Daily national Democrat., 1860-07-28

Fellowship, by confederation of brother
bound together 10y special ties, and united by
VOWS for mutual protection. to epcouragC
each other IN the various duties of life IL
give good counsel when under difficulties ia
aiford rehet amid sorrows or suiferings. tc
stand 10y the destitute widow, to educate The
irendless orphan, to lay the green sod lightly
on the bosom Of the departed brother and
ABOVE all, to keep alive in the heart that
hlghtlest incentive to virtue, an mistaken
faith in the Immortality Of the soul.
4hese results can be best accomplished by
an organized society, as 10 proven bv the
universal experience of al ages of the world
Ihe Savior of mankind felt the necessity of
association, and instituted the Christian
, Church to keep alive and propagate the true
! faith amongst men. Societies of This Lird
were scarcely less frequent amongst the most
enlightened nations of antiquity than at the
present day; and perhaps the true germ Of
ODD Fellowship itself may be distinctly
traced back to the very dawn of Grecian
civilization, when fact and fable were so
beautifully blended that it still remains n
/ question, whether the Eleusinian mysteries
were the invention of Keryx and Euinolnus
or were as they piously declared Revea-
tloh from the Gods. Certain it is, that there
is most remarkable similarity between the
Two orders; and though historians inform US
Iha' the mysteries OF Eleusis, were abolished
as public and acknowledged institution Inv
the Emperor Theodosius, in the fourth conJ
tury OF the Christian era, after having 0our-
ished without Interruption for more thu,
eighteen hundred years, vet it bv no means
! follows, that these holy rites were not long
afterwards praeticed in secret, and were ln7
der another name, handed down to the very
era in which we live.
Milford in his history of Greece TINS noti.
ees the institular objects, and Importance OF
this secret society
The Eleusinian Festival now approached
a time destined to commemorate and to dif.
tuso the temporal and spiritual Gifts of the
Goddess Ceres, originally bestowed on tbe
Athenians, and by them communicated to the
rest of Greece. The worship of Ceres re-
| turned less frequently than some of the other
Deities, but was more highly esteemed. part-
I ~ on that account and partly because dis
tlnguished by the eeusinian mysteries. those
hidden treasures of wisdom and happiness
which were found out on the initiahel, in the
temple OF Elusis Fourteen centuries before
the Christian Era, the goddess il is said com
munlcated these invaluable rites to Eumolpas
and Kenyx, two virtuous men, ,ebo had re.
ceteed her an tile term Of on anknopn traveIer.
with pious hospitality. The candidates for
initiation were prepared, by watching, alb
stlnenee, sacrifice and prayer; and before re-
Veallng to them the divine secrets, the most
awful silence was enjoined them Yet enough
transpired among the profane vulgar, to en-
able us still to collect from impartial and au
thenuc testimony that the mysteries of Ceres
expressed byiexternal signs, the immutabiltv
of the human soul. and the reward prepared
in future life for the yrtuous servants of
heaven"
This account Of Milford, is fortified by Is
ocrates, one of the scholars of Socrates. lie
says: Though what | am going to relate,
may be distigured by tradition and fable, the
substance of it is not the less deserving of
your regard When Ceres Travelled to Attica.
IN quest of her daughter she received the
most hospitable treatment, and those partic-
ular good Offices, which are known to the
initiated. The Goddess was not ungrateful
but conferred on our ancestors tt e most val
uaOle present which heaven can bestow, or
mankind can receives the knowledge of those
sacred mysteries, which fortify the initiated
against the terrors of death, and inspire them
with She pleasing hopes Of happy mmor-
tality." This testimony is the more impor-
tant because in modern times it has been
claimed for Socrates that he first taught the
Greeks, knowledge of the sonl's immortal
ity; whereas, lsocrates in writing to his mas
ter, traces this knowledge back for more than
a thousand years, entrusted to the keeping Of
the Eleusnians.
1t is interesting to observe with what re
ligious regard and sincere affection, the Sc
cret rites Of Eleusis were considered by the
A & Il.,, Il.
strong, than that Of an approved Odd Fellow
to the order whose secrets are entwined
-ound his heart, and which teaches him, no
les beautifully, the same truths taught by
Eumolpus and KeryX, three thousand three
hundred years ago.
We are informed by Gibbon, that the En-
peror Nalentnian prohibited no mode of
worship in his dominion except those secret
AID criminal practices, which abused the
name Of religion, for the dark purposes of
vice and disorder lie had condemned with
the consent of the most rational pagans, the
license of nocturnal sacrifices. But he i'm
mediatey admitted the petition of Praetex
Iatus, Proconsul Of Achaia, who represented
that the life ofthe Greeks would become dreG~
~ and coAQfortLess, if they were deprived Of
the Invaluable blessing of the Eleusinian
mysteries" But a still stronger proof of their
affection for the Divine truths taught by their
avorite order, is to be found in the history of
Alcibiades. "These mysteries" says a learn
ed historian "were accompanied by vocal
and instrumental music on their public days,
by public shows and exhibitions, and above
all ly the pompous procession which marched
for ten miles along the sacred road leading
from Athens to Eeusis. This important part
of the ceremony had been recently internlit-
ted, because the Athenians after the loss of
Decelia, were no longer masters of the road,
and had been compelled contrary to custom
to proceed by to the temple of Ceres
Alcbiades determined to wipe off the stain
4 Of impiety which had long adhered to his
character 10y renewing in all its luster, this
venerable procession. lie prepared to de-
4 fend ty an armed force the peaceful ministers
4 and votaries of the God: pursuaded that the
\ Spartans would either permit them to pass
! undisturbed, which must lessen the military
fame of that people, or ifthey attempted to
! interrupt the ceremony, expose them to the
/ disgraceful charge of irreligon and the gen
4 era detestation of the whole of Greece. The
priest, the herald, and the whole body of the
! initiated were apprized of his enterprise, and
requested to hold themselves in readiness on
the appointed day. Early in the morning
the cavalry explored the adjoining country,
the emiuences were occupied by the light in.
fautry, and after sufficient garlisops had been
! left to defend the Athenian walls and fortres
ses, the whole body Of heavy armed troops
were drawn out to protect the Eleusinian
procession which marched along the usual
road to the temple, and afterwards returned
to Athens, without suffering any molestation
from the Llcedmeonians having united on the
occasion alone, all the splendor of war, with
] Il. e -