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Odd Fellowship

Odd Fellowship image
Parent Issue
Day
5
Month
September
Year
1846
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

At a numorous concourso ot ciuzcns froni the iownsliiji3 of Adrián. Madison and Dover, sombled it the School flouse near Benj Palmer, i in the tovnship of Adrián, county of Lotnweo. pursuant to public notice on thé fifteenth day ol Atigus', 1S4G lor. the purpose of discussing ond deliberad nL upon the principies, pracliccs. ai cl tendencies of the senrpt society Jknown f-5 the "Jndepep.di-nt Order of Odd Feiknvs." The meeting wasnrjanized by choosing David Bursi'Csof Adrián, President, and John Ca ven - rier of Adrián Secretary. j On motion,, it was votéd, that a committec of i fivo persons he chosen to drnft a prenmb'.e and i rcsolutions exprcs.-ivc of the sensc-of the i ing. On motion. voted. tint Jeremlah D. Thomp í ?on, Thom:is Howland, Samuel Kingley, i liain AndicwS; and Lorcnzj Tabor, sueh ppmmittce. Whcrenpon the convni'tee retired; for the purpose of preparing such preamble nnd r-isolution?. During the recesa of the Committr o the meet ,nj wis ncidreíged by Lym.an P-. Perkins Ksq. of Adiinn. At the clo$e of ihé romarka of Mr. Perkins, the coinmitiL-o reiurned, nnd reporled the followin" prean:!i!c nnfl rfeso.'uriuns, wliicli, alter a full lisciission voie mifinimously adopied. Wherëos, by ourformui guYerpitier, n!l pow er enjannrc? fnun the people, lo whose gnaruians!ii is corifided the sicn.'d boon of Liberty. wrang frqm t!ie mQn.nrch.inl rasp of the o!d world by our patriot herbes whosc nanics and nobfe doeds- 4urn!i)'.ii! witlt gold. glow on our national eseutcheon and live, and shall ahvajrs live in llie grateful hearis if thtwr countrymen. Whereas, as (oithlul vva:elnnen wo are bound as wcll in eoiisidurution ol the loved niC.nory of our fathera as n view of our own interest and political eafety and the welfare of those wbo imy live a.'icr us - 10 'tdl of the night.' and givo llie wnrning note yyhen dancr thre.itens the trro ol i'rer-dn ti. w'iosc every ieaf nv. akens soine fond Bssocintion, rennnding us of our trust and our diity as it waves in the exhilciating breeze of equal rtght5. VherX, ihcre is a srr.rot ocjety esta'ilished n our land uudcr ih.a imnp and stylo oí Independent Order of Odd Fcllows - whnse purposo iljd dejtiny is vóiled fifom the world. nnd which isadvancing eilher for good or ill with a ra .i.Ji'.y ter i.n:i ihat wf the Majonic institunon in iis palniieat day?. And Wjioieas, the fa'c of 'his society as wrll ns all tiihcr institution? in our country is in the hands of the people pnd subject to their coüiro! r.n I mannfffiment. Au-1 whereos if t!ns 8Pret order wos institiJted forpooc), nnd wil! if unnioIcated i'uül! Lts i ,.it i.s of vast rniporuuice 10 thetn in setthna the question of its cxis:o;icc to knbw its ro;il characier and bbjeois And wlierons. ff it was formcd (or base and sclfish considerations. and has a fendeney to ron:aminntc siciety and endiny;er the ïi'lüs of those who are not of the fnith- it is of yet g ener imI portance - yca it is the absolute duty of comnuinity in their capacl'ty as Judgea - linv'.nr; thepowor to make and unmaUe, to huild up and lo Ie3ti -y; to roward nnd inftict ponnliies - to beadvlved !;:lly and in, time of One ntentions of the order. And wheroas, if t'nr designs of tho fratprnity cannot be discovert-d by reoso'n of the third story seerecy and the msht. the people have no right to s.iy thnt its ot'joeis are good whn the p'ncc, Utevimner, and l'ic time, presuppoaes evil and dacgcr in lar.gnac soplain, that the wnyfaring man thoujli a looi nepd tiot err- and ihey areIfift m