French Freemasonry.

commingling the impure with the pure is much to be regretted . The Grand Orient exchanges representatives with the Negro Grand Lodges of Missouri and Ohio . The honourable and the nobles of France , in the incijnent stages of Masonry in that fair land , wore ardent as banner-carriers and faithful worshippers' at the shrine of the brotherhood . At one time France was rapidly and bravely becoming the Masonic umpire of the world . But we have vainly hoped

and sincerely trusted that a calm judgment would secure peace from Masonic turmoil , that harmony would enter and dwell within her borders , and stand as a shield between her and all the nations of the earth—that La Belle France , the sunny land of art and song as well as gaiety , would be first among her equals in the holy jmrposes of the fraternity . The Sujircme Council of Franceas I have statedwas organized by Count

, , cle Grasse on the 22 nd of September , 1804 , and conferred the 33 rd grade of the Scottish Rite on a number of the leaders of the Grand Orient—Thory , Compte de Valence , and several others , and granted the power by a concordat for that Orient to confer the degrees ' of the Scotch Rite to the 18 th , or Rose Croix , in view of the assumed power of the Orient to confer tho Rose Croix of the Rite Francaise as the ultimate of the seven degrees to which it had limited itself

shortly prior to its absorption of the Grand Lodge of Symbolic Masonry . The Supreme Council retained jurisdiction over the degrees of the Rite to the 33 ° . This concordat , however , soon fell through , and the two Grand Bodies , without acrimony , lived side by side , the Supreme Council conferring the symbolic degrees under the Scotch system and the Grand Orient conferring the same under the French systemwhich immaterially differed . It is not necessary here to

, rehearse the fitful life of the Supreme Council until the 4 th of May , 1821 , when Compte de Valence became the head of the body , nor to repeat the fact that it existed in all legitimacy and was so acknowledged to the time when the Grand Orient committed suicide .

Three decrees affecting certain symbolic Lodges on questions of insubordination were issued May 12 th , 1879 , by the Supreme Council , J . Adolphus Cremienx being Grand Commander , which were resented by the Lodges referred to in an appeal dated November Oth , 1879 ; in the meantime three confirmatory degrees enforcing those of May were issued October 30 th ; a revulsion ensued and nine Lodges proclaimed independence at Paris November 20 th 1879 declaring themselves the " Independent Symbolic Grand Lod "

, , ge . They set forth their complaints against the Supreme Council , formulated their independent organization , and proclaimed their principles and complete autonomy . Grand Commander Cremieux died in March , 1880 , and Bro . Proal succeeded , resulting in a circular being issued , containing a joint decree and declaration , signed by Brothers Proal , Commander ; E . Arago , President of the Grand Central Lodge , and Berard , withdrawing all previous decrees that

suspended and dissolved Lodges , but continuing that which nominated a commission of revision . The Supreme Council proposes to augment itself with a young and vigorous element , thus filling its vacancies , enlarging the rights of suffrage , becoming more active in symbolic Masonry , creating a permanent executive commission , and entreating all Masons to be reunited under the Rite Ecossais . The symbolic Lodges are now under thoughtful consideration as to their

future course . It would seem to the writer that the opportunity is pregnant for the Supreme Council of France to nobly aid the fraternity of the world by extending independence to symbolic Masonry—where it belongs—through the Blue Lodges of its obedience , exacting the retention of Paragraph 2 , Art . I . of the Constitutions , an unqualified belief in Deity and the immortality of the soul

Though we do not profess to agree with or quite to comprehend even , the views of our esteemed brother , as published in the New York Dispatch of June 2 nd , we think this article worth reading , and a contribution towards contemporary Masonic history deserving of notice .