The Roman Catholic Press And Lord Ripon.

ous than that which selects Freemasonry for a sphere of action—is impotently gnashing its teeth at the loss of so important a decoy-duck as their late Grand Master . It is astonishing , indeed , that a Peer of England , and a statesman

of true and tried capacity , should , in this nineteenth century , so far demean himself as to assume the cap , bells , and motley of a Freemason ; that he should do such violence to his reading and learning as to support , by his presence

and influence , an imposture which would not deceive the village schoolmaster of the olden time ; and , by taking part in its blasphemous proceedings , outrage at once the faith , however feeble , of a Christian , and the instincts , however dim ,

of a gentleman . Protestantism , in its so-called liberality , however , permits all this , and more ; and in is only when the English Saul , by conversion to Catholicism , becomes in deed and thought a Paul , that the enormity of such an

anomaly becomes vitally apparent . It is a favourite pastime with the Radical press writers to pit the weig ht and moral strength of Freemasonry against those of Catholicism . Thc two influences are , indeed , antagonistic , inasmuch as the one is

the religion of lig ht and love , while the other is the Craft of the Evil One . When Freemasons can persuade a dignitary of the Catholic Church to accept the honours now repudiated by the Marquis of Ripon we will give them leave to

express their joy and exultation in the most florid tei nis . In the meantime , they must admit nolens volens , that their ignoble institution has received a slight , and a blow of thc most mortifying and serious character .

Fine writing all this , " my masters , " but what does it all amount to ? Lord Ripon has joined the Romish Church and renounced

Freemasonry . Voila tout ! We may all of us deplore the loss of a valued friend , or regret the absence of a gallant leader . We may grieve to think that one who once loved our Craft so

much , and ruled it so well , should have so unexpectedly and hurriedly wished us a "long farewell j" but we do not see that anything else is or can be the " outcome" of an act over which the Roman Catholic Church has been

exulting in such jubilant strains . Freemasonry is itself not changed or affected in the slightest degree by Lord Ripon ' s resignation and conversion . Freemasonry is still exactly where it was and what it was , governed by its own good

laws , proceeding on its own tolerant course , and is neither weakened by Lord Ripon ' s surrender of his high office , nor intimidated by the menaces , or swayed by the exultations of the Church of Roms . One foolish person talks , we see , of the

Freemasons being " persecutors of the Roman Catholic Church . " And another , equally charitable and veracious , talks of Freemasonry being

" the craft of the Evil One . " We presume this remark is intended as u joke , and is meant to be a little Roman alliteration by the use of the word " craft . " Wc feel sure Freemasons will

appreciate this exuberant wit . The simple truth is , the above extract is as nice a specimen of Roman Catholic "Billinsgate , " " pur et simple , " as we have for some time seen . It i s , perhaps , as well , that we do not print the whole article , as

we are inclined to think , what we have already laid before our brethren is more than quite sufficient for them to be able to form a pretty correct judgement both of the truthfulness and good feeling of the writer . Certainly it does require

a very great amount—to use a slang word not uncommon to-day—of " cheek " for a Roman Catholic to talk of JFreemasons being " persecutors . " and to dub our peaceful and benevolent Order the " Craft of the Evil One . " We had

The Roman Catholic Press And Lord Ripon.

always understood—but " one lives and learns , " we admit—that , the " Craft of the Evil One " was shown forth iu all those labours and works of confusion , hatred , cruelty , and evil , which fill

our fair world with so many sad crimes , and leaves such mournful traces and disfigurements on the stained pages of humanity ' s eventful

annals . When a person is brought up before a judge—for many of the serious crimes now common against the person or the laws of the realm —the old form of indictment runs that he or

she does it " by the instigation of the devil . " But it is something quite new to us to be told , that a society whose outward manifestations are ever marked by deeds of charity , philanthropy ,

and goodwill , can have anything to do with " the Father of Lies , " and the tempter to "envy , hatred , malice , and all uncharitableness , " to

dreadful sinfulness , and to hateful criminality . We are somewhat anxious to know what the writer in the Westminster Gazette really considers to be the " Craft of the Evil One . " As

far as we can make out his peculiar logic , it is , because Freemasonry is somehow , as he fancies , hostile to the Church of Rome . Freemasonry cares nothing for the Church of Rome , has

nothing to do with her ; and if the Church of Rome would only leave Freemasonry alone , she mayexcommunicate" with bell , book , and candle " as many people as she pleases . We repeat .

