The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-10-17


fell at Bunker Hill, the most illus
trious son of Massachusetts in that
/ struggle, was a Free Mason. Patrick
/ Henry, who led the Revolutionary
Lsovement in Virginia, was a Free
! Mason. Howard, who led the Mary
land Line, was a Free Mason. La
t2yette, Pulaski, De Kalb, Won Steub-
en-, who came from foreign lands to
( give the aid of their military genius
I and their swords TO the American
I cause, We're Free Mas0ns. Stark who
I fought at Bennington, Gates, who won
laurels at Saratoga, Marion, WAC COM
manded the Revolutionists in South
Carolina, and many more of the i'm
mOrtals, were Free Masons. But the
central figure of that time. the Faith
er of his country, George Washington.
was an enthusiast in the Masonic
cause from the days of his youth to
the moment when his spirit took its
flight to eternity. He ever said that
the greatest honor he had achieved
was that of Master of his Lodge and
the privilege of wearing the lambs
skin, or white leather apron-"the
emblem of purity and the badge of a
Mason"
To him We not only owe the super
structure of our present national GOV
eminent, but the architectural design
of what will be the most beautiful
city in the world. There the ancient
orders OF architecture have been re-
modelled and beautified, and there day
by day, according to his plan, we are
rearing edifices which will outrank all
that has been done in the past. We
will have the peerless capital Of an in
comparable republic. 1t is true that
in the formation of our government
Free Masons were not alone, for there
have been times, before and since,
when the Free Mason and the Jesuit
have labored together, each III secret
but both for the same end.
Every step of our advancement since
independence was achieved has been
either originated or aided by compan-
ions of our organization Whether ii
was Lewis and Clark journeying in
NAA' " lidtl lltSS llldl leu dtIOSS the
continent and to the discovery of the
greath northwest, or Boone upon the
frontier in Kentucky, or Crockett and
Houston beneath the lone star of the
Texan Republic, or Clinton building
the Erie Canal, Fulton sending the
first steam boat upon the waters, or
Clay enunciating his system of Amer
lean improvement and protection, Or
Lincoln saving the Union. or Hayes
effecting the compromise which ce-
mented the sections, Free Masonry
was the mother and handmaiden f
! all.
And why has this been possible?
| Because Free Masonry is founded
upon a higher and broader plan than
| any other association ever formed
among mankind. 1t bears religion and
morality and yet it inquiries nej into
! the dead form or into the meaning
/ less words which often form The chief
! cham of denominations nd sects ard
! religions Free Masonry counts
| among its numbers devotees of every
| branch Of religion, for it stands upon
/ the broad ground Of God in his uni
versal Fatherhood, and men in their
/ universal brotherhood. and because
| where men live among men, Free Ma
| sorry teaches that cur first duty is
not to the Spirit God in the distance.
! but to our fellowmen. With them we
! must walk and live and die, and for
| this reason Free Masonry has selected
| the most blessed tenets of all relig-
ions and above all commands those
who have knelt at her altar to have
charity and love for their fellows,
| for, in the language of the great ApOs-
! tie Paul. Faith, Hope and Charity,
these three but the greatest OF these
| is charity"
This was not new to Free Masons;
! it is "a tenet universally accepted
among them, and indeed. if I we're to
! picture these three virtues | would
paint Hope as a young man, strong, Wig
orous, simply clad. climbing a noun
tain side, bearing in the one hand
banner and in the other a staff, sur
mounting one obstacle after the other,
conquering the opposing forces that
would check his advance, thus jour
neying on until he has almost reached
the top of the mountain. and yet not
| quite, and in his mien and face |
would put the expression of undying.
ineXtinguishable hope not attained
! but about to be achieved. If | were
to paint Faith, it would be as q young
and transcendently beautiful woman,
clad in garments of white, standing
upon the mountain height looking in
wrapt vision down the vista of time,
until it reached the impossible dark
mess of the future, and then | would
have her sink upon her knees and
whisper though ! cannot see, yet
! believe" for faith is the evidence of
things unseen" But if I were to paint
Charity it would be as a woman clad
! in serge, her face hidden by a dark
hood, standing by the way-side in the
cleaning of the eventide, as the vast
stream of itinerant humanity goes to
and fro whispering words of counsel
to the erring, giving food to the hun
CRY and stretching forth her arm to
hold up those who are about to fall,