Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1862-02-01

"Whom she praised TO day.
Vexing his with accamations loud,
And roaring round him with thousand tongues
Tomorrow blamed aud Missed him out OF sight"
He may live for power. But
"He tha, asconds the mountain tops shalt find
The oftiest peaks most wrapped in clouds and snow
He that surpasses, or subdues mankind,
Must look down on the fate Of those below,
Though high above the sun OF glory glow,
And far beneath the earth and ocean spread
Round him are icy rocks and loudly blow
Contentng tempests his ma ked head
And thus reward the tolls which those SUBMITS led
| am addressing o society whose impo-
sing motto tells me its highest ambition is
goodness and the object it most highly pri.
zes the best means of attaining it. What
more fitting than delineatiou of the noble
means by which this noble end obtains.-
This, then, shall be my theme. Suggested
as it has been by the --o Of your asso-
citation the age it rep eseDts and the char
acter it deserves
1t will hardly be expected that should
give minute detail of the rise and pro-
gress of Odd Fellowship on the Ameri can
Continent. That is matter that has pa ssed
into and became part of the history of
our country. 1t is sufficient to say that
on the 26th day of April 1919 the first
Lodge of Odd Fellows was organized on the
continent of North America. 1t was then
in its infancy. The first Lodge only con-
tained members enough for quorum for
the purpose of transacting the necessary
business af the Lodge, Now the men,
bers of the Order are counted by thou
sands. Its progress has been unparalleled
in the history of this country. The Or
ganization as such has contributed vast
sums of money bordering upon millions
towards the relief of the widow and edu
cation of the orphan in our own country,
with the orphans cries have been stilled
and the widows tears dried by corre-
spending relief bestowed by the organiza-
ion of the old world. And in the strug-
gle of our country we are separated from
thousands of our brethren in the southern
part of this Union, some of these brethren
might be badly lost from us but in the
principles of Odd Fellowship they will
be united with us forever, for principles
are imperishable. Time may change,
men may change, the universe itself may
change, but principles never change The
principles of Odd Fellowship are as firm
as the Deity from which they emanate. II
was principles of sound morality that
called Odd Fellowship into our existence.
In vain may we seek ,hnse imperishable
men who brought such principles from
darkness to light. Where are the foun
ders of our Order? Where are the patriots
of the Revolution, who seemed almost
immortal on the field of battle ? &C
read their destiny upon their tombs-
Their slumbering dust is beneath our feet
their voices are suppressed in death; bu
would hold on high before you thei
9 beaming example, to guide like pillar 0
fire your triumphal march to eminent use
fulness.
But let US turn from the history Of th,
past to the scenes as enjoyed by US. Th
nineteenth century has been characterized
"the age of associations Or "the age o
societies" and yet out Of the hundred an(
one "societies' that are now putting fortl
pretensions to public favor, there are but
few worthy of the name of charity" AM
entitled to the aid and sympathy of hu-
manity.
Whilst we have our forms and ceremo
: nies-our signs and passwords whereof.
, we recognize each other, ours is no fame,
associ ,tion with gew-gaws to attract anc
catch the silly and thoughtess but it ad
= dresses Itself at once to the nobler ant
= higher attributes OF our nature. 1t is TIL
. high if not the distinguishing characters
4 tic of an Odd Fellow to believe that u
r mong the most acceptable services whic
: man can render his God, is relief to hi
= fellow man; and the xercise of this un
5 selfish philanthropy is emphatically hi
' mission, Yes Odd Fellowship is founde
= upon that eternal principle which recogni
1 zing man as constituent of one universe
$ brotherhood, teaches him that, as he cam
: from the hands of a common parent, he
n bound to cherish and protect his fello'
=" man. 1t thus presents broad platform
: upon which mankind may unite in office
e of human beuefaction. Based upon Gel
j. tain truths, which are alike axioms anon
= all nations, tongues and crecds, its sacre
d tolerance presents nucleus, which by il
a gentle influence gathers within its orb
l. antagonist natures, cOntr'ls the elomen
l. of discord, stills the storm and soothes Il
o. spirit of passion and directs in harmon