GHEENSBORO,
FRIDAY, MARCH 17,1876
NO 27.
Next Tuesday will bo tlio conoroence-
ment of the Centennial Celebration of
Methodism in this State, at Raleigh. All
the railroads will carry visitors and re
turn for one fare. It will continue
through the week, closing on Sunday
night. Three Sishops, and other promi
nent ministers are expected to be present.
No doubt thousands will visit Raleigh
during that week with a view of partici
paling in the general religious festivity.
Why Masons Celebrate the
24th of June.
St. John s Day.—Masonic Lodges in
ancient times were delicated to King
Solomon. Tradition informs us that
they were thus dedicated from the build
ing of the hirst Temple, at Jerusalem, to
the Babylonish captivit'’. Prom that
time to the coming of the Messiah, they
were dedicated to Zerriibbabel, the build
er of the second Temple ; ami from that
time to the final destruction of the tern
pie by Titus, in the reign of the Emperor
Vespasian, tney were dedicated to St.
John the Baptist.
Owing to the many ma.ssacres and dis
orders, which attended that memorable
event. Freemasonry fell very much into
decay. Many of the Lodges were entire
ly broken up. and hut few couid meet
with sufficient members to constitute
tbeii legality, Under these circum
stances a general meeting of the Craft
was held in tlie city of Benjamin, when
it was observed that the principal
reason lor the decline of Masonry was
the want of a Grand Ma.ster to direct its
affairs. They, therefore, deputed
seven cf their most eminent members to
wait upon St John, the Evangelist, who
Was at that time Bishop of Ephesus, to
request him to take the office of Grand
Master. He returned for answer, that
though well stricken in years (being up
wards of ninety) yet, having been in the
early part of his life initiated into Mason
ry, ho would take upon himself that of
ficH, He did so, an.l completed by his
learning what St John the Baptist had
accomplished by his zeal. After his de
cease, the Christian Lodges were dedica
ted to him and St John the Baptist, both
of them being regarded as eminent Chris
tian patrons of Masonry. Since then
Masons have ever celebrated the 24th of
of June in commemoration of St.John
the Baptist, and the 27th of December, in
commemoration of St John the Evangel
ist.—AL.
Pompeii.
I thought I knew says a writer, almost
‘low Pompeii looked, yet could not un~
derstand how a city could be so
covered up as to he entirely forgotten,
and no description I ever read could give
a satisfactory idea. It was a small
“ify on a plain, near the foot of Mount
Vesuvius; now where they have dug
away the covering, it has the appearance
oI lying in a valley between two hills,
when, in reality, the hills are of the same
materia] as that which once covered the
whole city the valley being formed by
removing the ashes to get at the ruins.
The more they excavate the larger will
be the valley, as more than two thirds of
the city still lies under tlie hills, the grao.s
growing over it as green a,= it once was
over Pompeii entire. No wonder it was
forgotten, hidden under a hill, with good
pasture land on top The work of exca
vation is still going on. We started for
Pompeii early in the morning. A guide
accompanied us to explain the ruins and
watched us. Two franoes and a cigar
closed hi.s eyes while we kicked up some
of the mosaio.s.
We spent half a day within the walls,
and walked nearly over the entire city of
roofless houses. It was very interesting.
Everything conld be traced—the houses
with dining and conversation rooms and
inner courts. They believed in luxuries
in those days, nearly every house having
a bath room and foui.tain. The latter
are still standing ; some with curious fig
ures of children holding the pipes in their
hands from wliioh the w'atercame. The
pipe is still fastened in the ground.
Stores, with mai hie counters, are .stand
ing, some with holes in them forjar.sof
wine or oils. Bake shops, with mills for
grinding corn and ovens for baking, are
to be seen. In them were found loaves
of bread which might, without irreve-
reuce, he marked “B. 0.” A few stairs
are left standing to upper rooms. In
some of the rooms were found bodies,
that are now in the museum. The posi
tion of each denoted that they died in
great agony.
Some are lying with the faces upon
their arms, as if to shield them from the
fire of buring ashes; other's arms in an
embrace that knew no parting even in
death. On the finger of one woman is a
ring, while on another is a necklace w.th
the name ‘‘Julie di Diomede'* engraved
upon it The streets are narrow, the
side—walks high, jmved with large irng
tilar shaped stones, said to he the lava.
On the corners are stepping stones to cross
from one side of ihe street to the other.
The houses were gayly painted and fres
coed. The painting on the inside is still
to be seen and plainer than some of the
work of the old masters. In one house
(in which no woman is allowed to enter)
.are paintings lew would care to look at
and none have the hardiheod to describe.
They show well the character of the
bouse. Many believe that Pompeii’s
destruction was a just retribution, per
haps so ; but I can’t see why Naples w'as
spared.
No sight in Europe has been so inter
esting to us as I’ompeii ; everything is
just as it was 1,800 years ago. 'The
ruins at Roma and many of the old build
ings show its former greatness and many
of the customs of the people.—But many
of them have been altered, and sometimes
it is difficult to tell the old from
the new. More than one building we
I have gazed at and admired as ancient;
then Wormed out of the guide by degrees
that this part was modern, that the roof
was new, and those column,s were placed
there three hundred years ago, and so on
till it was difficult to find anything but
the foundation that was the same as
when the building was erected. But in
Pompeii everything is unchanged ; the
style of architecture is not altered ; the
streets are not widened or the houses re
built by progre.ss ve people. No there it
stands, a city as old as Rome, without any
alteration.
