The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1878-05-02
ABs4UTlFUL RECONSTRUCTION


A BEAUTIFUL RECONSTRUCTION
Past Grand Master Herring, of Wa
CO, in addressing the Odd Fellows at
San Antonio, drew q most beautiful
picture of reconstruction, az carried
out by the grand old order to which
he belongs. How 1t compares with
that political reconstruction which the
country underwent to the detriment of
the Southern people may be seen by
reading what the gentleman said. We
may reflect how complete and imme-
date this political reconstruction
might have been had kindness of spirit
controlled the acts of the Federal
government, as it did the administra-
ton of this great society. But Mr..
Herring said:
Great emergencies and popular con-
WILSON'S test the merit of social organi-
cations as we'll as the souls of men.
About the commencement of the late
civil war between the States, the Grand
Lodge l. o. o. F. of Texas adopted
formal resolution seeding from the
Grand Lodge of the United States
from whence emanates its authority.
During the four long years OF war,
Old Fellowship, like everything else
IN Texas, suffered loss and jesuetude.
In fact, at the close of the war, large
majority of the subordinate Lodges
were not holding their regular meet
ings, and very many had become de-
funct. Stagnation was the rule, vital
ty the exception. On May "a, 1865,
Grand Sire Isaac n. Veitch, issued a
proclamation tn all the grand jurisdic-
tons of the South, including Texas,
though the secession resolution had
not been expunged, declaring the uh-
broken unity of the Order; that the
authority of the Supreme Grand Lodge
over the whole Fraternity was unim-
paired; that there existed no hindrance
in the re-establishment of fraternal re-
lstions between all the jurisdictions,
and epjoining on all Grand Lodges and
Grand Encampments, where the Order
had been disorgsnized, to proceed to
the work of reorganization and the
election of Representatives to the Grand
Lodge of the United States, assuring
all who accepted the invitation that
a cordial and fraternsl greeting await
ed them. This wise measure, on the
part of Grand Sire Veitch, evincIng at
once and practically the confidence,
sympathy, brotherly love and charity
which are laid deep in the foundation
of our Order, struck a responsive choid
in the hearts of all Southern Odd Eel
lows. Our then Grand Master, ]. NJ.
Joseph, issued his proclamation for a
special session of our Right Worthy
Grand Lodge to convene at Galveston
IN august %, 1865, for the purpose OF
repeating the 'Act of Secession" adopt
ed By the session OF 1862, and elect 8
Representative to the Grand Lodge of
the United States. So nearly snnihi-
lated was the Order in Texas, that
barely a quorum convened. The 'Act
of Secession" was resclnded, and Pass
Grand Master, II. B. Andrews, than
whom better selection could not have
been made, was elected Grand Repre-
sentative. At the September session,
1865, of the Grand Lodge OF the United
States, Representative Burnham, of
Maine, from the Committee ON Finance.
made a report renting the taxes OF
The Southern States, including Texas,
for the years 1861, 1862, 1868 and
| 1864, which was unanimously adopted ;
and succeeding legislation evinced the
same confiding and generous spirit, in
allowing these States that had suffered
the raysges of war, TO postpone pay
ment for supplies until they had suf-
ficiently recovered from the desolatlon
of interDecine strife, to meet their in
debtedness. Thus was reconstruction
effected and harmony, confidence and
fraternal love restored, in the grand
moral army of American Old Fellow
ship, as soon as the din of battle and
the clash of arms ceased to resound in
our common country. Who can tell
the effect this reunited brotherhood,
succeeded by the generous invitation
of kindred but older and more nu-
merous fraternity, had upon our po-
liticsl rulers in preventing oppression
and vassslsge, and in Fastening the re-
turn of the Southern States to the @gis
of constitutional liberty and protec-
tion2
And in what marked contrast is this
moral heroism and fraternity, with the
force, distrust, hate and vindictiveuess
OF the general government. II, instead
of being swayed by the diabollcal pas
sion of the mob, that set at naught
constitution and law, and claimed, as
victim to national wrath, the blood
of Mrs. Surratt, as pure and as inno'
cent a woman as was ever sacrificed
upon the caprice of the vulgar popu-
lace, to stay the thirst for blood; if il
had not been the policy of selfish and
unprincipled rulers, seeking partisan
ends and self aggrandizsment, to make
rebellion odious," and to subvert tn,
Uaion of the States, for which they
had professed to fight; if, in thel'
military power, they had not crushed
fallen foe, that thrift and peace anC
power might follow to them fawniDg
If, instead of these things, SO har
rowing in the retrospect, the OLIVE
branch of peace had been extended t.
the exhausted and impoverished South
il the noble example of our brother
hood and of the conclaves of knigh
Grants had been followed, how soon
and upon what an enduring basis o
confidence, brotherly love and charity
would reconstruction have been eff
fected; and with what halo of glor.
would the future historian have re
corded this new departure from ''nan'
inhumanity to man
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