Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-02-07

to benefits in time of illness; and
on his decease, his widow Of he
leaves one receives a stipulated sum
of money. She is subsequently
aided as circumstances may require,
and her children are guarded with
fatherly care. 1t is estimated that
10000 orphans are under the imme-
date protection Of the Order.
The aetuating principles of Odd
Fellowship are based upon the firm
foundation of benevOlence and
charity. The lessons Ineulcated in
all the teachings Of the Order are
in accordance with the belief in the
fatherhood of God, and the univer-
sal brotherhood of man. Odd Eel
lowship is not, as some people
imagine, at variance with the chris
tan religion; on the contrary, it is
a potent auxiliary thereof, for while
it fosters the spirit of federation, no
man who is not believer in the
Supreme Ruler of the universe, and
does not possess a good moral char
acter, can gain admission into the
hallowed precincts of this Order.
Nevertheless, the society holds no
affinity with systems Of faith or
sects, whether religious or political,
and, therefore, men of every creed
and party meet and mingle in the
lodge room for mutual counsel and
| social converse.
A great deal has first and lasS
been said about the mysterious
secrets of Odd Fellowship. These
terrible secrets seem to be only the
mode of initiation and the signs and
tokens of mutual recognition.
These are kept secret simply be-
cause the security of the Order re-
quires it. They operate as a safe
guard against fraud and imposture.
Everything else pertaining to the
institution is made public, so that
the objections to Odd Fellowship as
secret society are invalid. As
well inveigh against the merchant,
the manufacturer, or the family
circle, for having and keeping
secrets.
The Odd Fellows are an intelli-
gent, enterprising, progressive class
of citizens. They have their litera-
ture, their libraries, their lecture
associations, their insurance COM
panies, and their elemosynary and
educational institutions. Their
principal magazine-the official Or
gan ofithe Order;is published in this
city by John W. Orr, P. G. NJ, the
the well known engraver. 1t is
called the American Odd FeEl0lC,
and is a publication that would do
credit to any society or institution
extant. The american Odd Eel
Tor is very extensively circulated,
and is doing much toward dissent
mating the principles of the Order
among the uninitiated. Some of the
libraries of the fraternity are large
and valuable, a number of them
containing from 10000 to $4,000
volumes each. There are in va
rious States Odd Fellows colleges
and schools for the gratuitous tut
ton Of the children Of deceased |
brethren. The order in Kentucky
is now raising S250,0O0 for the |
laudable purpose of founding a
Widows and Orphans University |
in that State. ..
The semi-centennary anniversary |
of the introduction of the Order in
to America is to be magnifcently |
commemorated on the 18th Of April |
next. The memorable occasion will
Be observed in every place where
Odd Fellowship is established, and
a grand national celebration under
the auspices of the Grand Lodge of
the United States will take place in
Philadelphia, in which affair it is
estimated that from 10000 to 10000
members of the Order will partici-
pate.
Odd Fellowship comprises cltl-
zens of every rank, sphere, and
station in life. Every honorable
profession and vocation is largely |
therein, and the society
is Individually power for good in
the world. The circumscribed
limits of newspaper article will
not admit of an exhaustive expose
of the principles, purposes, opera
tions, and achievements of this
great society; indeed, volumes
might be devoted to this fruitful
theme. Suffice it to say here that
Odd Fellowship is yet in its relative
infancy, and its destiny is TO &C
complish wonders in the elevation
of human character, and in the
ameliOration of the condition Of the
family of man. Every well-wisher
of his kind will bid it God-speed in
its noble wsrk.-Ne,v York Com