gtieensboro,
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25,1876.
Charity.
Where tli-' spirkliiig jewels glitter,
Where the ti ly warblers twi'ter,
Where the dancing ripple; play,
Bends an angel so t her way.
Where the lowly peas int dwells,
WhT' th- swai i his s-.^-y leils.
Wh T ■ fair virtu '’s beautie., s ray,
Oft the angel b ni Is h"r wav.
Pr-.il is 8'r> thou jh b-ighf and fiir,
Gol len 3 mbeams deck her hair,
Gnitle is her oy. „f
Shall I sne ik her naiiv to yon?
Pearly tears for otli-rs’ woe,
O’.'r the brow of sutfcriiig flow.
Smiles of joy forofhei-s’ mirth.
E’en she brings to di'eary e irth.
Soft'y seraphs lisp h -r nam *,
O m-ly po ‘ts .sing h*n- fimi',
’ fis t'lat g iMen wo-d we love,
Charity, from realms above.
of
Misrepresentation.
It is unfortunate for the Ord..
Knights Templar that improper materi
a!s sometimes get their names upon the
rol.s ot Conimanderies. We say unfor
tunate, not hecamse it can be expected
that onr Older can esoapi the difficulty,
or that it is more pure than other organ
izations, but because attention on the
part of the pnblio is more pointedly di
rected toward it; and becamse of that
fact, more injury is done to the Order by
a seeming tolerance of such improper
material. Every effort, morally and Le
gally, that will help to avoid this appa
rent antagoni.sm, i.s constantly put forth
by the several Commands, yet these ef
forts fall far short of correcting the evil
or relieving the embarra.ssment that all
Puffer under the allegation. There are
many would-be Knights who to-day are
paying the penalty of their misdeeds,
thouga they still represent themselves to
le Knights Templar in good standing,
and mpo.se upon Commands at a dis
tancrf With their lepioiis persons. We
know of several in.stances of this charac
ter, and notwithstanding the caie and
precaution we have taken to acquaint the
Templar organizations of the same, we
hoar frequently of a visit by them ti a
Commaiidery or public] entertainment
given by a Commandery assuming the
ro/c of a Knight in lull sympathy with
tke Order.
It was but ashort time ago a certain
suspended Knight of a Command in this
=ity appeared in full feather at a conclave
of a Commandery in the city of Washing
toH, D. C.; another one at a reception in
Brooklyn ; still another snlferiijg himself
to be introduced as one free from ad re
straint, and entitled to be respected and
known as a Knight of undoubted stand
ing. It is true, there may be some fault
In this matter directly chargeable to the
Command that disciplines, from the fact
that they too often forget the plainest
outy in the premises—viz.- proper noti-
lioation of their action to their compan- j
ions in arms throughout the land. We
ope, for the cause of chivalry, and for I
the benefit of a common interest in the
pre.servation of a good name in and out
of the several asyliim.s of the Union, that
the Grand Encampment, at its next tri
ennial concla.ve, will adopt some measure
wbeiehy information of expulsions and
suspensions can be sent to every Com
mand throughout the United States with
in .six weeks. If thi.s labor can be ao-
coruj.li.she-l, much of the injurious char-
Hcter that now attaches itself to onr Or
der, from misrepre.seiUation by men who
have no moral or legal claim to Templar
courtesy or ho.-^pitality, will be avoided,
while the true character of the miscre
ants that practice the several kinds of
impo.sitions alluded to will certainly be
known to all. To Posts—March—W.
with mercy ; do not scorn him. do not
Sfuirn him from society, do notciush him
so that lie mav not rise again.
Masonry is charity, .heaven born and
sympathizing charity, and the nobles and
most acceptable ot its (Intie.s, those wiiich
are rewarded with the Ingest merit in the
court of angels and seraphs, are the kind
word spoken, the gentle admonition and
good couii.se], timely aid, and tlie enno
bling inspiration to elevate, improve, end
arouse the drooping energies of ihelowlv
and faden — tannadian Masoyiic News.
An Incident of the War.
Y. Dispatch.
Judge Mildly.
