Year: 1867

III cause, IL Is more Luau pTOOdOAo budN


we should have remained dependent


colonies of Great Britain.


Numberless Illustrations might be


given showing the Importance of keep
ing within one, or few faithful breasts,


incipient plans and transactions af-


fecting great public objects.


Our Order is established upon the


basis of the fraternal relation, and has


a right to the shield of the family cir


Gle to protect itself from outside intru-


sion and idle curiosity, We meet to-
gether as a band of brothers, and by
frequent intercourse promote the feel


ing of brotherly love and friendship


among the members, aud endeayor to


extend these kindly sentiments to the


entire family of Odd Fellowship


throughout the world.


But, ladies and gentlemen, it is not


my design to tell you the secrets of


Odd Fellowship; nor to explain to you


the benefits which result from its mys-


teries. These must ever remain seal


ed book to the world at large, never to


be unclasped and its occult pages un-


folded, except to those who coming


with honest intent of faithfully per-


forming its honorable and sacred obli-


cations, knock for admittsnce at the


portals of our frsternal edihee, and by


the favor of the brotherhood are per-


mitted to explore its secret halls and


therein receive its mystic rites.


But there is no eoncealment as to the


fundamental principles of the Order;


and to these we will next direct your


attention.


First then, it may be said that the


moral precepts which are set forth to
govern US, and according to which we


would have all regulate their conduct,


are the laws of God. Keeping especi-


ally in view that great and universal


law, that whatsoever ye would that


others should do unto you, do ye ever
so unto them. And while we do not dis


card the heretofore supposed cardinal
virtues, which comprised justice,


prudence, temperance and fortitude,
we treat them rather as auxiliary to


the perfection of those less stern but
/ more noble virtues, and which we make


the chief attributes of our institution,


consisting of charity, friendship, love
and truth.


Charity we place first as the most ex-
alted disposition of the human heart.


And while the fraternity under severe
sanctions are compelled to exercise it


one toward another, our precepts en-
Join upon US to give it that broad and


general scope, which includes supreme


love to God and universal good will to


man.


1t requires US to look with forbear-
ance upon the weakness, follies and
imperfections of humanity, and COM


pels US to remember that all men are Of
one fsmily-that there is but one coun-
try, the earth; but one nation, the hu-
man race; and that all are one when
demanding our sympathy, from the
monarch on his throne to the beggar
in rags.


1t ever enjoins the breaking ofbresd
to the hungry the cup Of cold water
to the thirsty, watching by the sick
bed, comforting the afflicted, visiting
the imprisoned, encouraging the en-
feebled, and it reaches forth its hands
for the protection and support of the
widow, and to sustain and educate the
orphan.


To-day is the forty-eighth snniversa-
~ of the Order in this country, and
during this comparatively brief period
over twenty millions of dollars have
been expended in charities like those
that have Just enumerated, amount
ing on the average to over forty thous-
and dollars q year. OF course the
organization was feeble during the FIRST
few years of its existence. Taking this
into consideration, together with its in |
creasing prosperity, and may it not be
looked TO ere the close of the next half
century by the poor and afflicted
throughout its fraternal borders as an /
enduring fountain amply sufficient to
relieve them from absolute want.


How many hearts snatched from des-
pair by this large charitable expendi-
ture, have thanked the God of the
widow and the fatherless for the exist
ence of this benevolent institution, and
prayed him to bless and protect it.


Again, charity has ever caused the
Odd Fellow to hope for the coming of
that period when the chains of human
bondage shall be broken. To promote
the fruition of this hope in its most
general and comprehensive sense to
disenthrall man from the chains of
avarice, and lift from the portals of his
soul the iron bars of sel6shness, allow
ing friendship, love and truth to flow
into and from the heart, we have taught
most earnestly to labor; ever reminded
that millions of our race are gropeing
in the darkness of wilful ignorance and
corruption, and are bound by innu-
merable fetters of vice, by which in the
paths of evil they are being led 20 hor-
rible pits of misery and destIuction.-I
One touch from the Odd Fellows wand
Of peaceful power causes these chains
to clink at the feet of the poor victim
Of sin, and standing disenthralled he Is
brought to light and liberty.


But the lessons of benevolenee in ,
by the precepts Of the Order
nave too wide q range ever to favor
physical slavery; hence North and
south, over this entire Union of the
States, those who had been educated ,
within the retreat of Odd Fellows, were
better prepared to faVorably consider
he great change which has come over :
hat portion of the country whore this /
nhuman institution existed.


In conformity then with the great
principles of that charity which extends I
Is benevolence to the whole human ,
'amily, the Odd Fellow, wherever
ound, must feel thankful that the time I
las at length arrived in the history of I
,ur country when every one can con- :
ider himself q man, discharged from
he restraints of force, be free to meet 1
he responsibilities of virtue, and, if he 5
AN make himself so, intelligent, pros b
1erous and happy. g


While our bretheren of the South :
we're drawn into the whirlpool Of re- :
,ellious strife, they still could not have !
he baseness of heart to raise the fratri-
,idal hand against this old home of .
,rotherly love; and IS soon as peace
vas restored they turned from their I
course to gather again beneath
is heaven bsthed dome, and at its al
ars plead for pardon and reconcilia-
lou, which was freely granted them, I
md may we hope that by oft drinking !
It the healing fount of Odd Fellowship, :
hey will receive new life, and their !
ouls, like its clear waters, reflect the a
'eauties and graces of this institution. a
Ind we to-day render thanks to the .
,od Of ell hapauOlapca that bV his :