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TWO DOLL A US PER ANNUM. } GOD A.JSTX) OTTTl COTJ ISTTllY. ALWAYS IN ADVANCE
VOLUME 10. SATURDAY MORNING. FEBRU ARY IT, 1877. NUMBER 52
MASONIC ADDRESS.
? Delivered bclorc tho Lodges of
Sumter by E. XV. Moisc on 27th
Dec., 187G.
Brethren,?We have assembled at a
peiiod of great public anxiety. The
alarming condition of our Stale and
national government, the grave issues
presented to the public mind und the
unsettled if not anarchic posture ol
?flairs around us, all tend to concen
trate" popular sentiment ami thought
Upon political matters to lb : utter
exclusion ol other considerations.
At such a time it would seem to be
difficult to rivet attention upon a
subject so purely adhelie as specula
tive or symbolic Masonry. Yet a
mere caieful review of the situation
of the people, most near'y ti fleeted by
both gbvernincnial misrule and
Alnsoiuc association, will evolve and
exhibit the conclusion, Iba- the a >
plication of trn.s .Vasonic principles
i faction, would be potential, in rcmc
xlinl influer.ee, upon the d.hitgers which
so seriously threaten the State. To
?demonstrate this theory will require,
first, a brief review of the present jiosi
tion of the people with :i s\nopsis of
the causes which have produced such
?results, and second, n retro pect of the
history of Masonry, a summary of the
precepts she inculcates and the prac
tice8. which she enjoins, to the end
that a just application of these, doc
?triues may be made to the disturbed
*uid angry feelings of the people, in
the hope that Masonic; pea; e vuiy
^eventuate ami Masonic harmony prof
vuil throughout the length and
hrrudth ot the land. Thai the pojut
lay heart, is stirred to its inmost
depths, and that anarchy sind??
?:.briiid i osatte man will dm v.
'1hut this sad condition has been
?caused by the want of F'>ith, I l??pi
-and Charity in the rulers of tlie*
people, is also plain to the si in pi esi
?understanding.
All Masons know that our society i.?
*iut in any sense political ? men of ali
parties unite around our sacred alter .
\Ye are therefore a link .between pat
ties as we have ever been a bond of
'union between all discordant or con
flicting human bodies or associations
?civic or religious. Our sac i cd
Society lias ever joined in harmonious
'?accord tho fid lowers of the Old and
Kt'W Testaments or dispensations, and
?our links have been welded into that
?chain which connects the modern per
iiul ol r? corded history, with that an
?< i< nl <? \?? 1 e of legendary lore and irii
flitioli, when man was simple in hi
-nature, and untaught in either the
?letters or s'ns of later ages.
Let "us look fur u moment to the
origin of Masonry itself.
Of ?.'ill suis. Masonry* in its praeii
'?al phase, must of necessity bo the
oldest and first. Ibis proposition has
'been disputed, audit has been claim
?<d come superficial thinkers thai ngri
culturff^or'tliecultivation of the earth
Avas t1f(V->fiisl occupation ol man: let
its look.fur a moment to this question.
