The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-05-01
Aprnnsss

Address
the Odd Fellows ON the OCCASION OF the
Semi.Centenniai Anniversary. cele.
brated Mt Ottawa, April 20, 1859.
Fifty Years auo today Ave men met IN ne civ
OF Baltimore and instituted the Independent or.
der of Odd Fellowship IN the United States.
These men were not men of wealth; they
wsre notsnen q place 81 power. They were mm
from the middle ranks Of society. They planted
the little society, perhaps, with fear and trem.
bling, and with apprehension as to its future
prosperity. But from this small beginning Odd
Fellowship has not only extended itself across
the continent, from ocean to ocean, and from the
great lakes to the Gulf Of Mexico, SO that it now
ship by hundreds of thousands, but it has also
extended its fraternizing influence to the islands
Of the Pacific, and in Australia, where bat COM
paratively a few years ago nothing was heard
but the howl of the savage Odd Fellowship has
now membership of 1000 good and true men.
God forbid that we shosld speak Of the krswth
and prosperity of this order in spirit Of Boosting
That is contrary to the tenets Of our ordes.sy
But it is sometimes necessary for societies, as
well as individuals. to indulge in retrospection-
ito look back and see what they hsve socomplish.
ed, what they are doing and whittier they are
tending. 't' ~" ~"t = n'-' yrs
To this end, am permitted to say. that Odd
Fellowship now has membership in the United
States of 300,0 900 good and true men, who are
to-day with one heart and aim celebrating the
Centennial Anniveyssryof this order. 0lost
of its founders and many who have been most
instrumental in securing It's prosperity have
passed away to their reward, but their memory
is stamped upon the heart Of every ltrpG Odd
Fellow, and their labors and virtues held In
grateful recollection. ~ l8Rgg 13EgUEEsE
During the past year about $4,000 have
been distributed to needy and worthy Ocd Fell
lows, and about 1000 members and 600 fami.
lies have received timely and efIectiye aid y
The Order Of Odd Fellowship in England has
membership of about 405, 600. and has during
the last year expended in charity about one mil
lion and FIVE hundred thousand dollars. sasA
But it must be recollscted that the large sums
OF money so expended do not by any means com.
prise all the benefits conferred BY Odd Fellow.
ship. They do not include the private charities
done by one member to another, the wstchings
by the sick bed, or the frsternal feeling engen.
dered by practicing the principles inculcatsd by
the order. E sTtls
The order Of Odd Fellowship in Australis h
now under the jurisdiction Of the United States
Grand Lodge, and from present indications the
day may not be far distant when all Odd Fellows
in Europe and America may be united under one
jurisdiction.
In relation TO the principles and moral tenets
OF the order it is sufficient 70 say, thst thsy are
drawn from the Bible. And while il il not the
province of Odd Fellowship to teach religion, IL
inculcates no sentiments which are not taught in
all christian churches and leaves it, members free
to unite with such religious sects a. their SON
sciences may dictate.
Il % he - Eli
TO 20 organize and unite men that these prnci.
pies may be developed and carried into every
day life. VI,
Nothing has ever been done BY isolated indi-
vdual action. All Of the institntious ~ have
to-day, all that we have that il good, beautiful,
or valuable in government, morals, philosophy,
literature or art is the result of associated action
Men have never accomplished anything in the
past, and they do not nov attempt % soeonplish
anything Of importance. except &souGh ssoAs
organization by which their action can be made
cooperative. !. III ga q
Among the Various organizations which. have
tended TO civilize aud snlighten mankind secret
societies have been by no means the least impor.
tant Indeed, the most casual glance Ut their
history will show that the ancispt civilizations
were almost il not wholly, developed through
the agencies OF secret associations
If we travel back in history through . psriod
OF nearly four thousand years 10 that wonderful
people who dwelt ON the banks of the Nile, we
shall find them celebrating their mysterious
rites in the sacred precincts Of the Temple Of
Isis, and in us Aesst a the Pyranids ssound
the sarcophagus Of the murdsrsd Osiris." Sym.
boized in these mysteries wese thsir hiatozy, the
principles Of their govsrnnsat and religion. thsir
arts, sciences and litsrstuss; and II was while
passing through thess mysteeies tAat the initiate,
Nv avmhols slleOorias and The lAoturea Of III
Priests aad teachsfs, received his education. IL
was the invariable custom OF tho snoisnts to
deity their great men, and ipllowing tAis custom
the Egyptians placed Osiris and Isis In the
heavens where, a. gods, they were believed to
wstch over and guard tho dsstiniss and welfare
Of the nation. & ss.,.s ~ sl' :. 80
But If We strip them 81 thsir divi,s ssssisstss,
these two imposlns Asufssin Egyptian mythca.
ogy Win appear simply - two human 6eangD
who, BY the force II their gsnius, intelligence
and virtue, won the admiration, respect and love
Of the wild, savage and untutored baxbasiaRs
who surrounded them, taught them to cultivate
ana prepare the fruits Of the earth aud gave them
the industrial arta. For the Egyptian Aistasas
the earth was filed with darkness, ignorance and
savagery. Jafy1
They appeared, laid the foundation Of civil
government, established religion and law, organ.
lied society and gave them civil order. And
then, in order to preserve the institutions they
had founded, and to Transmit to posterity
knowledge of their principles, they established
these mysteries, through whose agency were
moulded and developed the minds and character
of people who, for nearly fifteen centuries,
swayed the destinies Of the WORT |, and Of whose
greatness the mighty ruins Of clues, temples and
monuments, thickly scattered, ssr more than q
~ - - H. IL