Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-05-12

and memory guards with solemn round
/ The bivouac of the dead"
| shall not attempt on the present occa
| sion to give an extended sketch OF oul
order, preferring rather to deal with II
principles, and the electric age in which
! It performs its mission.
The Manchester Unity of Odd Fellow
in England, from which the order in Thu
country derived its existence, can scarcely
date century, yet filing space befor,
unoccupied, and adapted to the wants anc
tendencies of the age, it soon took rani
among the most powerful and widely diff
| fused of existing associations for mutual
relief. Thus it will be seen that Oddfel
lowship was first planted in this western
hemisphere by brethren from England
| The father and founder of OddfellowshlI
in the new world was Thomas Wildey
who had been admitted a member In his
native land. Singly and alone, he foI
years cherished love for his Alma Mater
He was not satisfied to be an Odd Fellow
thus isolated. He therefore sought to
hail brethren of the Mystic Tie. And he
succeeded, in city numbering hundred
thousand souls, in finding four brothers,
who like himself had bowed at the altar
of Oddfellowship in their far off home.
They were noble and generous spirits
they were filled with the soul-stirring
benevolence which animates the hearts Of
fine old English gentlemen. They saw
the great necessity of the spread of the
principles in the wants of the people.
There was restitution unrelieved, want
that cried from door to door. Poverty
stalked forth from alleys and by-ways,
and its voice was heard from the market
place and the highway. They saw the
widow, lone and forlorn, with no human
comforter, and no bread; the orphan in
abiect poverty and vice, uneducated and
uncared for. The man of toll, when the
strong arm was ne9veless and sickness
shook the frame, was left to the entire
care of the slender wife, and the family
to her feeble exertions or the cold and
merciless charity of the world. The trav-
eler, far off from home, if sick, deserted !;
and if dead, hastily deposited in the stran-
gers grave, and no friend to shed tear
of sympathy. They saw that men were
divided in feeling, alienated by party
feeling and seotarian animosities, and in
all this they saw the necessity of an insti-
tuition where they could meet as brothers,
where at the doors entrance they should
lay down sect and party, and enter as
into a safe retreat from temptation,
pollution and schism. In fine, of
an Odd Fellows Lodge, where the
voice that declares the lodge open
bushes in silence all contention, the I'M
ruly elements as the voice of Him who
said, "Peaee, be STILL" and it was SO.
Brother Wildey repaired to England, OBJ
tanned charter from the Duke of York
Lodge, Preston, and returned with the
prayers and benedictions of the brethren
in England. The first lodge, Wash
ington No. l, was organized in
the city of Baltimore, April &C,
1919, whose anniversary we this night
celebrate And where we date the rise of
the order in North America. Time would
not allow to trace it from that day to this,
and a general statement must suffice.
There is now one general Grand Lodge,
thirty-one State and Provincial Grand
Lodges, with over 100000 members, all
engaged in the promotion of friendship
and the social relations.
These, my brethren, are some of the
"reminiscences which the occasion we are
assem- bled to celebrate is calculated TO in
spire. To complete the brief review
which the contrast affords, turn your eyes
upon Oddfeilowship in 1923, composed of
two lodges in the city of Baltimore, with
100 members in 1928 with 5000 mem
bers in 1S43 with 10000 members in
1853 with 10000; and lastly, in 1869,
with over 100000 members, 1900 lodges,
a revenue of over million dollars, and
disbursing in that single year about
half million for charity and relief
This is the spectacle we this night pre-
sent as the fruit of our united labors.
Three hundred thousand free citizens of
this republic, banded 'for deeds of good
and errauds of mercy" guided by come
mon hand, speaking one mystic tongue,
worshiping upon one common platform,
irrespective of religious or political creeds,
sects or parties, dedicated to the voluntary
of humanity, setting apart
the best energies of mind and heart, and
devoting days and nights, and weeks and
months. and years. of life to stay the DESC
IatIng hand of want, TO mitigate the
pangs of life, to exemplify the truthful
ness of the brotherhood of man What
d moral spectacle and had | time to pur-
sue the subject, and were it proper on an
occasion like this to array before you the
detail of our ministrations in behalf of
human distress, [ might display picture
which, however truthful, most of our fell
low citizens without the Order would be
to regard merely as highly col
ored sketch of fancy.
| shall pronounce no further enoonium
upon the order, or go further into the de-
tails of its organization. It has already
existed too long, and entered too deeply
70 40 DyIS IS 70
defense or require any apology.
| shall, in conclusion, proceed to speak
of some of the causes which brought it
into existence, and contributed to ito sue
cess, what it has attempted to do for
mankind hitherto, and what it must
achieve if it would live in the future II
will be necessary also briefly to glance at
the aspect of the present period, and the
electric progress of the world.
[ shall be brief, conscious, as I am, of
your scarce concealed impatien6e, from
the fact that you are just going to the
luxuries of a banquet and the enchant-
nents of social festivities, but suffer me,
with what patience you can, few words
in the name of the trinity of Humanity,
love and truth.
1t should not seem strange that we have
one creed. Every creed has its temples,
and every divinity its worshipers. Why
may not we rear 6 temple to
to humanity and burn incense on its al
5ars. The world has long had its Repub-
lie of letters and its Republic of liberty
t is time it had its Republic of humanity.
Oddfellowship arose in the necessities
# man; not to add one more waning
constellation of nobility not to deal with
fictitious interests, or practice fanciful ex-
,eriments. 1t was formed to deal with
life, to minister to real want.
4 more practical benevolence was wanted
n the world to seek out distress, bind up |
soften grief, feed the hungry,
l0the the naked, visit the prisoner, edu-
ate the orphan, protect the widow, COM
ort the dying and bury the dead. Man |
leeded a closer acquaintance with man,
he world over. From these hallowed |
purposes our Order sprang into life, and
is course has been cheered by the sunny
mile Of gratitude, by the consciousness Of
luty, and we believe by the blessing of