Officers are now received in Lodges: if disputes arise, they are immediately consulted, and made the mediators between the contending parties, so that the interference of Quarterly Committees is seldom required, and a more refined demeanour is observable in all. Men of wealth, talent, and respectability, are continually being introduced, and appearances indicate a rich and plenteous harvest being reaped from his exertions. After having pre-eminently distinguished himself in the various duties which had hitherto devolved upon him, and laid down principles which his successors are now acting upon, he resigned his trust, amidst the warmest thanks and congratulations of his constituency. When presented with the District Medal, he seems to have been fully impressed with the importance of the office of Prov. G. M. especially in a District like Manchester, where the officers ought not only to be viewed as examples worthy of imitation, but also, as the parties who are generally afterwards appointed to the highest distinctions of rank the Order is capable of conferring.

In the course of his reply to the address of (G. M. Ormond) the gentleman who presented the medal, he said," I will not, as is customary on these occasions, say, that I consider myself wholly undeserving this token of your regard, feeling assured, that the individual who honestly and faithfully discharges the duties imposed upon him in the offices of a District, so extensive as Manchester, has no trifling task to perform, his loss of time, expenditure of money, and the continual exercise of his judgment on matters of great importance, that regularly present themselves, entitle him in some measure, to the esteem of those whose interests he has carefully watched. When I was elected your D. G. M. it was under the most unfavourable auspices; the District had for some time past been governed in a manner, to render its officers unwelcome visitors in Lodges, especially during the first three months after my election, that could I, with honour, have retraced my steps, I would have done so, but I soon found, that, by adopting a contrary line of conduct to that of some of my predecessors, was the only means by which I could regain the respect and confidence which had been lost. I always kept in view that beautiful precept which says, "You are not to palliate or aggravate the offences of your brethren; nothing extenuate nor set down aught in malice.' but in the decision of any trespasses against our rules, judge with candour, admonish with friendship, and reprehend with mercy." How far I have adhered to it, and proved myself worthy of your confidence, I know not, but this I know, that upon all occasions, I have had the welfare of the Order at heart, and as an officer, been most assiduous to promote the prosperity of the District."

After having acquitted himself with honour, and added more laurels to his brow, as D. G. M. of the Order, he was in June last, raised to the dignified station of G. M. the chief of near 70,000 persons, all united together, in the strictest bonds of unity, to further the cause of charity, and administer consolation to the afflicted. What a delightful duty! Can anything surpass the heartfelt pleasure he must possess, in viewing from his proud eminence, such a noble army of philanthropists, diligently employed in the great work of benevolence, ridding their fellow creatures from the stings of poverty, and cheering the drooping spirit by their benign and heavenly influence? It is, indeed, an exhilarating prospect; the clouds of bigotry and ignorance which, at one time, enclosed the Order in their murky fastnesses and slander, added a deeper shade to the general gloom, are now fading from the view, dispelled like the dense vapour of the morning, before the resistless influence of the sun.

The vessel of Odd Fellowship is now careering on the ocean of public opinion, proudly waving its triumphant banner in the blue ether, wafted forward by favouring gales, and the blessings and prayers of the widow and the orphan, in the confident hope of a blessed and glorious immortality for its reward. The G. M's. career has hitherto been short but brilliant ; no obstacles, however great in magnitude, could impede his progress, but, like the resistless torrent of a mighty river, has borne down all opposition to his course, and arrived at his present station, through the path of virtue and rectitude of conduct. It is, indeed, astonishing, that one so young could be found, possessing the requisite acquirements to guide the helm of our affairs; but the choice in our G. M's. case, justified the expectations of his advocates, and warranted the eulogiums of which, from time to time, he has been the object. In reference to the gentleman's appearance, he is about the middle stature, and if I am to give credence to a very celebrated science, taught at the present day, his head is remarkably fine, especially the forepart; his countenance, although somewhat irregular, is dignified and intellec

tual to a high degree. His features on the first view, appear to convey a haughty expression, which, on a closer acquaintance, are found to be softened, and in fact, placid; the tones of his voice are clear, but not much varied or harmonious, and his utterance is slightly indistinct; but on the whole, his oratory is clear, forcible, and elegant, yet it produces no tremendous enthusiasm, and its fountains are reason and memory. His character and talents are, with much propriety, embodied in the following Ŏde, the production of a worthy and talented correspondent of the Magazine, who subscribes himself "Peter Simple," with which I shall conclude this hasty sketch of the man, whose merits I feel myself incompetent with justice to pourtray.

