The Aberdeen weekly., 1907-02-08

W hAAtH tliAA RtA I-1EI' tltts ~ N1tt
10 see the smouldering ashes 0f
Civil War cleared away; the past,
save the remem brance Of its gran
deur fast sinking into oblivion, and
our country putting on the robes OF
a new prosperity, rising
Like Thebes. or some razed city. from the
In beauty. as if never maimed by shot OF
bomb
Since the era of our, surrender we
have rendered q cheerful obedience
to the law, and Constitution of the
United States Having failed as
other nations have I'M maintaining
our separate existence as q free peo-
pie, we laid down our arms, and
submitted to our destinies. We
took arms iii defense of the cause Of
self-goyernment, and while our
struggle was In vain, Jet 1t he re-
membered we preserved our honor.
% loved and lovely Southland.
What heroes hast thou borne J
Mother, thine eye IS weeping.
Thy lovely bosom torn g..
But still thy brightest jewel
Thine honor. thou didst save
Thy sons VIII wear IL proudly
In freedom or the grave
Our people have always loved the
the Union 1t was associated in
their minds with the names Of
Washington, Madison, Mason and
Randolph, the fathers of the con
stitution In all the wars which
have been waged against foreign
powers by the United States, the
Southern people have been conspic-
uous for their zeal and gaIlantry in
maintaining the honor and the in
terest of the Federal arms. Let our
sister States of the North do us sim
pie justice by according to us the
rights that belong to us, the right
to preserve our political and social
institutions as handed down by our
forefathers, and they will find us as
ready to shed our blood in the de
fense Of the Union as we showed
ourselves to be in the war of 1912,
with Great Britain; and in the
Mexican war of 1916; and i'm the
Spanish-American war of 1898.
Since the days Of 179S when
Mississippi, once a portion Of the
State of Georgia, was recognized as
a separate territory, and Winthrop
Sargent was appointed as the first
Territorial Governor, leading up to
the admission Of the State into the
Union in 1917, with Davis Holmes
as the first Governor, and on to the
present time, our State has passed
through many vicissitudes. until
now, in all that pertains to devcl-
opment and prosperity, we have
taken rank with the great States of
the American Union.
Our State is essentially an agri-
cultural State, yielding more cotton
in proportion to area, than any Of
the cotton producing States. In the
production of corn, Mississippi is
known as the Egypt Of the South.
Our soils are diversified in character.
To the west Of us we have the allu-
vial lands of the great Yazoo, Mis-
sissippi Delta, rivaling in produc-
tiveness the Valley Of the Nile.
Along the center Of the State we
find the Post Oak soils, which an
nually yield their increase To the
east we have the fertile soil Of the
Black Belt, a section equal to the
prairies of the Great Northwest.
while to the south the great pine
forests are annually yielding mil
lions to enrich our citizens. The
products of the Mississippi orchards
and truck farms are eagerly sought
after, and each year adds to The
area devoted to these products.
We welcome You to the delibera-
tions OF our Lodge room You come
among us clothed with authority to
speak for an order we have fostered
and encouraged in our midst for
more than twenty years. Its many
advantages you are prepared to dis
cuss advisedly. | shall therefore
give brief consideration to the car
dinal principles of the order. These
are the tests of excellence by which
we must stand or fall
Life has been called pilgrimage,
and. perhaps, no term could be Sc
lected more expressive Of its uncer-
tainty, dangers and hopes. 1t l. in
deed a pilgrimage through a region
of varied aspects, beneath a check
cred sky of cloud and sunshine.
Man is indeed a pilgrim, one Of
goOdly company, as diverse in char
acter and feeling as in Language
and complexion; yet all united in
one common object, all pressing
forward to one common goal-the
Ocean of Eternity. As the strings
of an instrument responding to the
same touch, but each vibrating
with its own peculiar tone, produce
one harmonious melody, SO all
hearts respond to the touch Of the
same Divine Master. each with its
own peculiar measure. yet all unit
ing to perfect the great work for
which they were created-the Glory
of the Maker.
Thus we have our mutual alliance.
from which comes the cardinal prin-
ciples of our Order, Honor, Virtue.
Charity, Love, Justice and Hope.
Added to these we afford protection
to the families of deceased members
by system of cooperative life in
surance, which is not excelled by
any other organization.
Within the walls of our Lodges
the enquiring spirit finds meet COM
panions, and all are recognized as
brothers and sisters. Here we may
come harassed by worldly disap-
pointment, bowed down by misfor-