The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-04-30
ODD FeIIoW Celebration.

g, Fellows of Columbia and Culleoka cele
II bratod its 56th anniversary in an appro
N pirate manner. They marched along thu
p, streets to the Atbenseum Hall, where a
II large crowd assembled. The Athenmun
i grove was the place selected, but it was
% raining, and Prot Smith politely ten
q dered them the use of the Study Hall
IT J. l. Bullock, Noble Grand, called the
Lodges to order, and the exercises were
:, opened by prayer by Rev. S. G. Evens.
t Two OF the leading officers, J. L. Bullock
d and ]. L. Guest, by questions and re-
5 plies, informed the audience as to the
j main features OF the Order. Several ap
a propriate hymns were sung and the ser
= vices were interspersed with music
? by Seavy's Silver Band. The first piece
, was simply exquisite-scarcely, if ever,
heard it excelled. Mr.. Bullock intro
: duced Geo. c. Tay lor, Esq, of Culleoka,
? who spoke as follows:
odd Fellow ship does not claim to be OF
Divine or ANCIENT origin; TO have been
instituted b. men inspired of God or that
, | it has livedl Onger than Babylon or sur
| viyed its ruins; all we claim is that 1t was
| instituted by men who fully understood
, | the demands, the wants and necessities of
the present generation, and thatt 1t was in
| stituted by men who were full of sympathy
and love for their fellow men. Our organ,
| SO far abstract princi pies are concerned;
it is simply combination OF the most
sublime sentiments and principles that ma
their restIng-place in the bosom of man
| kind. And we do claim that Oddfellowship
and those most likely to suit the wants and
| necessities of the whole human family
| In times like these, when prejudice, Doth
| political and religious, runs so high that
| there is danger of blOOdshed each day
| and strife and discord permeate the whole
| appreciate an order which seeks controversy
| with no one, and which is so liberal in its
| PRINCIPLES: an organization which has no
/ stain of human gore, whose armies make
| no grand cOnquests, and whose victories are
| the din and strife Of bloodshed, but
! whose cause is that of humanity and whose
| of the age, mankind found the necessity
of associated effort for mutual ald ana pro- |
lection. This spirit OF PhIlaptnroRy ana ana
| present age, and with us Is called ODDFEB- |
| LOwsHIP. Its peculiar proYin is TO war |
against vice in all 1t shapes, TO comfort tie
| sick and distressed, to care for the
| widow in her att1iction, to bury the dead, /
and care for and educate the orphan. |
| Odd Fellowship has its peculiar mode OF |
government but it does not create any new
distinctions between man and his fellow;
il does not enjoin any new prcceptS or en-
force any other than the primary obliga-
tions between man and man. DO unto 9th.
| ''Iove thy neighbOr as thy self" are immu-
table truths and precepts which were as bin
ding on man before the flood as they are
O-day, and as binding in him before as
after Initiation into our order. Their author
was God, and he fixed the extent and
duration of their application, and had
they been duly needed, the world would
have had no need of OddfellOwship. But |
man has wandered from duty, Seltishness
and unhallOwed ambition have usurped
the human heart, have become the prime
movers TO Thought and action. and cover
a nm nd off
duty, and established a new mode of pro-
cedure for the attainment of their desired
desire OF popular favor and distinction,
haze steefed the heart against another'S
sleep its better sympathies. Odd Fellow
ship takes its candidate back to a careful
survey of his original duties, points out
to him the path from which ne mas wander
ed, and takes his sacred obligations to
truthfuIIy and faithfully perform those du-
ties which were enJoined upon him by
natures God. 1t calls men from all the
varied walks of life, from the controversy |
OF Churches, and the many antagonsimS |
of society, and in the lOdge-roOm compels )
them to remember human friendship. |
We go to the lodge to feel the pressure of
kind hearts In our fraternal council only ;
words of kindness are spoken, chaste SEN !