O! thou art the first bright star in the sky
Of Odd Fellowship, our course to cheer;
As dazzling thy fellows in brilliancy,
Thou call'st them on to thy great career.

Yes, thou art that star, for with day we flee,
The fairy smile thou hadst lent last night;
Nor feeling a remnant of misery,

We spurn the shadow that made it light,
And thou art that star that does not reprove
With furious shaft our errors to-day;
But "smiles a sigh" in thy orb above,
To wait for our conscience's own display.
Though crosses in life on our duties steal,
As curses that dimm'd the smile of Cain ;
Like him who awaken'd the prophet's zeal,
Thou call'st us back to ourselves again.
And may thy days be crowned with joy,
Thy hours with everlasting peace;
The only password through the sky,

To that Lodge where bliss shall never cease.

Cumberland Lodge, Manchester, October, 1835.

MR. EDITOR, AND GENTLEMEN OF THE COMMITTEE.

"Begin nothing of which thou hast not well considered the end," was the advice of an oriental sage to his Sultan-advice which, if more generally attended to, would save us from many a heart-aching and sorrowful hour; but though this sentence is reiterated in our ears by the voices of those whom experience has taught wisdom, it is like seed sown on dry and barren ground, which bringeth forth no fruit, and if it seem for a season to take root, soon withereth away. The thoughtless youth pursues the phantom pleasure till he is precipitated headlong into the pit of destruction. The giddy maiden dallieth with voluptuousness till her body and soul are both ruined. The merchant engages in wild speculations until his credit is irrecoverably lost, and the passing scenes of every day cry aloud to each of us, "begin nothing of which thou hast not well considered the end."

It too often happens that those whose enterprising spirit leads them into untrodden paths, are scouted as innovators, or despised as madmen. When Columbus spoke of a new world beyond the ocean, his ideas were treated with contempt; his bold spirit was obliged to bear with neglect and even insult, and it was only by importunity that he could obtain a small squadron for the purpose of discovery. When Hugh Myddleton brought the new river to London, his finances were exhausted before it was finished. To take an instance near my own home, Cornelius Vermuden, who drained Hadfield Chase, and turned an useless and pestilential marsh into healthful and productive land, died (according to Dugdale) miserably poor in the south; while his successors, the participants, were for many years exposed to persecution of every kind. I might go on multiplying instances, (but these already given are sufficient) of men who were supported by the greatness of their designs and the consciousness of their integrity: time has therefore placed them among the benefactors of the human race, for they "begun nothing of which they had not well considered the end."

I would now bring these remarks to bear in some measure on a subject strongly connected with our body. I do not mean to institute a comparison with the illustrious characters mentioned above, but do assert that he who assists in the dissemination of useful knowledge in any shape whatever, is a benefactor to his country and the human race; and I believe that the numerous and talented periodicals published in this country, have contributed greatly towards placing England in the proud situation which it now occupies in the scale of nations. When it was first determined to publish an Odd Fellows' Magazine, I have no doubt but the subject was well considered, and the event has proved that the brethren who first patronized it were right in their opinions.-But though much has been done, it is possible to do a great deal more. If every man who has abilities will exercise them; instead of a Quarterly Magazine, we shall have a Monthly one; and if every one who can afford to purchase it, will do so, instead of circulating 3000, we shall circulate 10,000, thus proving, by our continued and increasing success, that we have " begun nothing of which we have not well considered the end."

