The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-06-22
secret Orders.

From The Philadelphia North American.
4 movement against secret societies mas
lots,v made lis appearance i'll tho west; ana
'.n,ventio1, has been held ut Chicago, attend
cd br larpe numbers ofdclcgatcs from various
Stotcs. among whom were many clergy men
and nj least one United States senator
General Pomcroy. of Kansas. 1t seemed 10
hr tho chief objection of this convention 10
these secret orders that they are not us
tinc,iycly Christian that Is, they 90 not re-
cugniZc the divinity of Christ. AS the same
Objection has lately been made to the Ma
tional Constitution. the Masons need mol ne
under much apprehension respecting liils
new movement against them. We say Inc
N,sops because they were consplcuottSy
hold IN by the Chicago convention rs inc
object of assault, although ii was SAID that
rho Odd-Fcllows and other orders were much
like them.
We have observed one Important ana IN
nurntjal Protestant denomination TO nave
acted upon the subject at 4 recent confen-
lion. and admoniShed its members against
secret oath.b bound orders. 1t is idle to HIS
fake the drift of these events. Iheg repre-
sent substantial and unmlStakable ieen'S
which. whether well or ill-foundcd, has
been gradually gathering strength among
some of the best classes OF people. we nave
these rccoilS at intervals in our history, and
societies begin to rccupcratc with rs great
strength as before. There are many per-
sons who believe them to be mere idle ebti-
Itions of f:lnaticism and prejudice. and pro-
ductiye of no sort of good. Observation
and experience, however, have satisfied us
that they have their uses, and that those
uses are by no means unlmportant.
One result is that this crcr-rising senti-
mcnt colnpcls the secret orders to show prac-
teal good works in justification of their eX-
i.tcpce. In the case of the MaSonS, their
benevolence and unstinted charity are be-
vond denial their public spirit is attcSted
hy the splendid structures they have every
where erected and their freedom from the
faint of improper objects is attcStcd by the
eminent character of the men who have
been. or who are, members. Most OF the
others arc beneficial organizations, and the
amount of money they distribute Is I'M
nlcnsc. But this brings Us toanothcr result
of the repeated antagoniSm, which Is, that
in order to justify themselves all OF these
orders are compelled to give more publicity
to some of their proceedings. Everybody
now knows the officers of these orders, and
these men. living under the fire OF general
observation, are proofs that there Is really
no improperly in the secret dolnES. In
deed. in the case of some of the orders, the
desire TO convince the public that there is
nothing wrong in them Is so great that al
most everything once hidden is revealed.
Many persons have an idea that some
mysterious political object is concealed un-
der ill this guisc of pomp and parade, and
this sentiment of suspicion is toStcred by
the folly of some foolish politicians of both
parties who 60 about seeking nominations
and talking loosely about their strength in
this or that order, the hollowncSs and alb
surdity of which claim is not known to the
outside public, but is source Ofamusement
to the members themselves, who arc aware
that nearly all the competitors are members
OF the same orders. If there were any real
foundation for the suspicion that amy secret
order intcrfcrcd in our elections, the people
would make about as short work Of it rs
they did OF the know-Nothings. The mat
ter, however, is of so little moment that
the politicians, who have in some cases alb
sorbcd whole lodges, may be left to try their
cabalistic signs upon each other.