timents are sung, common pray Is breath
ed, details are made to watch by the bed
side of the sick brother, and plans are
concerted to hush the wall OF wid0whood,
and to dry the tears OF orphanage. The in
evitable results of our weekly meetings is E
to make those feel the kindlingS OF broth
eThOOd who would otherwise regard each
other as hostile in opinion, feeling and
interest. Oddfellowship has been able T
within the sphere of its organization to i
establish the possibility of a universal | i
brotherhood; it has a common Vernacular .
in its speechful symbols, which addresses
low believes that there is Zone God, one 8
law, one element, one tar off event TO i
commingIing together causes the differ I
enceS of men to melt when they confront I
9p 1n stood i as holding 0ddfellowship to
be superior or equal to the Church, but in =
respect to charity and worldly love and
friendship, do claim that it is superior to
any organization on earth. When political
excitement runs high, and war clouds |
are seen gathering in the distance, and H. 6
nRlly thick, dark clouds overShadow :
the land, deInagogues, disappointed polt1- .
minds of the people by picturing to them !
some imaginary wrong, t1lli the storms OF
war bursts forth upon the land. Priests ex- :
change their glistening robes for the sword, :
and urge their deluded followers on To dark g
deeds of blood The holy ministers lay |
up the implements of war, and two great i
and powerful armies are cOngregated for :
the hostile work of death, and soon the bu-
gle sounds the fatal charge and the armies |
rush together like two mighty aValanche6.
arrayed on each side, bent on the horrible a
work of death. No badge they wear to tell :
TO what Church they belong, and If they I
did IL would not be regarded. But Lne l
mighty conflict RACES with destructive fu- t
ry, thick and fast they fall on either side, L
but at last the cohorts of one side begin to I =
waver and finally retreat in irretrievable :
confusion, but you may behold one of the
vanquished army lying helpless in the dust; I
he sees the enemy approaching, and soon d
the cold steel glistens above his breast, his
enraged foe utters a shout of triumph as ne =
aims at his heart. The helpless and doomed :
victim begs for his life; he appeals to the Z
God whom they both worship, but all in 8
vain; then he gives the sign of an Oddtel- T.
low and a strong arm from behind the r
ulG-be-murdcreT stays his hand, saying, +
Hold! he is my brother; arise, you are
safe" and extends to him the hand of '
friendship. You will notice moment, Il
for illustration, man who starts out on p
LIES journey in early manOOOd; the path | n
seems to be through one lovely, beautiful =
plain, with sweet flowers blooming thick '
by a cheerful and happy family. Ceres (
seems to have lavished upon him, his {
sweetest smile Of peace happiness and pros c
smiles into frOwns of misfOrtunes and dire :
calamities follow in thick succession, and :
Frail man as he is, heis unable to with {
stand the great change, either gives up the r
of dissipation, ana at iSst siAks into his !
grave with a broken heart, The C
delicate wife, who has been rocked in the /
Work, work, says the world, that thou
may eat" and the Church confirms the cry.
But she can not; she folds her hands over I
her face to die, In order that she may not J
witness the starvation of her offspring. q
But had the has6sng have Joined our order
whether to adopt the cause of shame or I
live content in poverty, the gentle hand 9
of admonit1On would have urged him
back or remain in the path of duty and
rectitude, and If this had failed, when the n
cold clods fell heavily upon his lifeless :
clay, and the little mound was completed
over his resting place. band of brothers O
would'have been ready to wipe the tears of
sorrow from the eyes fills wife, and faith i
erIess ones, and words OF sym Pathy would !
have been spoken to them, "tflen cheer up, =
you have band of brothers, who will ad- c
minister to your necessities"
After music by the band, an Grafton
was delivered by G. G. Gomez, Grand q
Patriarch of Tennessee. 1t was very
able, and contained many beautiful and
lofty sentiments, We regret we haYe :
not space for it.
The Service of Song.
Last Sunday morning, notice was S
given in the various pulpits OF Column
bia, that the Young Mems Christian