Ajgiiciil(tire requires the passage di
ii considerable pt Hod o tinic, in its
proccsfiWf^tlie seed must, pulsate into
life must pass through various Stages
of vegetation before fruit ion can lake
place; meantime the seasons are ehang
ing and the vicissitudes of wi athor
Supervene; man the tiller of the soil
must have refuge from the changes ol
climate ami protection from the damp
iicss of night dews and more terrible
effects of storms; ho cniinof endure the
Iransifirih* of heat and cold without
?oine shelter. Now what sort o' pro
tcction must he have first found ''. Lei
US sec. In the absence of positive
proof, wc are to presume that some
hollow cavern in the natural forma
tion of the rocks made his first house
sis it has, since been found to be the
iiatuinl place of resort for self-exiled
man. such as the hermit, and of the
br?te creation, even to the present
day, as well as that of the eagle and
the condor. These natural caverns
must however very soon have proven
inadequate to the increasing lam ly of
man, and the very first, step which
must have been taken by his offspring
would of necessity be, the construe
tion of additional places of rest and
safety, which won hi logically follow
the design and structnro of those,
which .had been used. Hence wo sec
that in the primitive age of mankind,
the very first exercise of the human
ingenuity must have been exhibited
in the production of artificial caverns
?or houses, made of the loinc frag
men Is of rocks, with which the lace of
nature abounded ?and which could
he cemented together, into the requir
I'd shapes, by the simple admixture
o! the two natural ch incuts, of earth
hiid water, or mortar. To c ustruel
such edifices, the. common ynciti, by
means of which 'he inequalities of
surface upon the rocks could be re
iiiuved?the f>/iimb, by wli^sc aid the
correct perpendicular was found, and
which co ibl lie easily const motu I by
the. simple Misjiensioh ? f a fraghieiit
of'ro( k ai the end of some pliant twig,
and the common rul> a measure, made
of liny wand, notched at equal dis
lances, fOeiii to so tgesi thehisclvo.j to
the mind, as man's earliest tools
Hero we have I lie origin of prnc
licitl .Masonry?an art. w use prog re ?s
nmy be indicated by the records of
llii'y Writ and the. subsisting cvi
ih noes of its early triumphs.
The .sons of Adam had altars on
which to make sacrifices. The tower
of Habel, the Pyramids, of Kgy pi-, the
exhumed ruins of Sodom and (Juror
rah attest her progress. That Mason
ry exceeded all ails in the earlier
days of innn'.s existence cannot be
doubted. The enormous structures ?f
Egypt and of Assyria, the splonded
edifices of Sidoii ami of Tyre, and the
exquisite finish of the'Tern pic of Solo
mon at Jerusalem. il'ustrnte the fact,
thai practical Masonry, had occupied
the highest position amongst primeval
b-duslries, and embraced tue greatest
nun her of individuals in the earlier
mechanic efforts,of mankind.
Speculative Masonry, which \yo now
prolcss, and which imparts its teach
ings by symbolic forms, had origin in
some remote period of lime, which
cannot now with certainty ha ascer
tained. It is likely, that, some sort of
societies must have existed amongst
the very largo number of workmen,
who were engaged dn the structure of
the Tower of Babel,''on the plains of
Sliiuar, or the Pyramids of Egypt in
the Valley of the Nile. 'Order is
Heaven's first. Law,' and the practical
Mason's prime necessity. t would,
therefore, sei in to be reasonable that
the Very grca' number ol workmen
required to execute these immense
tusks; must, have been divided into
various classes, each under their re
spect ivo task-master-or i'nth/eii*, ami
in various degrees of e.\i ( Hence a.- to
workmanship, s ill and knowledge.
That writing or printing as those
words are in \\ Uinb-r.-lood by u-.did
not exist amongst these arti.-uns, is
*nrc. Hence the work of each class
or quality must necessarily have been
known by some 1 Muster Mumm1* //io/7.-,'
and it is lively, that be before whom
such woik was ipspcetod, and who
siguiiiiid bis approval thereof, may
have been known as a 'Mar/: Mu*t-r.'
Such marks I aye bet li found on the
pheiisks ol Egypt, structures whose
uuliquity is such that they are pre
siiiiied to have beeil the first no
coinplifdiinonis ol' the dispersed Ma
sons, who left the plains of Sliinur,
before the frown of an angry Creator.
These however aro speculations,
and arc worth only so much as their
reasoning avails. When, however
we come to the building of the
Temple, that grand work, whic.i
j Solomon, the. wisest of kings in the
1 fourth year < f his reign commenced,
I then speculation ceases, and wo sec,
'the genius of Masonry arise'
''One side divine A siren, was placed,
Ami soft-eyed Charity; the other graced;
II ti inanity the genial friend was there,
And I'ity, dropping the pathetic tear;
There loo was Order; there with rofoy mien,
Jilithe Temperance shone, und white-robed
Truth was seen."