The Assailants of Masonry.
Bro. Christopher Diehl, Committee on
Correspondence for the Grand Lodge of
Utah, in his last report says :
The assailants of Masonry are those
who know least of its principles, objects
and results. In propoition totheirigno-
rance, rages their prejudice. In fact to
i noranoe, bigotry and jealousy, may 'oe
traced all the opposition Alasonry meets
with in its irresistible progress The in
crease of the Institution and the many
evidences of its benign results, daily and
hourly multiplying on every side, and ex
hibiting themselves in every place of
good society, are slowly but surely dig
ging deep the grave of destiaction, and
adding pillar to pillar to our noble tem
ple. Our operations are our great strength,
and our defamers must annihilate the.se,
before they can hope to make a success
ful as.-iault upon our organiz-ition.
The giga-iiic and rapid strides of Free
masonry drive its opponents to madness.
All to no avail. Lqok at our own home I
their shriek, "wolf!” during the last year
has been answered by the dedication of
the Temple in New York and a Masonic
display never witnessed hef re in the
Union. Look at South America—what
has become of the Jesuitical sect raging
war against Masonry ? The governments
have taken sides with Masoniy and the
Jesuits have quieted down. Look at Eu
rope, the installation of the Prince of
Wales as Grand Master has given Mason
ry a new impetus in England ; and its
influence in Italy, and the dedication of a
Ma.ionic Temple in the ancient city of
Rome, renders Pio Nono unea.sy in iiis
own home, and makes him fear for other
countries where he wa.s supposed to be
the father and head in religious reality.
During a recent session of the German
Reichstag, while the expulsion of the Je
suits was under discussion, a discipline of
Ignatius Loyola, seeing that there was no
help for his order, and intending to over
throw Freemasonry with it, was answer
ed by a true man, a Mason by heart, per
liaps without an apron, who said : “It is
true, Freemasonay is a secret organiza
tion, but it does not meddle with politics,
neither does it iuteiTere with the relig
ious belief of any of its members. It pro
motes personal intercourse and kindly
feeling. It brings men together who
would otherwise rera--iin strangers. It
creates in the Lodge room for its members
an Utopia, and with this new zeal do they
return to their bu.snje.is. their family, and
their place in State or Church. The best
and greatest men of the German nation
were Freemasons ; I only name Lessing,
Goethe, Schiller, Mozait. H-ive you still
cour.ige to bring accusations against Free
masonry ?’ Go still further east, in the
land of Brahma, and even there, the Lon-
I don Freemastm informs us, a member
of the same sect undertook in a series of
I ■•ermon.s to defame Freemasonrv, called
it an uuohristian-like, irreligious and un
godly organization, and warned his hear
ers from participation in its labors. His
expectations proved to he a failure, and
the Ledges in India have since done more
work, and are increasing iu numbers and
influence.”
In union is strength, and it gives -ns
great p.easure to be able to report that
oui‘ tellow craftmen, “whosoever dispers
ed,’’ stand like a phalanx to war against
our opponents, and everywhere have they
taken up the challenge glove, and are
ready to protect our sacred Temple,
erected for the dissemination of Brother
ly Love, Relief and Truth, and Wisdom,
Strength and Beauty.
A Masonic Widows’ and Or
phans’ Home.
We are indebted to 111. Bro. Frtderic
Speed, 32°, of 'Vicksburg, Miss,, fora lato
number of the Dadtj Herald, from which
, we learn the following action was taken
by the Masonic Grand Lodge, at its re
cent session—the resolution having been
introduced by 111. Bro. Speed.
Resolved. That a special committee of
five he appointed to digest and mature a
plan for the organization and mainte
nance of a Masonic Widows’ and Or
phans’ Home and Industrial School in
this Grand Jurisdiction ; said committee
to report to the Grand Mcaster, who shall
cause said report to he printed, and send
the same to the Subordinate Lodges du
ring the recess of the Grand Lodge, that
they may instruct their representatives
at the annua! Grand Communication how
to vote thereon.
The committee appointed consists of
Frederick Speed, of Vicksburg; Thomas
Reed, of Fayette ; ’t^m. S. Patton, of Me
ridian ; H. W, Walter, of Holly Spring.s.
and A. P. Barry, of Hazelhurst.
This subject has been before the Grand
Lodge in various shapes for several years
— firsi, at the i.astauce of Hazelhurst
Lodge, No. 25, and in addresses and re
ports of the Grand Masters Barkley and
Gathright. The Grand Lodge of Missi.s-
sifipi, with its active membership of 12,-
000, will, -we feel sure, address itself to
this great work and thus not only con
vince itself, but the world at large, of the
good effects of the Ma.«oijic institution.
The Masons of Missi.ssippi have not enly
the ability, hut, we believe, the will, to
establish, support and endow such an in
stitution as is contemplated in the resolu
tion referred to It would be an appro
priate, a noble work, and in other place.s
has relived many silent sufferers leaving
claims upon the Order.—Phila. Ckromch-.,
i!
II!