I cannot take leave of this subject without remarking what an engine of power we possesss in a periodical like this. It is calculated to spread Amicitia, Amor et Veritas throughout our Order, and I hope the Committee will take care that it shall never become the vehicle of needless controversy, for if we sow the seeds of dissention, we shall soon, alas! reap the baneful fruit. That it may increase in everything tending to make such a work truly valuable, is the sincere wish of,

Thorne, Oct. 10, 1835.

Yours, respectfully,

G. CARR.

STANZAS FOR MUSIC.

I saw a little ragged boy,
Who sigh'd as I drew near to him,
And when I ask'd what ailed him,
No other answer would he give,-
'Without a friend without a home,
Unheeded lie me down and wake;
The big tear rolling down his cheek,
Told me how dreadful was his lot,
How desolate his heart must be,
With none to share his constant grief,
Fulloft since then I've thanked my God,
That I am not, like that poor boy,
If pity could a strain compose,
It should be sung to words like these,

Sit pensive on a stone,
"I'm in the world alone."
That thus, he made his moan,
"I'm in the world alone."
With pain and want I groan,
"I'm in the world alone."

The sigh so feebly drawn,
Left in the world alone.

His case might move a stone,
Left in the world alone.
At eve, at morning's dawn,
Left in the world alone.
Whate'er might be its tone,
"I'm in the world alone."

G. CARR.

TRUTH.

Truth is as impossible to be soiled by any outward touch, as the sunbeam; though this ill-hap wait on her nativity, that she never comes into the world, but like a bastard, to the ignominy of him that brought her forth; till time, the midwife, rather than the mother of truth, have washed and salted the infant, declared her legitimate, and churched the father of this young Minerva, from the needless causes of his purgation.

MILTON.

*There are 6000 issued this quarter.

AMERICAN CORRESPONDENCE.

THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS

WAS DELIVERED

BY JOSEPH BURROWS, M. D.

MAY 6th, 1834,

At the Fourth Presbyterian Church, Washington, U. S. to the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows.

MY FRIENDS:

Called unexpectedly to make some development of the principles of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, I undertake that task from no confidence in my own ability, but from a willingness to give my testimony to the propriety and usefulness of the Order. In our age and in our country, where free inquiry and investigation test the value of all associations for the benefit of mankind, our claims must be presented to the tribunal of public opinion, and receive the sanction of public countenance.

It would be interesting to many to be informed of the origin of our Order, but relying, myself, for its ultimate successful extension, on the character of the principles it inculcates, and not on its antiquity, I shall leave that subject to others more intimate with its history. I shall confine myself within the narrow limits of tracing the progress of our Order in this country, and exhibit as far as I am competent, the practical proofs of the operation of those precepts, by which, as Odd Fellows, we profess to be governed.

To the ordeal of that critical investigation which an intelligent community always institute on the establishment of any new order among them, we are willing to submit. We do not pride ourselves on the faithful discharge of the new duties we have assumed, but we call upon every intelligent, candid, and honest inquirer after truth, to suspend his decision on the character of our Order, until he is made acquainted with the creed which we advocate, and he will be sensible of "its conformity with every moral and social tie," and its congeniality with the institutions of our country. We crave no special indulgence; we ask only for a fair, candid, and liberal hearing.

Twenty years have not elapsed since Odd Fellowship was first introduced into America. A few individuals,-bound together by no other tie than that of our Order,— recognised each other by the fraternal grasp of Odd Fellowship. They were not the wealthy or the influential; they possessed no political power; they filled no elevated stations among us; they were the humble disciples of benevolence, who had sought a refuge in this land, the haven of promise to the way-worn traveller. They met each other in Baltimore, and established in that monumental city, a Lodge of the IndependOrder of Odd Fellows, the first of the Order founded in America. They assumed as the title of their Lodge, the name of Washington; a name which, while it was to them a stimulus to exertion, and a barrier to despair and defeat, was also an earnest and a surety of success.

