The Final Fate of the Masonic Order

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thought! Oh! I would have to not know you at all, my Dearest ones! and have no concept of your devotion to our Order and your noble zeal, if the sorrowful feelings that now stir your hearts were to escape my notice. For I was for so long a witness to your sentiments toward the Order, and so often the interpreter of your warmest devotion! And what is signaled by the serious, contemplative, and sad features that I discover on every face? What of the held-back tear that glistens in the man’s eye? What do these mourning clothes announce, in which everyone—from the Master to the Apprentice In Freemasonry, "Apprentice" (Lehrling) is the first of the three basic degrees of membership.—is shrouded!

But! You know indeed that obedience to laws and order is the primary duty of the Order, which—since it possesses no outward force or power—held this duty as the foundation pillar and keystone of the entire building. You also know that obedience to the commands of the sovereign authority original: "Landesobrigkeit" — referring to the government or the ruling prince of the territory. is the first duty of a true Mason. Faithful to these holy precepts, every one of us submitted to the command issued for the dissolution of this lodge without grumbling. The inner consciousness of having done our duty, and of having shown the required obedience to the civil authorities as true Masons, must contribute much to our peace of mind. However, the sacrifice we bring today is great—as great as any can be—since bonds are torn asunder here that were meant to remain tied forever. Would it then be any wonder if that otherwise