The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1879-12-17

present every variety of soil, eli
mate and production, both natural
and artificial, every type Of social
status, custom and habit; every
phase Of political afiliation, opin-
ion and belief; every religious de-
nomination, creed and doctrine.
But they do not bring these Gre
dentials, nor can they be by these
identified. When l reached my
home from the meeting Of the Ma
tional Grange in Richmond, Va,
in 1878, /. was frequently asked as
to the political proclivities of vari-
Gus prominent men, but | had to
truthfully reply, Il do not, know
I never thought to ask" So now,
you do not know, and do not ask
or, care. What credentja!I have.
they? They do not bring broad
parchment, signed and sealed by
state or court officials. They come
with only a few simple ''words and
signs" and by these you "know"
them. What mean these simple
credentials? They mean that each
and every one. Of these brothers
and sisters. have, at heir homes,
where they we're either born or
have long lived, been tried and
tested, now, by baving this peti-
tion endorsed BY good and well
known members, referred to a COM.
mittee whose pledge and bounden,
duty was to inquire and report if,
any, the slightest charge, or
shadow, could be found against
chem as good, honest, respectable
and pure, passed by strict ordeal
"within the gates" they then were
pledged, as "brothers and sisters"
through sickness and health,
through veal and woe, through
prosperity and adversely, and each
to every other in Faith, Hope,
Charity and Fidelity.
With these credentials you,
brothers and sisters Of New York,
know and welcome us, and as such
we receive it from you. How far
do these credentials surpass quires
Of manuscript covered with broad
seals ? Sir, one of these New York
brothers transported with the
rapidity of steam to the utmost
confines Of Texas, drop him with
strange faces and names amongst
strange faces and names, and soon
as he makes these signs and speaks
those words be is surrounded by.
a band of brothers and sisters,
who rally around him, recognize
and aid him in every way, or take
him by the hand and carry him
without the slightest shadow OF
doubt, hesitancy or suspicion, to
their homes and fresides, and
| place him in the family circle as
if one by birth and blood. How
much have these ties and this or
| der done to harmonize and unty
the people Of the various sections
Of this country ; to obliterate and
remove all bitterness, hatred and
jealousy TO heal the breaches and
| wounds Of Our late civil war? SO,
do you not see that in the near fu'
ture it will remove all signs and
| sem blances of sectionalism and
| strife and make US a harm onious
and united people. Will not each
and every one of you join me in
| saying confdentially that if this
benign order had been Instituted
and established twenty-five years
sooner, then all the combined ef'
forts Of political parties; the ma
chinations Of demagogues, greedy
andbungry Office holders ane seek
ers and mistaken statesmen could
| not have raised brothers hand;
against brothers lives or imbuec
brothers hands in brothers blood
That the bloody scenes of -four
years would not have been enacted
and it's history unwritten. Lei
this scene impress upon US ou1
important duties and heavy re
spon sibilities and let US strive
diligently to meet and discharge
them to the benefit and satisfaction
of those whom We represent.
The plan Of this order was wei
and wisely conceived; Its founda
tions deeply and firmly laid! it!
supcrstructure appropriately ane
ornamentally built, and as sucf
; we have received it from our pre-
decessors lct'u US labor to, during