French Freemasonry.

The defence was ingenious but convicting , and rapidly the Masonic governing bodies of the world pronounced their verdict and gave sentence . The Supreme Council for England , Wales , and the Dependencies of the British Crown pronounced its interdict November 7 th , 1877 ; that for Ireland January 21 st , 1878 , and so on . The Grand Orient erased the following caption from all its official

documents : " To the glory of the Great Architect , of the Universe . " It then proceeded to review and readjust the rituals to conform to the atheistical avowals , thereb y making certain their own removal from all departments of Masonry throughout the world . The Grand Orient went further and made declaration " that it wall respect the jurisdictional rihts of those Masonic powers that have friendlrelations

g y with itself . " This is an ill-concealed threat that it will hold itself free to invade the jurisdiction of all Masonic powers which do not maintain friendly relations with it , by establishing bodies within their boundaries . Moving under this menace , it has established seven Lodges of the French Rite in the State of Louisiana , and these have confederated and formed a Grand Orient for that State .

From the date of the first false steji taken by the Grand Orient of France , nearly two years ago , it has evinced no thought of retrocession , and made no sign of contrition for its crime against Masonry ; it does protest , however , that its action is in no sense a denial that there is a Deity , yet it does not deny that the vital clause was expunged for no other purpose than to remove the obstacle which jirevented atheists from becoming Masons .

The vote in the Lodges to ostracise Deity was very large and emjihatic . The number of the fraternity in France is over 60 , 000 , owing obedience to the Grand Orient ( not the Supreme Council ) through the 276 Lodges , within the boundaries of France proper . Let us look at the last official census of France : there are in that country 37 , 387 , 703 Romau Catholics ; 467 , 631 Calvinists ; 80 , 117 Lutherans ; 33 , 119 members of other Protestant sects ; 40 , 439 Hebrews , and 84 , 992 persons belonging to no religious faith . Total , 38 , 103 , 001 .

With all this array of faith yet the major Masonic body boldy pushes toward infidelity , and attempts by force to hold its Masonic recognition aud friendships not only by threats , but by actual invasion of the territory of an otherwise friendly power . The Supreme Council of France still holds the necessity of a belief iu Deity . A manifesto was issued by C . J . Lopez , M . D ., claiming to be Grand Master of the Orient of New Orleans ( Louis ) dated November 25 th 1879 to all

, , , Grand Orients , Grand Lodges , Supreme Councils and regular Masons , without distinction , over the surface of the world , thus : " By virtue of Masonic solidarity and union—in order to work for the progress of Masonry—for the pacification of-the discords and schisms which separate and divide different Masonic bodies ; to make amends for the injustice clone by schisms , and to regularize the false situation of numerous Freemasons iu Louisianaand to arrive peaceabl

, y at the union of all the powers , so that the sublime device , Liberty ! Equality ! Fraternit y 1 may not be empty words ; the undersigned , etc ., make it a duty .... to bring to your knowledge the organization -which will work only the first three degrees , in which will be contained all the teachings of the Universal Masonry It counts upon your generous co-operation , etc . " The seed has been sown , the gauntlet has been thrown clown . The violence

of eradicating the name of and belief in Deity is having its effect , and France has " crossed the Rubicon . " Intestine war is the result . Louisiana as of old is the immediate battle ground . Contention is to be avoided , but defence is manhood , aud the quicker the action the more complete the victory ; is it a question of doubt what that action , should be ? France has been ever the hot-bed , if not the mother , of most of the isms and schisms that have barnacled the good Masonic ship in her onward course . This