Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1838-05-17

country, anu conSpiTators 9caInSt civil
aud religious liberty.
My audience. how FAR this inpres.
sion has AFFECTED your minds. | know
not. But ! would AK you Il the word
secret. should place US in the same
situation IN Which Clla!inc and las
conspiraiors stood 10 the Roman Re.
public There IS nothing in the word
secret revolt at-no. It. call, M the
most cndeallng hopes and Geligh:ful
associations; 1t tells ne ,ha. bv !, We
mean private lnS'ituiior-andO Odd
Fellowship Is one OF those Institutions.
IL IS a structure based upon the rock of
Truth and Virtue. which shall last long
as eternal ages roll II il a beacon.
which lights the distressed mariner.
shipwrroked upon the ocean OF attic.
ton. and dashed upon the chill pillows
OF this worlds scorn. 10 a WELDON nor
oirCliei. liis. ~ tne the Sun OF rni,h
which rises IN the horizon ofhumaniiv.
disseminating Ils checrln. rays. and dis.
pellIn. hy iis cnulgent beam. he clouds
vi superstition. Which darkened The mo-
raj armament OF man. Institutions OF
our character have based their putty
upon their 6Aii2uiy. But uYon tho
other hand. We base our putty upon
o"r Prmc,pies. Antiquity answer, very
we'll 10 give dignity 10 an institution.
but 1t Can never serve "a an argune nj
IN favour Of purity. lcaIe lot 81 neither
YOU attribute our origin To the "lYor.
shippers at the Temple of Faith" in
the days OF Numa Pompilius. o. 10 the
Egyptian Society called the "Inin.i,a
bic Livers"-or 10 the Companions IL
Death. instituted by Au,hory and Cleo.
paira--or TO the more renowned Ger.
man "Suldmiri. or TO more recen,
date. say IT matters little, so VIC sus.
tam the sublime precepts which VIC
this day avow.
The opposition 10 our Society. has
oTigina c.. as observed. from three
causes:-trs,. the misonihropic drSpo.
sluon OF some, which will not let them
ieel for the suneiin. oil their fellow
oreatures,-and secondly, from The
contracted. selfish mind Of the miser;
Who. while hc listens TO the tale ofsuf-
ieIIng. sears his heart against on i'm.
preston. for fear that humanity should
draw from his relentless grasp a penny.
while third class. more inconsistent
than either. declare, withoulinvesiisa.
ton, that our principles are evil -
Contemplate with ire the ri.c and pro.
gross OF all Institutions. hich have al.
tanned an exalted cn.incnc- among
kind,-however pure their princi.
pl"', however correct the depor,men,
OF their members. however amrlt they
d'tiuSc their charities. II has no, sccur.
ed them from persecution Through
m age Of many Centuries. our Order
has been tired BY these pcuecufions;
amid the Siiifcs Of conicndiny nations:
amid the blood>hed Of opposing fac.
lions amid revolution and reform; amid
the rise and fall Of Empires. she h1s
preserved her purity and stood uu,ca,h.
ed; amid the blaze Of Ter.ecuiio7 in
the fourteenth century, " hen Europe
was one vast theatre Of carnage and
rapInc. when Luther and Melanc.
'hon aroused the diving rmbers OF
Christianity; and amid The peril OF
life, dIsdaIned the superstition and
corruption of the Visible Church
When faction cllShed with faction.
friendship with interest; caprice. amhi.
ton, and resentment nSurprd the sway.
and no'hi1s Was hrh-Ll but tic horrors
oi civil War--it was at hi, time. tina,
the Frudll Government desenera'pd
INTO system Of oppression. verifying
the ancient. though correct saying, that
enormous superstition, and excessive
dc,pon'm. 60 hand IN hand. and tbl,
when the minds cnsiayrd. itivcasy n
enslAve the body" Bui amid sll ,hei,
horrors, Old Fellowship preserved hcr
puriiy,-Encllnd became her foster
mother and n that congcniil soil. her
principles excited tic Siuira'ion of the
'lriuOu', and her p,ecrpts united the
most dscordant hearts And TO d.,
we present her 10 Won, artayed in the
snnc glrh AMI uniulliug The motto lha
has smiled al danger and llvef,itv. ant
laughed the rude blast of latc TO scorn.
Religion, pure heaven born religion
was caused 81 take shelter under 4,
iel.uc ,fucd bv tho Eicciur S,xonv
tic Duke Of L1vem5rry. rhe Prince 81
NuhaI,. and The Lludgf4,e OF llcssey
and her voisrcs performed 10 sccrct
those uies which sh7aii a.ye more
properly met he public gaze And (.
Odd Fellowship stood firm, when 10,
Religion q ihc Saviour iremJled. ~ d,
,h,'i to-day brand 10 with q tubtcr,i1r
u those principles witch should 90
srrnaVcii con .il'uiei R~pubIc WI,
.hall possess ins,lencc sufhcient q, ~
tempt % tarp upon it fhe name of 4
political secret Combination. formed lo
party yurgoscts NJ. ny audience
pur only object Our only ann. Is O,
ancloratc thc suffering condition. u
lhc h1tln fmfy 70 lead man ron
Dee Paths Df vice 60 those of virtue. u,
rp.es' uprn us mind ne necc uty e.
i.uct o9ll1ruanee 10 nc pIcccrt o
fIe bo.k ct Cod by following ihi
aai'Jsct motto contained iheicin. liza
itc len Rand should not know 81 ha
,be Iizft haod doeih And 40 VI
.io'end Pos or ,ccrrcy o. 20 know who,
and % trfe our .reasbied uitc should bl
turen,rd In short. that secret Is b,.
q ri,tlcgc of ifsisrnsl recognition