The Papal Allocution Against Freemasonry.

" We cannot but ask ourselves in simple astonishment—What does all " this mean ? Is tho POPE inspired or frenzied , or is he merely practising " Ms Latin so as to keep his hand in for the Emperor ^ N APOLEON when "he commences the withdrawal of his troops from Eomc ? Tho POPE , we " know , in Secret Consistory , talks neither English nor any other modern " language , and it may be that this astonishing fulmination is only Ids

" way of saying he disapproves of Freemasonry . "We are all more or less " familiar with the Freemasons . We know that they have an elaborate " organization , and call each other long names , that they Avear upon occa" sions very strange aprons , that thev preserve certain antiquated

eere" monies , and , above all , that they give very good balls and excellent " dinners , and are generally a very hospitable and liberal set of men . We " know , again , that the Freemasons profess to take certain solemn oaths , " and to be in rjossession of some secrets which explain tho Avhole mystery " of political society upon architectural principles , or something equally

" magnificent . But as to assertions that they de \ 'ote themselves ' to an " unheard of atrocity of penalties and chastisements in case they should " break their oath , ' Ave feel pretty sure the POPE must be misinformed . " We have nevm observed that they Avere oppressed by any such Aveight " as Avould necessarily hang 0 A er their minds if they Avere at all times " conscious that a single inadvertence Avould expose them to such tremen" dous danger . It Avould require , in fact , even in a Catholic a very strong

" faith in the infallibility of the POPE to accept his description of this " Society . Indeed , Ave sincerely condole Avith tho Roman Catholics if they " are to bo absolutely debarred , for the future , from enjoying Masonic " hospitality . Must the faithful , as a French journal inquires , immediately " cut their Masonic friends and refuse them eA en a distant bow ? Free" masons , so far as Ave know anything about them , are neither revolutionists

" nor atheists . If Ave arc not mistaken , Lord PALM . EE STON himself is one " of their number , and the late Marshal MAGMAS ' , one of the pillars of "the new French regime , Avas the head of the Order in France . What " can the POP . be thinking of to select this innocent and convivial

associ" ation for these tremendous denunciations p If he had simply consigned " all the Fenians , in so many Avords , to eternal perdition unless they " immediately repented and revoked their wicked errors before the nearest " priest , the Allocution might have appeared to possess some point , some "justification . But what have tho Freemasons done to provoke such a " demonstration ? It is said that the Archbishop of PAKIS lately gave

" great offence at Rome by attending the funeral of Marshal MAGS ' AS . " The Archbishop was probably profoundly ignorant of the wicked devices " of the Marshal and his felloAv Masons , and ordinary observers must " avow themselves equally in the dark . In truth , it reminds us of " JUPITEK thundering in a clear sky , to witness these rattling thunderbolt ' ' let loose upon so unobtrusive a Society as the Freemasons . JUPITEK ,