A Freemason oughc to be governed bv
generous impul.ses, and judge mildly of
the tanks of his brother, and bv gentle
measure.s endeavor to imspire the erring
with noble and ju.st sentiments. A Free
mason ought not upon any account to
■speak disrespectfully of bis brother in his
absence, no matter what tlie fault may be,
01 the grievance. It is unworthy at all
times to speak evil of the adsent; no gen
erous mind will be guilty of any base act,
and no one who lias bowed at onr mvsMc I
altar.s, who appreciates his obligations,
and the honor of liis connection with the
institution, will so far forget himself as to
speak in detriment to the chara. ter of an-
otiisr, wl'io lias also knelt at the shrine of
Freemasonry.
It is not always that those are in the
wrong whom we suppose so, and none but
a higher power, can know the struggles
the weak and erring may have, in combat
ing circninslance.s and inclinations which
impel them to err. There may be more
in the weak restraining heir desires, the
man of strong passions in fighting against
indulgence, ihehungeied in abstaining
from appropriating the gotdsof otliersg
than in large contributions of the wealthy
for benevolent purposes. The man whose
mean^place him above the temptat.on of
want, whose education and affinities rre-
veiit him from associating with the de
piaved or those wiiose will and determi
nation are sufficiently strong to hold their
passions in subjection, may never know,
may never be able to appreciate the men
tal trill moral struggles of those -litfarent-
ly organized or circiiinstanced.
The poor brotl-er unable to pay his
lodge dues, to jiay small debts, incurred
perh.ipsto sustain life, to pay even bis
subsciption, may possess a noble spirit,
and be true and honest before God and an'
gels, Man is scarcely competent to judge
his fellow ma-i, becau.se be is unable to
fathom tile secret arcana ol motives uiid
upward impulses which prompt him to
act. We do not speak of tiie open viola
ticn ot law, those wlio set at difian.-e the
riglits and obligations of man and society;
lor such are not, cannot be Freemasons
But as Masons are only men, and no one
ever entered the portals of Masonry with
out having one Jriend, one guide, and
tlieretore must have possessed some good
traits, let us at least be merciful in our
judgment; if misfortune has robbed such
a one, tlie humblest of us, of hs wealth,
and he is reduced to poverty and want.
Of if unable to resist temptations, again.-t
which he may long and ardently have
struggled, he finally was overcoma and'
yielded, let our judgment bo tempered
The Woedstock (Va.) I/em/d receritl V
announced tl'-at John Hoffman ofWar'-
reii county, found during the latter pait
of January, while hunting on top of Mas-
sanultan mountain, at the point or Knob
overlooking Strasburg near the site of
thesigiial station, a fine donb e case gold
Watch and chain, which it is supposed
was lost during the war In the vear
18(34 a detachment of Federal soldiers at
tacked a part of the Confederate .signal
corps and drove them down tlie monnlaiii
killing some and capturing others. The
Hagerstown (Md.) Twice-a~-week notices
the findi’ig of the watch, a-id adds :
" 1 he writer of the following lines had
charge of that signal station on that me
morable day in the year 18(54. There
were about, four of ns and when the hoys
jin blue, Seventy-five in numher, made
their ajipearaiice we deemed discretion
the better part of valor and retreated iu
the style ot General Banks about that
time, in "good order,” but .-omevtiat pre-
ciptou.s, Down we sailed from the toji of
"Btrasburg point," in most beautiful lime,
but at the loot we rallied, being reinforc
ed by about seventy-five sharpsnooters
ot old Jiibal Earley's command, when we
retraceii our .steps, dislodged the eiieinv
and recaptured our signal station. How,
shortly alier taking possession of the post
we discovered the body jf an officer, a
OapUiin 01 the federal force, a lew yards
down from the point, among the rocks,
with his neck broken. He was notsbet,
but from bis' position, he evidently fell
in eiideavoriiig to gel up the side, or rath
er end of the mountain, h’rom the side
coat pocket of this officer the writer hereol
took an envelope in which was a photo
graph, the_ envelope be.ng ado’ressed
‘Capt, A. N. Pritchard, member General
Court Marsiial, Cumberlaiiil, Md.'' That
watch, we have no doubt, belonged to the
uiiloi'tunate officer. Where he was from
we have never learned, but probably this
ai tide may fall under the eye of some one
who knew the gallant captain, for it was a
gallant act to fea-i seventy-five men to
the top ol an almost perpendicular moun
tain qieak in the tare of the enemy and the
enemy’s cou.itry.
