Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-04-26

| the sun which
"The mind Of man
! Can fully scan"
Abstract secrecy or secrecy of ITSELF is,
! therefore, no valid objection. There is,
however, q sense in which secrecy is an
| evil; that is when it is perverted, just as
any other principle, however good in
| itself, when abused will exert a mis-
! ehievous influence. The true touchstOne
/ is the use, not the abuse, of secrecy; to
this test Odd Fellowship cordially sub
mits its work.
But, apart from this view of the gen.
eral subj5et, strange as it may sound to
the unlisted, it is nevertheless true that
! Odd Fellowship is not q secret society.
! by far the larger portion Of It's ritual, or
| work, is in print, and is known to thous-
| ands and hundreds Of thousands; all of
Its general legislation, comprising vol
Umes OF matter, is accessible to the pub
/ lie eye, ard much OF its ceremonial is
! constantly displayed TO the public gaze.
/ True, it possesses an unwritten and un-
/ spoken language, Ineligible only to the
| embershIp. The language is, however,
/ unimportant to the outside world, since
/ il serves simply the purpose Of mutual
! recognition between those to whom it is
/ known. The members of the family
/ have exclusive clsims upon the supply
which their joint labors and cOntribu-
/ tiOus have stored; hence il is fitting that
safeguards should be thrown around
/ these ciaims-how otherwise could
/ mutual relief society, in the secular sense
/ Of the word, be sustained? ? This is all
| the secrecy of Odd Fellowship.
ITS GOVERNMENT.
All objects, the successful attainment
| Of which Is hoped for by the eombina-
/ tiOn Of masses OF men, snd the cOnsOli
/ datiqn Of many minds into s single will,
| demand q sHboFdinstion which can only
| be maintained by system Of law and
/ order. Oid Fellowship, in conformity
| to this experience, has an organic alton
/ peculiar to Itself It has paramount
| fundamental lSw, embodied in the form
of 8 written constitution, emanating
! from q supreme federal head, styled the
Grand Lodge Of the United States. This
Oedy is representative in its character,
and exercises executive, legislative and
Judicial powers. Il assemblies once s
year; during its recess its chief officer,
called the NJ. w. Grand Sire, chosen BIZ
eznialiy by the body itself, is vested with
executive. power within constitutional
limits. From the Grand Lodge Of the
United States, as the great heart Of the
order, flow, snd are distributed, the ram
ifed powers and functions which sre
possessed and exercised by its subordi-
nate agencies. The first, snd the most
important of these, are the State, Terri
tOTisI, provincial OF colonial grand bodies,
80 called for the reason that their sphere
of action is confined to their respective
geographical limits. These bodies each
have written constitutions and general
laws for the government Of the order
l. .--saNT~
acted by themselves, hut subject to the
approval OF the Grand Lodge of the
United States. From them, also, are
chosen bisnnislly Lhe representatives to
the Grand Lodge Of the United States,
and by them alone sre the primary as
sem5lies of the order, the subordinate
bodies, created and Immediately super
vised, subject, however, to ritual and
general regulations, which sre alike COM /
mon to every Lodge of Odd Fellows |
throughout the globe. The subordinate |
Lodge is the sctive working thester OF /
the orGeT, aud plem bership in good stand /
ing in any Lodge, eviaence5 by proper |
sushOrity, is passport tSadmissi0n into /
4 Y Lodge, wherever situated, and to aid 4
and assistance rom II when the brother |
who desires the one, or needs the other, /
makes known his character. This sys- /
tem OF gOverRRasnt has proved 30 sdmi. 4
rsbly sdaptepro the great object of the /
Institution that perfect fellowship and /
subordinstiOn have prevailed ever since
is formation; each body adheri1g to its
appropriate sphere, and all moving in
perfect harmony as whole.
RELIGIOUS ASPECTS.
Old Fellowship is a Taofal, not reli-
gious organization. The religious world
irTft9 inf "a rl1c an int anf ]
upon the promotion OF it's peculiar plans
and interests, and Of consequence want
ing in that unity Of action so essential in
every secular institution to the secure
meat Of these great results which illus
trate the triumph of beRegoLepce and
charity. This want is, ia 9 good degree,
met by the employment OF Gn agency
not anenable to such = disability, and in
which men of may Secis and cTeeds
may cordially Cooperate and labor, upon
common ground, for the relief OF human
suderiug. sacd an institution is odd
Fellowship. It does not array Itself
against the church nor presume
to arrOgate its functions, or to
supervise its tesehiugs Its lodges are
not the eOVncil rooms Of enmity TO reli-
gi0us, civil, RaoFsI OF social Grganig atoms.
Far otherwise; all its oraCles and in
strUctions in relation TO these gra, sub
jscts find their warrant and authority 10
the Divine lsW, under the inspiration of
which 10 prOSlasus the gglden rule as
the sublimest illustration Of the law Of
love.
THE SUBORDINATE LODGE.
Five or more mem bers Of the order ia
good standing, by which is meaAt that
they are clear Of the books OF the Lodge
and free from any charge affecting char
Acter, may petition for authority to insti-
tute Lodge. The petition must be ad-
dressed to the State, Territorial or Pro-
ViDclal or Colonial Grand Lodge within
the geographical limits of which it is
TO locate the Lodge. If no
Grand Lodge exists in such community,
then the application must be addressed
to the Grand Lodge of the United States;
or, il in recess, to the NJ Grand Sire. A
Lodge is the elementary or
csnizstiOn OF the order, and, rs has
already been said, is the active field of
It's labors. II is there that the initiate
receives his first impressions Of Odd
Fellowship. There the broad fouuda-
ton upon which the whole SUPER
structure rests is laid bare to him,
and the brotherhood Of man is taught
ss the inspiration Of Deity and the
first law of nature. The lessons and
instructions there rehearsed within his
hearing, will create in him new impress
sions, If he be not wholly callous and in-
to the voice of humanity and TO
toe c0unsels Of wisdom. The business of
q subcrjinate Lodge is, however, Chiefly
administrative its peculiar Office is TO
provide the means to meet the claims OF
its sick and distressed members to care
Tor them properly during their illness to
bury the dead f; to succOr the widow, and
10 educate the orphan. In the faithful
Of these duties it is ever watch
ful that no imposition is practiced by un-
worthy members, and that exact Obedi-
snce is yielded to the laws. 1t is also :
sedulcus in requiring and enforcing q
high toned morality and an upright walk
in life. Every Lodge elacts its own by
avs, which regulate the mutual obliga
tiOns between it and its membership, and
possesses exclusive control over It's own
IN nds within THAR layi him r. annliaafion /