The Latest News From Philadelphia.

THE LATEST NEWS FROM PHILADELPHIA .

WE cannot , of course , but feel gratified at tho complimentary remarks respecting ourselves which have appeared in a recent issue of the Keystone . It is pleased with our history of " the Masonic Year 1875 , " and as regards that portion of it which related to Freemasonry in

the United States it says , " and in this review events in the United States are detailed with unusual accuracy . " It is only proper—and the duty is one of the most agreeable—that we should express our thanks for these compliments , and we do so accordingly without any reserve

whatever . But the Keystone is not only complimentary : it is playful likewise . While it admits we have shown an accurate knowledge of American Masonic history , it has come to the conclusion that our acquaintance with home Masonic history is not quite so perfect . It has come to this conclusion from certain remarks in our first leadinor

article of the same issue , in which we spoke of the inferior quality of Masonic Jperiodical literature in England , and of our earnest but humble efforts to improve it . It gathers from this we are unaware of the existence of our contemporary the Freemason , and it adds "it gives us

pleasure , therefore , to announce the existence of the London Freemason to our esteemed contemporary . " We thank Bro . Keystone both for the announcement and the kindly manner in which it is made . "We agree , moreover , that there is ample room for both journals . The

announcement , however , hardly comes witliin the category of news . Our ignorance , as it happened , was more apparent than real . We had not only heard of , but seen the London Freemason long before it ever occurred to us to embark in friendly rivalry with it . But Bro . Keystone will probably

be surprised to hear that our existence has been studiously ignored from the very outset . We have been recognised abroad , and have received a very cordial welcome , especially from the American Masonic Press . Nor has it been only an occasional line or two , in recognition of our being , that

we have had extended to us . We have been freel y quoted , many of our leaders having been reproduced in their entirety . But , while this kindness has been freel y extended to us by our American contemporaries , we have not received a single word of recognition from our English contemporary .

True , on one occasion , it seemed to cast a doubt on the genuineness of some news we were enabled to publish . True , on another , it admitted into its columns a letter , which some of our friends have been pleased to describe as vulgar , and in which our Masonic fair play was called

in question , on the ground that something we quoted from Pomeroifs Democrat , with the usual acknowledgment , had previously appeared in the Freemason . Now , our experience in journalism , dates from some years before the birth of this Chronicle , and we have no

hesitation in affirming that we cannot call to mind a single instance in which the existence of a new periodical has been so studiously and so persistently ignored . Generally it happens , when a new paper makes its appearance , its older contemporaries , whether rivals or not , say a few

words of encouragement , figuratively pat it on the back , ancl wish it God-speed in its career . But till the present time , no such good fortune has befallen us . We have been spoken

well of by other organs of the English press , both London and Provincial , but the one Masonic journal in this country in existence when we started has not followed their example . Under these circumstances , we had no option but to observe

The Latest News From Philadelphia.

silence . True , on one occasion we rallied it , in no unkind spirit , on its success in imitating our programme , but with this exception , we have steadfastly remained silent . We fancied the Freemason regarded us as an intruder into

the domain of Masonic literature , and , accordingly , we kept ourselves out of its way as much as possible . Every man of ordinary gentlemanly feeling avoids any society in which he has reason to believe his presence is not desired .

Acting on some such feeling as this , we have kept as much as possible out of our contemporary ' s path , nor shall wo be prompted to act otherwise so long as it seems to wish for the maintenance of the present status quo . We have already

said wo agree with the Keystone , that there is ample room for both , and it certainly is no wish of ours to remain , we will not say on unfriendly terms , for - it is impossible we should experience any unfriendly feeling towards the Freemason , bat

on terms that are , at all events , not friendly . Having offered these few remarks by way of explanation , we quit the subject , with repetition of our thanks to the Keystone for

the invariable courtesy it has extended towards us in the past—a courtesy we shall make it our chief business to deserve—not only at its hands , but also at those of all other Masonic journals .

Masonic Portraits (No. 13.) From Under The Crown.

MASONIC PORTRAITS ( No . 13 . ) FROM UNDER THE CROWN .

" O , that such muddy flags , For every drunken flourish , should achieve The name of manhood ; whilst true , perfect merit , Hating to show itself , goes by despised !

Heart ! I do know now , in a fair , jnst cause , I dare do more than he , a thousand times : Why should not they take knowledge of this , ha And give my worth allowance before his ? Because I cannot truckle . "

IT has been the boast of politicians of a certain school , that the Civil Service of this country attracts within its ranks some of the best and brightest intellects in the community , and that the officers who serve " under the Crown" are second to no body of Civil servants in any

dominion in the world . This assertion , is , or was , true of the Service as it existed a few years since , before the Cheese Parers and the Economical Enthusiasts had conspired together to drive out of it every man of talent who possessed a will of his own . The principle of " promotion by

merit , " which was intended to bring talent to the front , has , in practice , placed the lucrative posts in the hands of sycophants and slaves , while men of real merit , whose ability has been recognised even by their enemies , have been passed over to make room for the nominees of the heads of

departments , or for persons of inferior capacity , who have exhibited a special aptitude for the art of tale bearing . The Service at this moment is in a state of utter disorganisa > - tion , and the political and social doctors are laying their heads together with the view of discovering some cure for

its radical defects . Men of mark , who can make their way elsewhere , arc throwing up their appointments ; and their places , as fast as they are vacant , are either filled up under the principle of " promotion by merit , " in which , like the

contest of the Jerusalem ponies , the reward falls to the slowest , or the work is done in some sort of fashion by " Writers , " hired at a wage of tenpence an hour . Nearly every department under the Crown has been doctored or reorganised during the last ten years , and the general results