English and American Masonry.
The acknowledgement of superiority
from one nation to another is so rare tliat
when it occurs, it is worthy special note.
Ill Engl lud, where it might be least ex- '
peeled, has such an acknowledgement
ueen made to this country. But it came
not from official or trade circles, neither
from fashionable society, but from that
circle ot true and sincere brothers, who,
in tbeii fraternity know no nation, but
whose relations are world-wide and un
fettered by other bonds, the Freemason,
Throughout the British I.sles they ac-
kuowledgp that American Freemasom. in
the sincere and disciplinary way in which
they conduct their institutions are the
admiration of the world. They admit
that had the o.xtensioii of the .system and i
its adaption to the growing intelligence of
tlie people have encouraged as here, their
I Lodge.s would tiave multiplied tenfold,
I and been much more efficient. They ad
. mil that American Lodges, compared with
j population are more abundant and are
more productive of good results than iu
I any other nation on the face of the earth,
I They are more in.stinct with life, soul and
growth. From a London correspondent
we quote ;
Our bretnren in the United States are
iiitelligtnt, (irogressivfc and enterprising
peojile. As their system is arranged—■
which 1,3 greatly superior to ours—everv
brother may entertain a hope of beoom
mg a ruler ol the craft, and a Master in
Israel by hi.s own meritorious exertions,
i 1 lie standing rule of ancient Masonry
tliat all prelermeut is to be founded on
real worth and [lersonal merit, and that
one, too, should lie a lover of the liberal
aits and sciences, has sunk into their con
victions. llie Grand Master and his
officers are changed annually, and thus,
these iiuportatit ]»oats become accestible
to a succe.s.-iion of industrious and worthy
brothers who have given proof of the
excellence ol the art ol aj plicatinn, ze.al
and talent. This facility of promotion
excites a sjn’rit of friendly emulation,
dbeir system is to improve the work, and
not to thirst for fees, dbey strive to
carry o,it, with the most beneficial effect,
tiie best ntercists of the order, ‘‘dhe^;
waste no time iu useless talking. The'v
act decisively and promptly. Their de
bates on all speculative questions are
lelt to the spvera; committees, each of
wdiicb lias its own peculiar department,
file Grand Lodges liave only to deter
mine on their reports, which are nsuallv
k'liiid to be drawn up with so much
judgement and discretion as not to be
.-UBcepiible of any hostile opinion.
‘ "Why do the brotliers -f the United
States work better than ourselves?'’ asks
one.
For this reason,' is the reply ; ‘the
Grand Lodges emulates the glory of ren
dering the practice of Masonry worthy
the patronage of .serious and scienlific
ineii. They have a correct method of
lecturing. Rituals are drawn up, exam
ined by special committee, and published
nndei sanction ; and lecturers are nomi
nated tovisi* the several private Lodges
uniier each jiirisiliction lor the purpose ot
preserving the strictest uniformitv of
iites, ceremonies and modes of working.
Their Grand Lodges encourage thi*
dissemination from the press of the gen--
eial philosophy of the craft, provided the
recondite secrets are not profaned. In-
nov?4ions can not be made in certain
ancient landmarks, because the Grand
Lodges of so many States form asalutarv
check upon each other. Foi mal treatiseft.
periodical works and prize essays abound
in every State, in which the genera!
principles of Masonry are embodied an-l
unfolded. Thus it becomes an acoessibb-
pursuit, and, in common with all the
sciences, sustains a rank oommensurat--
witli the real value, even among thos*-
who are not participants ” ’
There is now much talk in England
about reform in Masonry, in accordhne-
with a general desi.-e fpj- a uniform work
ing system, for a purification of the sys -
tern without involving the fundamental
law, which prohibited any suhsequeni,
alteration. The old land-marks ai^ not
quite suited to this educated age. and
whatever opposes uniform progression in
art or science must be overthrown
Herice^ the demand for some change t-
meet tne unproved system, of ediioalion
and a higher state of the intellect.—Col
umbia (Pa.) Courant.
r ill