The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-04-18
The Red Men.

w okCnS ouN<Ak hS
of Red Men, Of South Carolina, which was
in session in this city last week, quenched its
Council Fire on last Wednesday evening.
In addition to the other business reported
in last issue of this paper, the place of the
next Great Council was selected to he Colum-
bia.
Past Sachem, G.. w. H. Moblman, of
Charleston, was elected delegate to the Great
Council of the United States which will meet
in New York State in August.
Past Sachem D. Rosendorf Of Pocahontas
Tribe, No. l6, was elected District Deputy
Great Sachem.
At 40 Wednesday evening the Great
Chiefs and the members of the local tribe met
in the Wigwam of Pocahontas Tribe, from
which they marched with regalia to the
Opera House, at which place the citizens had
been invited to assemble TO hear addresses
from the Great Chiefs of the order-the
greatest of whom was Mr.. Chas. c. Conley,
of Philadelphia, who has been a member OF
the order for 81 years, is now Great Keeper
of Records of the United States, and Past
Great Incohonee Tor Greatest Chief of the
US.
The Great Chiefs and the committee OF
Pocahontas Tribe had seats upon the stage.
Past Sachem, C C. Manning of Pocahontas
Tribe opened the meeting with q short talk
and introduced the Past Great Sachem of
South Carolina, W. H. Thomas, Of Charles
ton, who spoke feelingly and eloqnently of
The order aud its work, aud closed by intro
ducing the speaker of the evening, Past Great
Iucohonee, c c.. Conley
Mr.. Conley began with a complimentary
reference to his pleasant experience on this his
first visir to South Carolina, and said that he
almost fel. as if he could say: "My foot is
on my native heath"
Proceeding, he spoke in substance as fol-
lows:
Through the kindness OF the Committee of
the Tribe of Sumter giving this reception /
am permitted this sleep to speak 10 yog some
words which | trust may prove Instructive as
well as interesting about the teachings aud
history of the Improved Order Of Red Men.
Let US first cast a retrospective glance over
the pages of history tor centuries and we will
there learn, though it be through the dim
vista Of tradition and supposition, that secret
societies have had birth, have lived and
1ourisbed and finally died, from the Pytba-
gorian era down To the present time.
The conception that gave them birth has
been from many causes good, wonderful, bad
and Indifferent.
The latter canses have catered all the way
down the roll Of ages to the baser passions
and the ignorant multitude sometimes fall
ing, tut oft, too oft, successful.
Kings, princes and potentates, some noble,
generous and brave, others vile and desplc-
able, have alike fallen victims to their secrecy
and their Vaccinations, and caused q wise
man to tru,hfully write;
Mans iphumanity to man make countless
millions mourn.
We assent that within the pale of secret
societies all the changes aud revolutions in
frateruities, politics and in state, both ancient
and modern, were conceived and had their
birth.
We End, however, that it is net our prov
ince on this occasion to speak on matters of
politics or state, but in q brief talk TO give a
short sketch of our secret society.
The Improved Order of Red Men, which we
claim-for the amount of work accomplished
10 patriotism, in good deeds, 10 humanity
is equal to any other similar Institution in
our land.
just previous to the breaking out of the
Great Revolution that ultimately gave this
country her freedom and made her a nation,
a number of secret societies sprang into
existence for the purpose of throwing of the
yoke which Mother Englaod bad placed upon
our neck imposing the odious Stamp Act and
other obnoxious laws. These societies,
while, having one common purpose (securing
our independence) were known by different
names, such as The Sons Of Liberty, Society
of Saint Tammany, Society Of Red, etc., etc.
1t was from these that our present order
was formed. There is 20 society in this
country that can claim a richer heritage OF
ancient birth, blood and honor than the
Improved Order of Red Men.
About the year l772 We find at Annapolis,
the quaint, quiet, aristocratic Capital Of the
old Colony of Maryland, q number of patriots
banded together for the purpose of defending
their country's rights and liberties. About
the same time the Sons Of Liberty, in Boston,
determined 10 take active steps in the same
grand cause ; aud a little later ~precipitated
the coming conflict by throwing overheard
the tea in Boston, harbor which act ultimate
~ gave US our freedom. What Il legacy OF
fame and honor those Revolutionary heroes
have bequeathed US, their lineal descendants,
to preserve forever.
Sons of their sons. let US see to it that our
Sous shall teach their sons to keep pure and
unsullied the fair fame and the glory of our
magnificent free Republic.
Among the bravest Of those valiant men
and in the front rank we find the sages and
wise men who gave birth to the society OF
Red Men or Tammany, at a meeting held in
Kaiser's tavern, 90 the Circle, opposite the
ancient capitol building, still standing and
used as the State Capitol building of Mary
land.
Coming down the line of years We find that
those patriots still keep alive the council fires
of the Society of Red Men, and their blaze
illumined the rsmpar,s of Fort Miffin from
1912 to 1915 in the second war of I~ndepen-
dence. Those stalwarts in the cause of Free
dom, Friendship and Charity little dreamed
of the vast harvest to be CLEANED from the
prolific seed they had sown, and but few OF
them lived to see the giant that has grown
from the embers of The fires of the days of
III and 1912.
Ia 1894 a few Of the surviving veterans met
in the City of Baltimore for the purpose of
undermining their loved order; and there in
council decided TO prefix the word Improved
TO their title, and instead of remaining a
eoc;ol narr;ot;. orno n;1ofio atfacheH the