Some of this little band still remain among us, and they have the pleasing consolation of witnessing the result of their labours in the extended diffusion of their principles, and the rapid increase of their followers. Since that period, the Order has spread rapidly throughout the State of Maryland, and Lodges have been formed in almost every village within the limits of her jurisdiction. In Pennsylvania,-the key-stone State of our political Union,-where our Order has also been established, fifty-two Lodges, comprising upwards of five thousand members, are in the active prosecution of the laudable objects for which they were created. In the States of New York, New Jersey, and Delaware, if our Order has not met with equal success, recent indications of popular favour demonstrate that ere long their Lodges will vie, in numbers and respectability, with the Lodges of Maryland and Pennsylvania.

But our Order has not been restricted to the States located north of the Potamac and east of the Alleghany. In Virginia,―a State whose sons have justly earned for her the proud and aristocratic distinction of the Old Dominion,-Odd Fellowship has recently erected her banner, and two Lodges, planted on the border of her territory, are active in the diffusion of the principles of benevolence and charity. With the tide of emigration, Odd Fellowship has also been carried into the great valley of the Mississipi; and in Ohio, Kentucky, and Louisiana, is increasing with a rapidity unequalled even by the almost unparalleled growth of the Order in other sections of our country.

I have thus briefly traced the progress of our Order since its first introduction into this country. You see that its course has been onward; that its influence has extended to the most remote section of our union. The little band which assembled in Baltimore, under the name of Washington Lodge, has become a numerous host. They have increased more than an hundred fold. More than ten thousand members of our Order are now scattered over the different States of this confederacy.

Our number is greatest in those States where the principles of our Order were first promulgated. The centre ie becoming compact, and its radiating power is felt on the most distant portions of our political circle. From this it must be evident to all, that whatever may be its merits, or demerits, it is an association of no ephemeral growth, but carries with it some charm which attaches its members to its interests.

I

Our Order is no political association. We are united by no common political bond. We give no political pledge. We entertain no desire for political power. wish myself to be perfectly understood, under the solemn responsibility of my situation, as a public expounder of the principles of the Order, I pronounce before the law, that we know each other only as citizens, we show each other no peculiar favour, nor divest the community of any of their just rights.

To the strong ground assumed by the opponents of secret associations, the extra judicial character of their obligations, I declare ours requires no fealty which compromises the high and exalted duty we owe our country, in any station which we may be called upon to act as citizens. In all controversies, whether legal or political, we are impartial witnesses, impartial advocates, and impartial judges. We owe a duty to our God, our country, and our families, paramount to any by which we are bound to the

Order.

We exercise towards each other the fraternal feelings of friends and associates; not that blind and treasonable adhesion, which would seclude society at large from participation in our affections. We sustain our brethren under oppressive persecution. not from the high requirements of legal justice. We are an association, not superior to, and independent of, but subservient to, the established laws of the land.

Our Order is no religious association. It inculcates no particular sectarian tenets, but assuming the moral code laid down in the volume of divine inspiration as the correct rule of conduct, it points its followers to the beauty and propriety of its requirements. "Do unto others as you would wish that others should do unto you," is one of the first principles presented to the initiated. Arrogating no higher prerogative than the regulation of the moral conduct of its members, it embraces within its bosom men of every sect and religious tenet. While to infidelity it grants no sanction, no approval, it applies typically the signs of the Order to the inculcation of some peculiar moral principles, and leaves the spiritual application of the doctrines of the Bible as the more elevated, and more exalted duties of religion. It requires no blasphemous obligationit wounds not the sensibility of the professor of any christian tenet. It is a common ground upon which men of every religious persuasion can meet. It is the neutral point of morality. It persuades man to be virtuous by pointing out to him the loveliness of virtue; to be benevolent, by opening before him a rich field for his generosity, and furnishing objects for its exercise.

Our association is a fraternal compact, acting on the doctrine of good will to all men. We consider those united to us as requiring more peculiarly our attention and

esteem.

We are interested in the welfare of each member of our family circle. We confine,