This grand edifice was constructed
under the sup' r vis ion and control of
King Solomon, the wisest of the wise,
with the assistance of Hiram, King of
Tvre, and Hiram A biff, the great
builder, the true 'Mutter Mason.' A
recent exhumation of the ruins ofthia
splendid work, lias shown that every
stone, in the superb structure was
marked with the iror/c of a Munter
M"<"?. One hundred and fiity thous
and workmen were employed in tho
construction ol t!io noble edifice.
These wt-ie divided into three classes
?those who merely worked in tlni
quarries, preparing the rough stones
for use; wer.- the entered uppreiitiref.
; Those who squared and fitted the vnr
! ions materials for the parts to which
they belong- ?I. voro/<//?"?'? '?<??//>???a?
whilst the actual builders, whoplaped
the work and finished it up when
j phi'cd, were the M'/s/cr Mo.was. The
j designs were shown each day by the
Mtitter: all work which was brought
from 'he quarries, had to pass the
inspecti( n ol the learilens and finally
lhat. <>!' the Mo-//.- y\'i:<(ir. who pl.-.eed
his m in'.- on that which was found to
bo ijtiud irorU, true tvhrl: ami ready to
he p'ueed in the temple.
ll will ap ear I<? the general mind,
that some inducement was lieeessary
to maintain a proper system of gra ii
tion in so vast a multitude of work
men, and to secure to each, he due
ret (ignition of his skilI and patiente.
The rulcred itppreiitiW, might by as
siduiiy and care became lilted for an
advancement into the second class or
fn'lmr eraj'tmen, ami even lifter a new
period of probation and trial, might
be entitled to a further promotion to
the higher stage of the M'iw/cT Mrisowi
To secure to each the due and pro
per recognition of his attention and
improvement, it was necessary that
some system should be inaugurated,
which would not only secure such
merited advancement and promotion,
but also provide the workmen with
moans of proving to others, there or
cl cwhcre, Hint he had been duly a"d
legally advanced, that he was 'ior
tlty unit ice/I quulifieW?ami this had
also to be vouched for by ?;ome
Masler Mason, whose power would be
known and rcc iguizcd in any land
where the '-asoti might afterwards
seek employment* or wish to pass
from * refreshment tu labor,' To meet
these necessities?the wisdom of King
Solomon inaugurated Lodges of .Ma
sons; in the privacy of which the can
didates might be examined and where
they might receive those inslructions
which would allow them to travel in
other lands, when seeking work ami
yet be enabled, to prove their ability
and experience.
As ti further inducement to good
conduct, certain tenets were imparted
to the work men by the guidance of
which they were to shape their con
duct, so that by frugality, lemnTanoo
and vir.tie, the craft should he ele
vated in tin- Opinion of in n and im
proved in the quality oftheir work, ?
since vice and dissipation must soon
render the hau I tin l: i ly .in I ;!i ? eye
iuiperlect, its a guide.
fiie immense advantage wliidi re.
suited trout thcsij \j i lg.'s, caaaoi b j
estimated; they are the prototype and
Origin of all trade-?unions and in i
I h? I i enelils co-operative a sbciiifinus
id tin' present, day;
j When the Trnijde was !i tishe I, th
winkineii traveed in all directions
and dispersed themselves i ve: the
whole habitable lace of the globe, car
ryiiig evorywliurij witti thetii.tlijir j
splendid imputation, as build ?rs o
the faui ins and world-renowned
Temple) they were s mji for every
where ami employed by princes and
potentates to erect noble edifices and
grand structures, and they did build
the most splendid (cmpies, pal ices,
aqueduct* and museums of the earth.
Hcing enabled io rocbgiii/.o each nth ir
anywhere, by virtue of (her initiatio i,
passing and raising, in tue Lodges lit
the Temple, lliey were at once able to
delect impostors and to prove to each
other the. genuineness of their claims,
by the various passwords, grips and
signs, which they had learned;
These workmen, Masons and Build
ers, had also power and authority,
when a certain number should he as
senibled, to induct new members into
their class whenever they caino of
their own accord, and were worthy
and qualified, and recommended by a
Master Mason. In every country of
the known world, such lodges of prac
ticnl Masons were formed, and their
skill, experience and art, thus trans
fused, cmucllishod the earth with
grand structures and splendid edifices.
