The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1911-06-02

Knighthood sprang up to dsfend thc
Holy Land, Knight Hospitalsrs, form
ed to care for sick pilgrims knights
Templars TO enclose the ancient TEN.
pie of jerusalem, and the TeutoniC
Knights ware Monks who remained
there. The crusades continued
throughout the twelfth and thir-
tenth Centuries. The Knights were
defeated and Jerusalem lost.
When Louis TX of France and Ed
ward / of England at the head of a
great army of Knights set out for
the Holy Land to make one more at
tempt 30 wrest the sacred sepulchre
from the hands of the Heather, ii
was the last crusade.
Baffled and defeated Edward alone
was borne, wounded and helpless, fror
the field, by the remnant of his fe-
yer stricken army.
It was a final manifestation of a
spirit which had dominated Europe
five hundred years and had driven
countless thousands across Europe to
the East to meet death by famine,
fever or the sword.
No one can fail TO see wherein the
weakness of Chivalry lay; its gentle
ness and its ferocity; its perform
mace of far off duties and neglect of
those near at hand. We can see too
its moral grandeur and the fact that
beneath its many errors lay humane
principles
"The spirit of chivalry was a part
Of the worlds blind striving after
the ideal and the knight without fear
and without reproach was an image
OF Christ"
1t was an awakening 10 the real
meaning Of life, that to attain a pure
character, to live a stainless life,
to fight for the weak and to re-
lieve the oppressed, fulfills the real
meaning of existence.
We are under many obligations to
our ancestors for the friendship Of
KnighthoOd, every day we see exam
Piles of Knighthocd which have been
carried down TO present generations.
We greatly admire the brave and
courteous Knisht, his pollteness to
the fair sex, his great respect for
woman kind.
In time Of conflict We see the
worthy Knight on the battlefield
graceful and dignified, fighting with
all his might for what his conscience
tells him is right, determined tolwin
the battle at all hazards, pushing
onward to the thickest of fight and
having no inclination nor desire to
shirk his duty.
We commend the honorable Knight
for his chaNalry. ever daring 30 do tbs
right at all tinbss and under all cir
But this ancient chivalry has
passed away, its pomp and dignity
have persisted with the Kings and No
bdes that inaulgurated 1t. It's
IDEALS airs shattered; its modes Of
warfare have been succeeded by SIM
pier and more effective methods, IT'S
aims and purposes are now sssn to
have been weak and childish. Have
We then noshiag Lett OF this knight
hood bst its name which represents
A sentimental dream?
This century has been called the
age of progress. II has indeed been
a period Of rapid advancement in sol
ence In industry and in knowledge;
IL has also been an age In which hu-
manitarian IDEAS have received much
attention and been put Into prac-
tlcal application. Yet. there has ex-
listed many evils against rghich the
Modera knight has charged with tsll-
ing force. Modern cpusades have been
waged against vice. in Its every form.
Graft and greed which have been
dominating the political and commer-
cial world are having the ssarchlight
OF publicity thrown upon their illi-
cit mashods and belag forced TO con-