Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-04-30

accusation against the Philosopher Socrates.
The poet, Eschylus, came near losing his life
from having spoken of them too lightly in bis
tragedies, and the disgrace of the brilliant,
though protligate, Alcibiades, was caused by
neglect Of, or contempt fOr, The Mystcries.
The rites were divided into the greater and
the lesser, and none could be Initiated into
the greater mysteries without having first
received the p1rifactions, made the sacrifices,
and learned the lessons Of the lesser; from
which IL, perhaps, borrowed the degrees Of
the modern orders.
As in modern Orders, none could be intro
duced except by an initiate, and as the advan-
tages arising from membership were deemed
TO be 80 great, particular care Was taken in
examining the character Of oil persons pro-
posed for initiation. None were admitted who
were guilty Of crime, impiety, or immoral
conduct, and it is understood that the nature
Of the VOWS required tho neophyte to live vir-
tuously and uprighty, and in such manner
as to win and deserve the favor Of the Gods,
under whose special prot ction he by these
ceremonies placed himself The ceremonies
Of initiation were OF the most awful and i'm.
posing character They were always per-
formed at night, and the neophyte was intro
duccd alone into what he was informed and
believed, to be the immediate presence Of
Deity, surrounded by sights and images and
sounds, snch as the fertile minds Of an imag-
inative people had made most calculated to
strike the initiate with awe and fill his mind
with terror. In the midst Of such surround
ing the VOWS were made, and the oath of &C.
c~ecy taken, which was little likely TO DC and
seldom was violated.
But Eleusinia and her mysteries have passed
away. Her temples are in the dust and the
Statue Of the Eleusinian Ceres sculptured by
the hand of Phidias himself Was in this Gen.
tury brought to England and placed in the
vestibulc Of tho University Library at Cam
bridge.
Thus we sec that secret societies or associa
tions are not mere modern invention. That
in some form they are almost cocval with the
origin Of our race Men very carly discovered
how much Of strength and efficiency, either
for good or evil there was in secret and united
action, and when the purposes of the associa-
ton was for good, We have seen how it was
approved by the people, sanctioned by the
Government and encouraged and assisted by
the purest and wisest citizens of the State, for
not alone did such associations exist in Athens,
but in every Kingdom and Nation under the
sun.
Although secret societies are abstractly
neither better nor worse for finding precedent
for their existence in the dim history Of the
past, yet in all things We are willing to take
the verdict Of experience and that which good
men in all ages have approved cannot be
wrong. 1t is natural for men to reverence and
respect those institutions which have stood
the test Of ages, and we love to support either
theory or practice by citing in It's favor the
judgment Of antiquity. AS to secret societies
they seem to have sprung spontaneously into
existence prompted by the mutual dependence
which every man has upon his fellow, and
from the disposition to guard in some degree
by mutual pledges Of support and assistance
against the innumerable and ever varying vi.
cissitudcs Of life. They come down to as from
the same antiquity, from which we inherit
also civil government and the precepts Of vir.
tue and Religion. But We have not alone the
authority of antiquity, for every day Of pres
cnt experience shows us how men when they
combine for great purposes. form their plans
and hold their consultations apart from those
who arc not united with them in interest,
leaving the world to judge them by their overt
acts, but carefully excluding from their delib.
erations all those who would be likely to
thwart or betfay. Every Government, every
political party, very business association
illustrates in some degree the position We as.
sumo. Nay every household is q secret soci
ETY., and every homestead is temple in which
its sacred rites are celebrated.
That Odd Fellows meet and deliberate in
secret is an argument neither for nor against
their separate existence. We ask to be judged
not by the manner Of our work, but by the
results which we accomplish. II is true that
the works of Benevolence and Charity which
are enjOined by the Brotherhood, arc not such
as the world has ever permitted to be vaunt
ingly proclaimed by the doer. The world al
ways deems itself absolved from any debt o
gratitude to one who docs an act OF Charity
and afterwards makes boastful mention Of Il
So universally Is this the case, that all Ian.
guagcs are full Of proverbs to the same effect
The sacred volume also in many places teaches
the duty Of performing the works of Charity
and Bcnevolence without ostentation. "Chari
ty vaunteth not ITSELF" says the great apostle
Of the Gentiles; and the Author Of our faitt
in his wonderful address to the multitude or
the Mount of Olives, speaks with authority a.
follows: "Take heed that ye do not your aim
before men to be seen of them; otherwise y,
have no reward of your Father which is il
Heaven. Therefore when thou dOest thine
aims do not sound trumpet before thee, n.
the hypocrites do in the synagOgucs and il
the streets, that they may have glory Of men
But when thou dOest aims let not thy righ
hand know what thy left hand dOcth tha
thine aims may be in secret; and thy Father
who sceth in secret Himself will reward the'
openly"
If then the purposes of our Order are of tn,
character which we claim them tO be, not only
are we justified in our secret organization BY
the maxims of prudence, but We arc command
ed to accomplish our Benevolent purposes
without sound Of trumpet or to be seen of men
by authority which we claim to be that o
Deity himself
What then are the designs and purposes o
the Order! We comprehend them in few
words. Upon every Charter which author
ICES the establishment Of Lodge ia engraved
the motto Of Odd Fellowship" Friendship
Love and Truth" Toevery ncophyte is giveI
in charge to perform the duties OF BcncvoIenc,
and Charity. Every Odd Fellow assumes Il
obey the injunctions which como from ou
highest authority, as follows: 1--WE command
you to visit the sick. to relieve the distressed
to bury the dead, and to educate tho Orphan.
To the performancc,Of these duties we mutU
ally pledge ourselves; and we arc taught Il
come to their performances not reluctantly, o.
as to buTdensome and unpleasant tasks, bu
cheesfhlly, end with alAcVity 10 extend to
brother that aid, which Wndsr like circum
stances We would be entitled to receive ifon
him. We ere taught 10 cultivate and pvac
tice that virtue which is declared, to be \ th
fulfilling Of the law" that virtue which rJ0hl