pnss i-cn:encc f comkmnation - ns upon ü criminal wlio can nakeno defencc - not from chüice but compulsión and a proper regard t what justice and tbc obligations of moralily re]iiire at ihëir hands. Therefore, Resolved. Tbat until wc know vhat Odd Fellows'up is n all la details, we can lo no Jess [han lo oppose it witli all our social, coral and politie il stre-ngth, becauee we caanoi ellowship whnt we cannot undersiand and wc annot understand, wlint is shrouded n iho inienetrable darkneís and mystery of the Lodge oom. Resolved, Tbat Masonry as well os OJd Feliwsbip, claimed to be a eliirüablo and moral istiiution, and like it tínd a 'Widows and Orhans funrl' and ibat the world learned too late rhen its villainies and nuirders had robb"d soety of its brightost tnernbers and made (insicnd f aidins) Widows and Orphans, - thit the intitution was a moral curae to the land, and that !Thari;y' and Widows and Orphang' wero rnerthantom8 to dupo the unwciry. Resolved. Thai tho pretenjion of 'Odd Fe!iwf,' that it is ncccÊsiry tbat tbeir proceedings liould be kept secret, and veiled in iliirkness, to 'event impOBÏtipn from the uninitiateti, is false, nd untrue - and that oiher societics wbich purie a i.AWKLT.-nLisiNf.is do not tind tneccsáary to icir 8uccess thit thpir procecdings ehould be isitcd in secrecy and darkness. Resolved, That the on!y truc rcason, wiiy Ddd Feliows' endeavor to veil thcir proeccdinys i secrecy, darknees, and mysterv, is bccause iiky well know, ilni the iituotn poriion of heir fellow citizensj would condemn ffaëTr praciies ondconduct. Resolved, That-we are ra?!sfef!, ffoin our ac[uaintancc with 'OdJ Fcllows,' that thóy IWgard heir obiisntion8 taken in the Lodge Room. ns mperior to their moral obliga'.ions to sper.k the rvith; and that no confídsnee enn bo placed, in .vhnt members of tlio Order say, eitlicr Bbout 'Odd Followship' or membere of the t)rdor, or ihe interest ofihe membera pf tlie Ordor when ihat inieresí comes in confict wtth th inlcront of flónie person wh' 3 no: i O'M pellow. Ifö matter hoiw high, or low, may be llicir repu fortruth on other srubjects - a.'hen they boine-tö spesk ?ibot:t 'Odd Feüowship or the intciest of members of the Order, th ey aic i:boiu suro lo misrepresent, Bnd make false statements, knowingy and wilfuliy.iiesoiveu, i nai we nre sansnea, irom me ;onduct ond practices of the Order, that fOdd [Y-llo-.vship' is a practical institu:ion? cnlculated tnd designed, to prefer the members of the OrIer to the initiated in a!l poluical matter s, irresleciive of party; - thnt themombers of the Order, eek to carry their objects nto effect, hy. shroudng their piocecdings n durkncss and mystery - by deception, misrepresentation, and fnlscItoods, Resolved. Tlial nnother ohjeet of the Order is. to prefer their members to the uninirinted in ill tlie business tnnsnctioni nnd relations, in life, íind thnt to efl'c.ct t!iis oi'jcct, '.hey resort to the most yillainous standers and dcstruction of those who ov,e no allcgiance to their Order. And that w rre apprehensivè that our Courts of Juslice, are uncontaminnted wuh iis inflüence - that the secret s'?Rn. the pnss v,-nrd, the grip. are mnde to rench "hc Witnesses itpon th? stoad and ihe Jurors in ihe Jury Bjix. The meeting was aftcwards nddressed by L. Tabor, L. P. Perkins. John Cavender, Dr. S. A. Main, nnd J. Ward Resolved, That the prorJeedings of the meeting be published in tho Adrián Watch Tower. the Michigan Expositor, the Detroit Fre? Pro?.', the Detroit Advertiser. and the Signal of Liberty. Resolved', T!mt ihe meaiing ndjnurn to tlit29;h day of August, 1.a-lfi. at 1 o'clock P. M. to meet at the School House ncar J. R. Germce. in the lown of Adrinn.