The weekly Louisianian., 1874-08-22

# ODD FELl0Ws' ADDRESS,
e DELIVERED At BILOXI, JULY 2orn 1877;
BROTHER VIM. THOMPSON
> Ar. President, Brother Odd FN7ous. Ladif
I and GenAemen:'
Under the auspices of a graciou
S Providence we have been permitted
to assemble here to enjoy q few
r hours of pleasure and recreation
1t is my pleasing duty to oongratu.
late the Brethren on the Aourishina
condition in which the Order will
be found.
!. A condition that eminently fits it
for the accomplishment Of the great
work for which it wa~sdesigned. lean
not lind words adequate to express
the emotions of joy and gratitude
which this occasion awakens in nv
heart. We are indebted to Al
mighty God for the privilege Of as
sembling here to-day'and therefore,
it is meet and properthat we should
gave him our first and best thanks.
No human enterprise, I care not !
what be its object, can be success
iai unless it has the approval of
Him, who holds in his hands the
destlnies of oil nations on the face
OF the earth. Very little gooo, if
any at all, would be accomplished
were we to neglect to give God the
praise for the success our Order has
achieved, and the good it has &C..
complished, since the introduction
and organization of the first Lodge
OF the Grand United Order of Odd
Follows in the United States of
Americas Many great and impor-
tant events influencing tho well-be-.
ing and promotion of the Order
have occurred.
While colored men were ostra-
.cised from the benefits of an insti-.
tuition OF similar design and, pur-
poses, and before. our people were
fully awakened to its great and i'm
portant objects, it had to contend
with the prejudices of the members.
OF the first, and often the ignorance,
and Indifference of the last. Thus,
an up hill struggle has been it's life.
and a steady aud continuous sur
rounding of difficulties in it's labors.
There need be no doubt but that the
of those of our Brethren who
foremost in having this Order
Introduced among our people we're,
'trengthened and sustained by a
Of so sublime a character as
GEMS to have q divine inspiring.
Tor naught but such an inspiration
ould have enabled them to have
labors ef such magnitude
nd so pregnant with seeming fail
re. But having laid the founda-
|on sure, they worked on and on
ntil now those who survive can
as It were, to tho summit of
[ount Pisgah with glowing hearts
nd beaming eyes, and see the ap-
fruition of their labors;
mong their Brethren Thus true
18th and perseverance always have
leir reward. A great hindrance,
the onward course of the glorious
Of our noble Order was:
system of slavery. Brethren
ared not visit Brethren and tell
'em of the living truths. Laws.
'stoms, usages, all were against
assembling Of men whose faces
ere bronzed to a darker hue, and
'ough in the more favored parts Of
country there we're souls noble
the most ardent longing to i'm
Irt those Golden words-Friend-
ip, Love and Truth, to- their less
vored Brethren. Yet, were they
evented and forbidden by the
of this monster. And the
lternal words Of peace found ut
rance only in The silent pu]sation
their hearts. But it was not
Ways to be thus. God had not
gotten the sorrows and the tears
his oppressed children, and in
Q time. the thunderbolts of his.