The "Indian Freemasons' Friend."

ledgment from the Indian Freemasons' Friend . It certainly was not judicious to have done so , but anyone practically acquainted with the press must know that this is by no means an uncommon thing . The courtesy and good feeling that fortunately prevail amongst the members of "the fourth estate "

prevent any notice being taken of such venial faults , arising , as they frequently do , from inadvertence rather than from any unwillingness to render honour where honour is due . The editor of the Indian Freemasons' Friend surely should abstain from an attack upon the

FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE , for he must find it a capital repertory for his compilation , which , it seems to me , is its proper designation . His June number contains no less than seventeen !!! quotations from the FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE . The tone of the Indian Freemasons' Friendin tlie

, remarks which he has thought fit to make on your periodical , seems to me so " nasty " ( excuse the word - —it so fully expresses my meaning , that I must beg you to allow it to stand ) that , if you will pardon the liberty , I should strongly recommend you never again to give any extract from its pages . The readers of

your MAGAZINE will , I doubt not , be enabled to endure the privations which such a course may entail . I am , dear Sir and Brother , Yours fraternally , K . T . August 7 th , 1866 .

Reform In Masonry.

REFORM IN MASONRY .

10 THE EDITOE OF THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIMIOIt . I . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Just as political , social , and religious opinions manifest themselves in various ways in different nations , thus Freemasonry also assumes a different aspectand shows a different

, reflex ii \ each individual country , notwithstanding the unity in princi ple . Let us not seek in this a motive for mutual objurgations . An active , and prosperous life may still exist in each individual body , although we maintain unity and harmony in the principle . From the variety of all imaginable musical instruments

which , when played unmethodically , will have only a shaking effect on our nerves , the experienced master calls forth sublime sounds , by causing the various tunes to comply with the law of unity and combining them into melodious harmony . Thesame is the case in the whole of Masonic life . If all bow to the principle of the cause , all the radiations will

congregate into one halo , the light of which will soon disgipate the fogs that are still obstructing the view , and sive rise to much useless excitement and ill-feeling . _ It is from this point of view that I look at the discussions on the Reform question , which have been started in your esteemed journal , vol . xii ., pages

291 and 309 . In these discussions I perceive the commencement of an understanding between the Masons of England on the one hand , and those of Germany and France on the other ; and if you admit ihe expedient of a further development of them , I shall take the libertto that

y prove we are more closely united in principle than it would appear at the first glance . In speaking of and urging reforms , we certainly do not mean to displace the groundwork of our

Fraternity , which is still recognised by most Grand Lodges of the universe , and enjoys the same consideration ou the part of German lodges as it is adhered to by our brethren of France and other countries . Freemasonry is to us what it is to our English brethren—a means of securing faithful

friendship between all free men of good reputation , irrespective of their political , religious , " and social opinions , provided they profess that opinion in which all " good men and true " agree . The Masonic lodge is to us , the same as to our English brethren , a neutral ground , where we meet , far removed from

party struggles of public life , for the sole purpose of enjoying mental edification and moral mvigoration , and cultivating truth , justice , and charity . Masonic labour is to ns what it is to our English brethren — an active endeavour to eradicate from amongst us ignorance , selfishness , and self-conceit , and by means of lectures and dissertations on rituals , as well as readings from moral aud scientific books , educate ourselves so as to become unprejudiced , virtuous , and

charitable men . In this we all agree . In another respect , also , we seem to coincide very nearly . The repulsion of all influences of a specifically political or religious character is generally considered Masons' duty . Freemasonry is not to be made subservient to any party , but should teach us to be above all partiesfor without this independence

, we cannot devote ourselves entirely to truth , justice , and charity . We mean to say that lodges as such should never become the instruments of any tendencies favoured or patronised either from above or below . The labours of the lodge are not to have either a feudal or a democratic , a clerical or a

rationalistic character . ; they ignore all the existing parties and sects ; they know no other endeavour hut that of freeing man from error , vice , and narrowmindedness , and making of him a superior being , excelling in social virtues and practical charity . Freemasonry has moral life for its chief province ; it wants to give us a vivid representation of rights and duties , and professes to do so through the square aud

compasses . Doubtless , endeavours have been and are still being made to transform our lodges into conventicles ( Seliliipfwinkel ) for aspirations foreign to ^ their real objects . I admit that there may be some truth in some accounts of facts stated to have taken place in former yearssimilar to such as have been attempted

, at , even in our own days . I do not mean to inquire whether utterances of . this kind have been invented by antagonists of the Fraternity ; I only remember reading a pamphlet , in which it was stated that the degree of M . M . was first introduced under Cromwell , in the time of the English revolutionthat " Hiram "

, meant King Charles , " the mourning widow , " his Q . ueen , the " rose" of the Master ' s apron , the sign of the "initiated , " and that the conspirators for the restoration of the Stuarts had for their watchword , " A moi enfants de la veuve . " Might such legends not have been invented with a view to render our

Fraternity suspect in the eyes of the Dictator ? Could not similar accusations have been preferred against the Carbonari ( that political association for the regeneration of Italy ) in order to awaken suspicion against them on the part of monarchical Governments ? I am of opinion that nothing would