Thuir mis-ion was?'to be true and
faithful to tin: laws of their country,
wherever that country \vn*'?to erejt
magnificent huildiugs?to he servi
ceablto the brethren of'bccrift,
mid to fear God; the great Architect
of the Universe. Under their three
leaders Zorobbahel, Joshua and Hag
gai, for.}' liivo thousand of these Ma
sons commenced the reb dbli ig of ths
Temple, after its destruction. Hny
received 7/t? aluif tidings of great /".?/.'
that Cyrus, King'of Persia, had per
r.iitled their r. turn to Jerusalem, and
the reconstruction of their Temple;
ihev traveled iitti Grecco, Kmc,
Spain and other countries, and wlier
ever they went noble structures >*oso
and adorned the land.
A largo nu nb jr of the craftsme n
visited lliimi. then the patroness of -.ill
high nil. They received protection
from Julius Ctesar, and were allowed
to establish their lodges. ]l!nri?us
P'/li'o, the eelebtated architect, hien
ti ?ns their splendid wr k, and sp">ak
of their rules being veiled, ?>\ s/ni'ii's
iiittl allegory whereby they everywhere
knew each other. Twelve thousand
of these Masons worked upon the
Coliseum, that master piece of ski II.
They built the Circus of Trajan,
which held 200,000 persons, at one
time, seated. After the Christian era,
many of tin Colleges <\f Ihiilders. as
the Masons were then called, embraced
Christianity and suffered persecution
at the hands of ilia Emporor, Marchs
Aurclius.
Thc-e Christian Masons :it Bomo.
font d in the Catac'.-nhbs, iv^aarot usy
iuiu from the edicts of the Empire,
vvh tri! during ten years ot severe dis
cipiiuc, they transformed the Catu
combs into Churches, orn minted
with sarcophagi, en caustic paintings,
and Masaics.
In the year 2X1, Alb-inn*, a gravi I
Master of Masons, lo-rni the fir.st
Christian martyr i;i Britain; ho win
I decapitated by order ol' Carnnsiiis;
King of Britain.
The Church of the Lateran, at
limine, erected by Masons, a*, the order j
of Constantino, was built in form of
the Greek Cross; which was the
ground plan of the Temple of Solo
mon, always regarded by them. a.< a
model, a master piece of architecture '
and beauty. |
In the. year OD-3, they laid the !
foundation of St Paul's Church,
Lohdon. I
Every town in Britain, had its
Lodge (d Free Masons, when Athel
staiie ruled over England. His son
Kdwiu was made (Iran i Muster. Ho
cbuveuod at York, ? general a-s mihiy
df Mason*, who jjiiii foul:id thb forth ti
las, ot what is iioy known as the an
Cdent York right,
Gillard, Archbishop of York, as
Grand Master of Masons, completed
Westminster Abbey, in the year 127'J.
The Lodge of Kilwinhing, in Scot
land, was presided (?vor by Robert j
Bruce, in 1314. Elizabeth ol Eng j
land, sent a b dy of troops to break j
up the assembly of Masons at York.
Tbc officers, however, reported so
favorably of their work, that the
maiden Qu ceil became their protec
tress, in lien ol their foe, ever after.
Inigo .Jones, the great architect of
the reign of James I, became Grand
Master of Masons, and obtained re
t.own by the usu of their ancient
knowledge of building and Geometry.
In the year 1?63, a general asscnib
ly took place at York, Charles II.
presiding, Hmry Jonnyer, Count of
Saint Albans, Master. Degrees hero j
assumed a humanitarian aspect; culti
vat ion of arts and sciences, together
with sociability, under noble und
elevated forms, became the feature of
their meetings, ami has .so existed,
ever since.
Frederick 11, F ing of Prussia, was
initiated on 15th August, 17?fl, and
was a faithful blaster.