Freemasonry has nothing to do with reli gious bodies , or the soothing process of interdicts and excommunications " major " and " minor ; " and reprobating persecutions of every kind for

conscience sake , wishes to know as little about such hateful performances as possible . In this respect she is somewhat like the memorable " Jackdaw of Rheims , " who according to his

canonical chronicler was none the worse , but rather the better for [ the abbot ' s indignant maledictions . But one alarming feature in this controversy must force itself even on the attention

of the most thoughtless . It is that love of persecution , that spirit of intolerance , which still lingers in the Chu rch of Rome , -rod which would find vent , if it only could . When in our peaceful

England , this good old tolerant land of ours , such are the violent expressions and unchristian sentiments of its leaders , its press , and its episcopal rulers , what need we wonder that in other countries Roman Catholic intolerance and

persecution seem to be running riot just now ? Yet the records of past ages give us sad proofs where this intolerant spirit has often led even good men to . What else fouded that " institutio

dctestabilis " the Inquisition ? What else brought about the expulsion of the Jews from Spain , and their horrible treatment in the sacred name of religion ? What caused the massacres of the

"NeuvosChristianos , " the auto-da-fes" of Seville , Madrid , Lisbon , Goa , and numberless other places , black spots on the chronicle of time ?

What hurried on the massacre of the Huguenots on St . Bartholomew ' s Day ? What degraded the reign of Queen Mary , in this country , with the tortures and deaths of numberless victims ?

What else has made human blood to flow and human life to perish , but this terrible and insatiable spirit of religious persecution ? And if those dark days are over , and those execrable crimes can be no more repeated , it is

The Roman Catholic Press And Lord Ripon.

very alarming to note that their unchanged spirit endures , if evidenced , happily only now by childish edicts and irrational anathemas .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[ We tlo net hold ourselves responsible for , or even as approving of lhe opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish , in a -spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . —tin . ]

ROYAL VISIT TO PLYMOUTH . To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — To " begin at the beginning , " the account of the Masonic reception of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales at Plymouth , appeared in the Freemason for August 22 nd , at u . 503 , under the

heading " The Royal Visit to Plymouth . " In the report of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Devon , which was held at Stonehouse , ( Plymouth ) , on the same day ( the / 4 th August ) , the following occurs in the Freemason of same date , at p . toj : " Bro . Wood , P . M . 421 , said there was a very

strong feeling amongst some of our military brethren in consequence of their having been , for some reason or the other , prohibited from attending the procession of that day , " & c , & c . " Bro . Colonel Elliott said he was in a position to state that the Order emanated from the

Commanderin-Chief , and that it was in compliance with the Queen ' s Regulations , which prohibited noncommissioned officers from taking any part in public demonstrations . " In the Freemas-jn there also appeared an appreciative leader by you , in

which the complaint is noted of the "Soldier Freemason , " and in which you expressed the hope that it was " susceptible of friendly and fraternal explanation . " The " Soldier Freemason" states that " the

executive of the Devon and Cornwall United Prov . G . Lodges may seek to escape deserved censure by throwing the onus on the Major-General Commanding , who actually did refuse to approve of our attendance at the demonstration , but , I am in a position to state positively , that ,

if we had not been completely ignored in the programme before alluded to , he would have unhesitatingly given his consent on this occasion . " Your foot-note expressed " deep regret that any foolish Masonic red-tape should have hindered our soldier brethren from joining in

the procession . " The Freemason for August 29 th , contained another leader by you on the subject , in which you stated that the sooner , therefore , such a serious blunder is acknowledged , and rectified

for the future , the better for all parties concerned , and strongly upheld the complaint of our military brethren ; and from your most extensive experience of Masonic processions at home and abroad , a more able exponent of their claims could not be found . Yon also alluded to the

remarks made by Bro . Colonel Elliott at the Prov . G . Lodge of Devon ( the first time that excellent brother was alluded to by name in the Freemason , excepting in the report of the reception ) . I also inserted a letter , stating that I

understood the military brethren were prohibited from appearing in uniform , because it was found to be contrary to the Queen ' s Regulations , but I also stated such an interpretation had been unheard of before , and svas quite contrary to Masonic custom .

In the Freemason for Sept . 5 th , a short editorial notice was inserted , in which you wisely observed , " Before any clear opinion can be formed or conclusion come to , we must ascertain , what is the correct state of affairs . " Then followed a

temperate and evidentl y well considered letter by Bro . " Leo , " who positively declares the " blame does not rest on the committee of management , but on the military authorities , " and who furnishes us with most important facts which can doubtless be verified . Bro . "Leo , " I hope , will not hesitate to enable you as Editor ,

to seek the proof for his statements , and thus ease the minds of our friends , the military brethren , whose exclusion on any other grounds than those explained by Bro . " Leo , " would be most unmasonic and unmilitary , and yet it is on other grounds that Bro . Colonel Elliott defended the prohibition of brethren walking in the procession