamin. banner upon the iield-
but among the dead and dying,
whether friend or foe, and by the
mystic touch To the living.
Auong its sacred jewels conserved
about its holy altar, none is more hal
lowed than tia, of Liberty Free
Masons are free mem" it iuterferes
with the individual rights of 10 NOR.
tai mail, but it denanis freedom and
rXncts order. 1t is lcveller of hu
mainly. not by pulling down the high
structures to the level of the low, but
by building the lowest to the high
est, and herein lies one of tie pillars
OF it's mighty strength.
The age i'll which we live il Won
dcrful and the progressive strides OF
humanity are astounding; such Us t. 9
world has never seen before. The
man who is demanded to pilot hui
manity along the swelling tide, III &,
be man of iron, with an iron will
aid nerves of steel
To rear and build such men, no
higher plans Gun be devised han are
Oh the trestle board of Masonry; the
first OF these being temperance. BY
this L do not mean denial OF any.
thing good, borne III the cup or the
plate, for this il fanatucisn, and n
fanatic eau no more cross tho sacred
portal of Masonry than fool; but
mean what shall we eat. what shall
We drink aud shall we wear. to BELT
us for tho prodigious struggle that
his progressive age has brought up
OH us, and n knowledge of how to
use these blessings.
A few days back, two physical gi.
ants met and fought battle. causing
more interest than the onset of con
tending armies. We know the re-
suit. The man of temperance and of
science triumphed over his superior
in brute force. The enlightened
did not applaud the victor because
he won in q brutal contest, but be-
cuuse he is the highest physical type
OF the iron man demanded by strong
world, aud which may be produced
Ply the cardinal Virtues" of Ma
sorry.
Masonry is prime element in the
march of civilization. It's temples
tower in this republic of ours above
NIL others, ard, when man becomes
the perfect man, he will be but per.
feet Mason.
*Soue assert that Napoleon be-
came Mason Mt Malta. This is not
believed to be true. on account of
his pretended patti onage of papacy,
which forbade it.