From this period to the present
time, symbolic or.speculative Mason
ry, has spread over the whole face of
the earth. We have among us con 1
coaled from the eyes of all in .mi, scj
ret.-* which rann -t bo divulged, hud
which hiive never been found out.
These secrets sire lawful smd honor
ahlu, and arc not repugnant to the
laws of God or man. They were in
trusted, in peace sind honor, to Ma
s?.us in ancient times, have boon du ly
transmitted to us, and by us will be
handed down to our latest.posterity.
Our cause is good, and bur princip
les will be productive of benefit to any
ami to all people, whjw.il I respect
ami obey them. We seek to apply
tlio Mn.-on's rule to cur time, so that
we may he enabled to divide it equal
ly, to the several duties cd'life?to
.shape our course amongst men, by the
tools of the Master, so that after
death, we may he as stones, fitted sind
polished for that 'ff<>n<e not'made icitfi
hands r trntil iii (In- l/carens,] Such
also is Masonry--si practice of Moral
ity sind Love :
Mail Masonrv divine !
I:lory of aged shine!
Long maye.?t thou reign.
Where'er thy Lodges s and,
May they have great command,
And always grace the land,
Thoil Arl divine !
Great fabric;* still arise,
And grace the azure slcics,
(??real are thy schemes,
Thy noble orders arc.
Matchless beyond compare,
No art with thee can share,
Thou, Ait divine !
IT yearn, the Architect,
Did* all the craft direct.
How they should build,
.Solomon, .1 mica's King,
l'iil mighty blessings bring,
And left us room to sing,
Hail! Royal Art !!
There is one charge brought against
Masonry, which we can rot deny. It
is true that our women are excluded
from the Lodges?yet arc we not to
blame for this'.' The proceeding re
sumc has shown, that the present.sys
tern of symbolic or speculative Mason
rv h: s com" to u-, by imperceptible
degrees, I tout the practical or opera
live Masonry, of our fathers, No wo
man was educate I to tho duties of
practical Masonry, her physical lo?*m
was not constructed for such duties,
j hence there was no occasion fir her
to be disciplined* by the s ystcin in
uugurated for the government of tho
craft. Mice is also another reason.
I ho Grand Master, being nis i High
Priest, was allowed only once in catdi
year, on the day of atonement, to
enter the Holy of Holies, and there
alone could he us3 or repeat the omni
fie name of the great Creator. Around
his body was wrapt a triple cord, that
j should he die in the sanctuary of the
Holy of Holies, his body might be re
moved by those outside, without hav
ing to profane the sacred spot This
I oinnific word could not be mentioned
to a woman, hence it was not in the
p over of any Lodge of Musou<, to
(hange the tradition 1 constitutions,
in this respect.
'1 he ladies however, arc not without
their levenge, they too have their
secrets. If single, they have their
idoals, which they generally keep to
themselves. If married, they have
au opinion of their husbands, which
is their own, and which they do not
often divulge. If they did, it might
have the died of reducing tome of
the lords of creation, to a position
more normal to their nature, than
that, to which now they aspire.
We can't make ladies, Masons :
first, because no Rule applies to a
woman?second, because the Plumb
and Square, would never suit a figure
composed a.together of curves : third,
because Geometry, the Mason's study,
is abomination to her, and lastly, bo
cause she could not and would not
keep a seer"'
li . t we can make ourselves accep
table to her, as good and true Mmons
ohou'd, sind wo can build ourselves
homes in her heart, and erect noble
structures (of wearing iipparaf) on her
/mi /.:, und gorgeous towers of honoris,
(on her head.) lastly, when sho scat
I tors us by a confusion of tongues, we
can travel into other lands, as our
ancestors did, from tho tower of
Babel, Rut one thing we cannot, do 1
with her, which is?that wo cannot da j
icitltoHt her. In infancy we arc dppren
lives to her, in curly manhood wo are
JeUoW'C raft men, with her in the arts of
courtship?in marriage we claim to
ake the Master*s Degree. Our great*
ost triumph in life, is to ho nportcd
by her, sis a M?sl Excellent Muster; wo
hang our richest je.vcls round tlto
Royal Aich of her noble neck. In
ago, we enter into counsel with her,
and at last, our final hope is, with
her, to enter into the L'i<f'j>' of perfec
tion above--our work baing over
here.
