Masonic Notes And Queries.

" Look once more . Watch that beautiful ship with her sails spread to the gentle breeze—slowly ancl proudly gliding over the placid bosom of yonder sea . Mark those groups of men , women , ancl children upon her deck , unconscious of danger lurking near them . All appears to be peaceful and calm . Look again in the distant horizon . Do you observe that strange

suspicious craft rapidly bearing down upon the noble shi p ! " See , as she approaches , the black flag flying at the mast head , made hideous with the symbols of death imprinted on it . See the fierce and lawless baud with their gleaming seimetars , preparing

fertile work of spoliation ancl slaughter . Hear the summons to surrender , and in a moment the shi p with her precious burden is in the hands of the pirate band . But mark the Chief of that godless crew . He recognises by a universal language , one who is as he once was , in the days of innocence and purity ! Those '

bloodthirsty men are hushed to silence bythe stern command of him who alone can rule them , and the ship with her terror-stricken frei ght is released and permitted to pursue her voyage to her destined haven in peace . "This is a result of Masonry . Do you see in the

dense woods by yonder stream that body of savage warriors with the sharpened tomahawk aud scalpingknife , waiting with a demon-like joy for the little company of white men , slowly , and unconscious of their proximity , wending their way towards them .

Hark ! the war whoop echoes the forest , and the little band , powerless , fall beneath the death-dealing steel . See you that noble-looking figure bending over the prostrate form of one of the fallen , shielding his body from the infuriated savage ! That is Bront , the Mason ! exhibiting a Mason ' s love , and affording a

Mason ' s protection to a fallen and wounded brother . See , again , that aged man coming from the far westbehold him beside the same stream , where , instead of words and a pathless wilderness , a populous town ancl fields , teeming with the bounties of a benevolent father , greet the eye . Look how his thin aud silvery

locks are waving in the breeze ; mark the tears trickled from his fine expressive eyes , as a coffin is removed from its humble resting-place , to be deposited in one more appropriate for a Christian sepulchre ! That is the same white man who , fifty years before , receiued a Mason ' s protection from his Indian brother , aud

who has travelled from his home in the far west to assist at the last rites of that brother ' s sepulchre . " Thus does Masonry break down the barriers that separate races , nations , and kindreds of men and unites them together by the cords of universal charity . It harmonises varied aud opposite interests , snaps

the fetters from the innocent ancl oppressed captive , and restores him to liberty ancl his home . It visits the prison cell , and administers consolation to the afflicted and unfortunate . It removes the hated spirit of party , and influences man to follow the injunction of the Saviour— 'Love your enemies . ' " ( To he continued . )

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THE MOBAI BUSINESS or A MAN : —The ingratitude of mankind is sometimes alleged as an excuse for neglecting good offices ; but it is the business of a man to ] , srform his own part , not to answer for the returns which others may , or may not be disposed to make .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents , GRAND CONCLAVE . TO THE EDITOn OP THE FltEEJlASOXS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC ] 1 TIUROH . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —My attention has been called to a statement in the last number of the

MAGAZINE , in which , in giving an account of the proceedings at the Grand Conclave of Knights Templar , Bro . Binckes is reported to have said that " Bro .. Havers had made an attack on the higher degrees recently , and he ( Sir Knt . Binckes ) was glad that he was able to reply to that attack and defend the Order . "

I beg leave to say that in making the first part of this statement , Bro . Binckes is entirely in error , though , doubtless , unintentionally so . I not only made no such attack , but I had no such thought in my mind , and I did not refer either by

word or inference to the higher degrees , least of all did I refer to the Templars , for whom I have always felt and expressed a high degree of respect . In the chair at the anniversary meeting of the Stability Lodge of Instruction , and in proposing the toast of the evening , I expressed my great satisfaction

at the admirable working of the Preceptor and of his ' pupils from this I was naturally led to say something as to the advisability of keeping up accurate workings . I pointed out that every succeeding age had given a certain tone and colour to Masonry , && well as to other social institutions—that much had ;

been lost ancl a good deal added . I pointed out further that it was the especial duty of Lodges of Instruction , such as the Stability , and that presided over by our learned Bro . S . B . Wilson , to guard us--against changes ; and , inter alia , I expressed a hope

that whilst my brethren of the Stability Lodge of Instruction did nothing to offend those who thought proper to join in other degrees , that they would themselves do their best strictly to maintain , and topreserve separate ancl distinct , the three well-known and acknowledged degrees of pure and ancient Masonryas laid clown in the " Book of

Constitu-, tions ; " because they are all-sufficient for our purpose ,, and there is reason to fear that by the introduction of new degrees which had sprung into existenceduring last year , and under the authority of newlyformed Grand Lodges , our aucient ceremonies might be obscuredor even lost .

, I did not , and could not , refer to the hig herdegrees , because they are not of recent orig in , and because their work is so entirely different from that of Craft Masonry , as to by no possibility to be confounded with it .

Bro . Binckes , doubtless , misunderstood me ; for to the astonishment of the brethren assembled , when he should have been returning thanks for the Charities , he made an elaborate and needless defence of Christian Masonry , which he had better have let alone then , aud still better not have referred to now . Tours fraternally , JOHN HATERS . May 23 . 1864 .