The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1859-05-11
MISCELLANEOUS.
ORATION.

Delivered 6g Hon. REUBEN NOBLE at At
Odd Fellons' Celebration at McGregor
Ioaca, on Tuesday, April 26A, 1862
Furnished for Publication by request o.
Aaska Lodge, No. 1O1, McGregor.
We have assembled to commemorate the
fortieth Anniversary of the American or
Independent Order of Oddfellows. We
call our institution the Independent Order
the name given it by its founders to dis.
tinguish it from the Manchester Union,'
which was introduced into the city of Man
chester about the beginning Of the year
18OO-frOm which emanated the Indepen.
dent Order under the jurisdiction of the
Grand Lodge oil the United States.
1t ought to be recollcctcd that the separa.
ton Of the Independent Order from the
- &AG>..~ass.<~. Ussi1ss, : in~oived no cfange of
principle. The form and language used by
the two bodies are disusc, but their princi-
pies and objects are the same. 1t should
likewise be remembered that the origin of
Oddfellowship dates far back of the organi-
zation of the Manchester Union" The
exact date it is impossible to determine, but
certain it is that societies organized upon the
same principles, existed in earliest ages,
called by various names at different periods,
amongst which we find Oddfellows, Loyal
Ancient Oddfellows, Manchester Union
Oddfcllows, etc. The first mention of the
name Of Oddfellows is made by Titus
Caesar in the year IS of the Christian era,
who designated secret society then existing
among the Roman soldiers, by that name,
because they knew each other by day and
night. The society Of which he speaks,
was organized for mutual relief, protection
and instruction, and was essentially the
same as q Lodge Of Oddfellows of the pres
ent day.
Though we find in the first century for
the first time our name used to designate
our principles, nevertheless organizations
having like principles, purposes and objects
existed in all the Ancient empires in the
days of their greatest glory and refinement.
The Eleusinian Order in honor of Ceres,
the Goddess Of Grain and Harvest, and
many others were propagated from Egypt
over all the world. They embraced within
their folds, Egypt's intellect, purity and
probity. 1t is evident that Moses, who was
learned in all the wisdom of Egypt, derived
from those orders much of that wisdom
that made him the greatest law w-giyer of the
world. The best models in the Greek and
Roman Institutions are said to be drawn
from the same source-from these also the
Druids of Briton modelled their religious
rites so imposingly as to challenge the ad-
miration Of the world
That such societies existed in all the en-
lightened empires, is evident from history,
and it would seem surprisingly strange if
such had not been the case, when it is con-
sidered that human nature is essentially the
same in all ages. Men have sympathies and
inclinations that lead them to seek with
avidity the fellowship of their species, and
when those sympathies are directed to be-
nevolent and charitable purposes, they nat
urally love to shun the curious and prying
gaze of the world. Whilst Pharisaic be-
nevolence delights to give aims before men,
counts its tens of thousands on subscription
papers, rears splendid Temples and church
es, boards its hundreds of thousands for
splendid schemes of public charity, true
charity, the genuine heavenly article, still
loves the shade, still loves to shun the eye
of cold and selfish world, and to do good
as it were by stealth. A most happy and
impressive illustration Of this sentiment of
the human mind, is exhibited in the nara
tive of David and Jonathan. David the
poor shepherd boy, the servant in the house
hold Of Saul, then King of Israel, and
Jonathan the son and heir Of that proud
and naughty ruler. David and Jonathan
bound themselves in covenant of friend
ship which no power could sever, and when
Saul sought to slay David from envy, be
cause OF his daring exploits, Jonathan
warned his friend Of his danger; said he to
David: "Take heed to thyself until morn
ing and abide in = secret place, and hide
thyself- l will 60 out and stand by my
father in the field where thou art, and / will
commune with my father Of thee, and that
see, will tell thee" And in pursuance
Of his covenant, he reasoned with his father
and obtained . promise from him that David
should not be slain. Soon however the
envious spirit Of his father returned, and he
pursued David first to his house and next to
Naioth. David eluding his pursuit came to
Jonathan and said. "What have ! done,
and what is my iniquity, and what my sin
before thy father, that he seeketh my ifs."
Jonathan replies, "God forbid. Thou shalt
not die Behold my father will do nothing
but that he win show it me. It is not 50"
David said to Jonathan. "Thy father GER
tainly knoweth that have found favor in
thine eyes, and he saith-let not David know
this, lest he be grieved, but truly q the
ord 1ivoth 0pd 90 khv Sr,,1 lsvoxh tk>~o So