The union Democrat., 1869-05-29
SONORA. TUOLUMNE COUNTY, MAY %, 1869


knew whereof he affirmed. that. "Gnd hath
msd- af one bl,.od all nations of mcn ~ dwell
on all the face nf the earth, in which is in
volved the universal brotherhood Of man. +"
has awakened the slumhering energies of the
world and quickened the impulses IF human
| ity for the Improvement and elevation of our
race. and their disenthralmenttron the bonds
of sel6shness
| We feel bound To recognize Christianity as
the great. the efficient means Of accomplish
| ing this God-nspire! work. O'her agencies
as subordinate and auxiliary. Founded on
;he eternal principles Of Justice and Truth.
she bears alaft in characters of living light
one of the MOST sublime precepts of insp1a-
an:-' Whatsoever We would that men should
do 10 you, do Sc even so to them, "a pre-
cept which at once inculcates strict regard
for the rights of every individual, and fur
nishes panarea for the numerous social ills
which cause humanity TO groan.
| With this precept written upon our hearts,
aid entering into our daily practice. what
good may we not accomplish in the brief
space allotted tn us here Surely. if actuat-
ed by this principle We shall be prepared to
alleviate mary of the distresses of life, by
''visiting the sick, ministerng 10 the necessi-
ties of the, poor, educating the orphan and
bnrving the dead"
This, my friends, is the work Odd-Fel-
lowship aims to do To these specific objects
she bends her energies. To the cultivation
of these virtues she directs her efforts. Stand
ing on the broad platform Of the Fdtherhood
of God and the brotherhood of man" and
adopting the motto. "In God we trust. and
Friendship, Love and Truth" she seeks the
diffusion of the principles Of benevolence and
charity.
Odd-F Fellowship is not religious institu-
tion, nor does she offer her teachings rs sub
sti ute for religion. but is one of the recog-
nized agencies in the grand scheme of univer-
sal benevo.ence e-She interferes not with
sects or creeds. but deals with men as men.
1t s not political but loyal TO truth and jus
tice and humanity Her teachings are in
harmony with and are taken from the great
volume of inspiration. She seeks to incul-
cate those principles, and to stimulate to the
performance of thnse duties which are the le-
gitimate--the spontaneous outgrowth of a
genuine love to God and man.
We repeat: Old-Fellowship ia not religion
in the general import of the rerm. hut an aug
| illarv in the great work of moral reform, and
we fatter ourselves with the assurance that
none but the ignorant. the preiudiced or the
objects which we aim to accomplish are kept
| in view.
| am aware that it is customary, on 'occa-
| sions like this TO meet and answer objections
and TO hiring up in formidahle array strong
arguments to sustain tie wisdom and propri-
ETY. Of some of the rules of our 0r,ier, xuchsas
! the secret signs and passwords, &c., but we
do not choose always to follow in the beaten
81 far m o1
we owe no apologies to any. The good that
has heen done and il now doing vindicates the
wisdom If the laws by which we are govern
| ed. But as are here to celebrate her an
niversarv, perhaps it would not he inoppor-
tune 10 advert tothe origin of odd Fellowship
| And here shalt confne myself To brief ex-
tract from our Manual. Let me here say,
! however. that Oid-Fpllnwshin claims no
great antiquity. She comes nor up from be-
yonh the "dark ages" with totterirg step
and wrinkled fron.. bending under the weight
ut centuries. hut presents herself, thing If
v"utn. and health. and vignr. instinct with
tlte. "reJniclng like strong man to run a
race" and resolu'e in the purpose to make
herself felt FIR good
Saws our nuthur: "She had her origin in the
! city "f Lnnd"n in l7SS. all beyond .hat date
is mere con ecturp or prmfpSs tradition. 1t
IL nor known whether our then recent revolu-
| tinnarv struggle for independence, or the
mare ancient teachings Of he Bible. suggest
ed the Fatherhood of God and consequent
equality and fraternity of man, as the inun-
daton Of our Order. Nor can We trace the
steps hv which the measures of mu'ual relief
in sickness and dis re>s and provision for the
burial of the dead, and cares for the orphan
and widow grew up amt ng them. But know
ing that it was institution originated hv
common circumstances of want and prnvi-
dence. and cPmented hv social feelings fire.
quantly INDUCED until they warmed into a
fraternal GLOW. we can readily imagine, how
great principles would he suggested and meas
ures for carrying them out be successively
i'm proved.
The founders were toilinc laborers whose
labor bare'v sufired to procure them daily
bread. When sickness came. gaunt and ter
/, rhle want stared them in the face. When
on the bed of disease. or death. none could
spare time to smooth tie creased pillow or
moiSten the fevered lips. or speak calmncss
TO the delirious mind When they looked
forward to the close Of This 6tfu. feverish life.
beyond it twas only pauper's coffin to he press
ed into. pauper's grave into which to he
hudlled nut of sight. without hreathed pray
and consolation for the living And for the
surviving partner and hereaved children To
future was presented but trundling about
from parish ia parish. until thew were thrust
into the vice and infamv of the almshouse. or.
perhaps. thrusting them into the streets to
gr"w np begyars or criminals If they did not
earlier perish in the gutter.
Such were most probably the circumstances
and prospects Of not few who commenced
our Order. devised its first crude measures of
relief and burial of the dead. and based the
whole structure on the Fatherhnod Of God and
the Brotherhood of man. Feeling also how
sectarian and party strife he'd estranged men
from each other. and rendered them power
less and ahiact by such divisions: they exrlud-
ed all such topics and distinctions from their
meetings. and resolved only 10 know. to labo-
fur end to love each other as men, as breth-
ren"
Thus we perceive. Odd Fellowship was
born of the necessities of the poor, instituted
TO meet an obvious want in society. by throw
ing around each other the strong arm of
friendship, and the endearing ties of broth
erlv love; protecting the unfortunate from