M n'sonry is a teacher of morals, hut
not of religion; any and all believers
in revealed religion' can become Ma
sons, but no infidel can. The Biblo
is tlic centre, jewel ot' every Lodge,
and Masonic teachings sind lessons
and the parables of the Holy Scrip
tures, The moral aspect, of Masonry,
is intended to r. present the ladder
which Jacob saw in his vision, con
necting Heaven with earth. t!i3 prin
cipal rounds of w hich wore Faith, TI >pc
uinf Chitrit 1/?faith in the revealed
Word of God?hope for a future.and
better existence, and charity towards
all human beings. True Mansonic
acts, should be as the Angels,whicli
hsecnticd and descended, bringing the
joys of Heaven to the afflicted of
. of earth. The charily of tlie Mason
is catholic in its nature; it embraces,
alike Hie worthy and the unworthy,
is exhibited in word, in thought and
in deed; like the quality of mercy, it
is not strained :
''It droppeth, as the gentle rain from Heav
en
t'pcti the place beneath; it is twice blessed;
It blcsseth liim that gives and hiia "that
takes; ' ?
'Ti- mightiest in the mightiest; it bi'comos v
The throned monarch better than Ids crown;
Iiis sceptre shows the force of temporal
power,
'flu- attribute to awe and majesty,
W herein doth sit the dread and fear of
kings;
Hut mercy is above this sceptred sway.
It is enthroned in the heartajof kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power dull, then shew like^t
Clod's, *
When mercy season? jtts\icc".''
The charity of the Mason embraced
bcnevoler.ee and brotherly love, bear
ing ever in view the All-seeing Eye;
be docs not forget that the sprig of
cacia must grow for him, or that his
conduct must be squared by i\\a great
rule of the book of boohs; with thb
giirel of his charity he smooths the
edges of his human nature, until the
rough ashler becomes perfect and
filled for "tha house not made In/hands
eternal in the Heavens.*' The Alason's
faith, inculcates the present morality;
though its. lessons be veiled in allegory
and clothed in symbol.?", it loaches hint
to have faith in his fellow-man, to
sec (he good that bis nature may con
tain ami t'j close his eyes to that
which may appear to bint t> hi evil;
it recognizes all men as being crea
tions of that Master, whose trestle
boned, is the universe, to whom tho
earth is but an atom, at'.d time but an
instant; it accepts whatever is, as
right, and presumes not to judge
either of man or of created things;
its manifestations of prayer, is to be
found in those beautiful linos of Mr.
Pope :
" Teach me to feel another's woe,
To hide the limit I see,
That mercy, 1 to others show
That mercy shew to me,
This day he bread and peace my lot,
All else beneath the sun ?
Thou k no west) if best bestowed or not
And let thy will !> ? done."
The hope of the Mason, lcd'ld him
to believe that good will come.out of
evil, that from the "nettle danger, \ve
pluck lite flower, sa'ety," .that the
i storm of to day, whether created by
the wiatli of Heaven or the ungovern
cd passions of man, will pass away,
that "there is a divinity that shapes
our cuds rough, hew tham as wo/may*'
?that the duty of the monttuit is
humility, and patience' the ginius of
the day, his hope in tha dark
hour is as the pillar of fire in front,
and tbat through it lead him into tho
deep waters of the mcj, yet will he fol
low to that hind of promise where
"the nicked cease front troubling ami
the weary aro at rest.'' Judge by
these standards, it is our firm belief,
that true Masonic, action, will remedy
the evils under which our country
groans, suffering as she does from a
want of confidence implanted in the
breast, of one class of her citizens
against another and more influential
class. It. is the want of true Masonic
teaching, and the ubsenco of real Ma
sonic practice, whicli would subject
[t'ontjnuei) on skcosj) taok.J
