The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1859-05-14

Original Thanksgiving ode. (Tune, Auld
Lang Syne)
Music by the Band
! Address by Bro L. y. Griggs
! Music 10y the Band
| Original Thanksgiving Ode (Tune, Old
| Hundred)
Grafton by Bro O. C. Gray
| Music by the Band.
/ Supper, Toasts, &c.
| Owing TO the lateness of the hour no re
spouses were made to the regular toasts,
and no volunteer toasts given.
GRAFTON By Z. Y. GRIGGS
/ Ladies and Gentemeo:
1t Is needless TO say that am ernbar-
rassed or that my position before an au-
dicnce Is a new one, and if my subject
does not make q favorable impression, or
( seems not to be worthy of your earnest
/ thought and consideration; please bear in
mind that it i not because the subject Is
+ ,u,,COrthr but because | am not able - pre-
sent it Alright
y gain; if any Of my remarks should
wound the feelings of a member OF any
society, affiliated for the Improvement OF
the race, il will be unintentional: for why
should | attempt to hurl a .javclin in the
ranks Of those by whose side shoulder to
shoulder we desire 10 battle in the cause
OF virtue truth. and right against vice, er-
rOr and wrongf
/ If one word passes my lips that can be
/ taken a a criticism upon, or IA thrust at
+ the conscientious professor Of religion,
I then am misunderstood indeed for were
! to fling a scott or jeer at the doctrine,
{ taught by the meek and lowly Jesus then
Z
cnccs that spread the pathway OF my child
/ hood with blossoms and flowers, unmind-
/ iul OF the teachings of those noble-h,arted
( ones now III heaven; unjust to thousands
! OF professor. of religion. who are true odd
Fellows Then would be false to my
( manhood, false to my race, and false to
my God.
To-day occurs the fortie,h anniversary
| of the full and complete organization OF
, the J. .. .. F. in the United States On
/ the Goth day Of April, l>ls, Thomas Wildly
! John Duncan. John W-lch, John Chath am
and Richard Ru-hwor,h, instituted Wash
! ington Lodge No. J. the mother OF the
: tHOu-auds that crowd our land,
/ The Grand Lodge of the L. s, in sol
enn council, has requested all Odd Fellows
! throughout il jurisdiction, to keep this
day d, a day of Thanksgiving aud a. far
a. possible, either in their families or in
! their lodges, or at some central point, 10
! Civ. public demonstration of their graft,
( tude to God
| In accordance with this request, and
/ hope with willing hearts, we have met to-
day to acknowledge God the Supr. me
! Creator, Ruler and Pres.rver of the Uni
| verse, as our Father-that from hiin all our
| blessings come, and 10 him our thanks
/, should be given
! odd Fellowship has much cause for thank
! fulness. That institution has been 80
! blessed in numbers, power and will to do
| good Although established in Europe
long before this century but forty years
ago was the germ of this institution first
/ planted in the soil of American hearts and
/ intellects, and now, behold the ripened
1 truitage. To-day two hundred thousand
voices are raised, two hundred thousand
! hearts are beating in unison of praise, and
not only we, but thousands of widows and
orphans, and thousands OF odd Fellows
families are thanking God to-day for the
blessings received from this glorious atfi-
| liatiOn. 4 half a million of dollars have
/ been paid out for relief this year, and
many weary hour has been lightened by
the hand of friendship, and many a sick
bed made easier by a brothers presence.
way Of taking up your time, than by en-
deavoring to answer the great question
| What is odd Fellowship? OF course this
cannot be done thoroughly by myself to-
night, for the want of time and ability
| The field is vast one, and | can only
choose and condense, Brother Gray will
give you the beauty and symmetry
Man cannot stand alonel Let some SUI
perior being untaintcd by the passions Of
earth, unawcd by its fears, and unwooed
10y its hopes, be placed upon some far of
stand point, some one of Millions battle
mcnts of heaven, and as his spirit eve
ranges the universe, the pride and self
suiiiciency of man, and man himself vii
appear to him as the most ridiculous fea
ture in the whole panorama
Man cannot stand alone, 1t matter.
not how muscular his frame, how lofty hi,
intellect, how naughty his pride, how Ions
his purse, how broad his lands or how
completely he may combine all his posses
sions and his powers.
There are apparent instances where mer
singly and alone have changed communi
ties, and even nations, but the first steI
they took was to form a combination
You may point to Moses and Luther t.
Locke, Bacon, to Fuller Morse, to Pitt
Clay or Webster, and yet without comb
nation, their efforts were nothing
Union OF purpose, effort and skill, rear
ed Babels walls to affront the brow O
heaven; disunion hurled amid the rank
by an Almighty hand, and the structur,
crumbled to atoms.
, 1t was this fact, that great good coulc
be produced by combination, that gave ris'
. to our order.
We claim not for Odd Fellowship grea
antiquity; we would not clo.he is mani,
form with the dust worn garniture Of ages
: nor groove its glorious'brow BY the ebb
and flows of the tide of centuries; but W.
do claim that the principles it Processes
the doctrines it inculcates, and the lesson
it teaches, were eermed in the bosom @
God-brought forth at the birth of mar
are co-equal with his life, and will onl
/ cease their exhibitions at the extinction
}. of the race
We do not claim for its organization in
> mutability of change. We glory in tn
: fact that it is progressive, that as its pre-
ent is better fitted for the wants of th
age than its past, so its future will be fitte