The French Freemasons And The War.

consider that they are not " the right men m the right place . " In the special correspondence of the "Daily Telegraph " Ave find the follOAving : — " Barring the bombardment—to which ,

however , Ave have become so accustomed that it has ceased in the slightest degree to affect Parisian nerves—the great event of the duy is the visit paid by the Freemasons to the members of the Commune , while the latter august body Avas sitting in solemn conclave . Fifteen hundred Masons

entered the Court of Honour at the Hotel de Ville , which was soon filled to overflowing ; and the members of the Commune descended to receive them . The object of the visit was to inform the Commune that , having expended every

means of conciliation , the Governm . eut of Versailles remained inflexible ; that Freemasonry had resolved to unfurl its banner on the walls of Paris ; and that , should a single missile touch them , the Freemasons would march against the assailants .

This declaration is masonically snpposed to be sufficient to frighten the Chief of the Executive Power into submission . For my own part , I doubt it , having still a lively recollection that when the Masons of Paris once summoned the King of

Prussia , and the Crown Prince to make their appearance before them , those two distinguished alleviators of human suffering did not

appear . Yesterday the members of the Commune were in the highest feather . Everybody fraternised Avith everybody else , himself included . The standard-bearer of the Freemasons , in the ecstacy of the moment , handed over his colours to the

Commune ; and the enthusiasm of all present at this happy moment knew no bounds . A red flag had been sent for , to give it to the Masonic standard-bearer in exchange ; but it came not . There is plenty of red bunting in town ; but it is all in

use—flaunting proudly over every building , wliereever the slightest excuse for its display has been discovered , to say nothing of the many thousand metres Avound round the bodies of Messieurs de la Commune and their supporters . What Avas to be done ? A member of the Commune unwound himself—and the red cloth Avith which he was

bound was handed to the Masonic standardbearer , Avho attached the glorious bunting to the flagstaff . Bro . Terrifoque declared that the emblem wauld remain in the archives of

Freemasonry as a souvenir of the glorious day . The Mason s and the Communists then kept up a running fire of compliments . The Citoyen Allix , a member of the Commune , said that the Commune of Paris puts in practice that which Freemasonry

has long since affirmed—that the reconstruction of the Temple was , certainly , for this epoch , the reorganisation of labour . Then a brother of the Scotch Rite announced that the Commune , the new Temple of Solomon , is the work that the

F . - . F .-. M . - . should have for its object—that is to say , justice and labour as the bases of society . Bro . Terrifoque said that , if , at the commencement of the movement , the Freemasons did not wish to act , it was because they desired to obtain

proofs that Versailles would not listen to concilia tion . ' How could it be supposed that criminals could accept reconciliation Avith their judges ?" Having exhausted the Avhole gamut of compliment , and announced that it had been decided at

a recent meeting that the Masons should declare in favour of the Commune—that they Avould meet on Saturday , in the courtyard of the Louvre , thence to proceed to the ramparts , on ivhich . they Avould plant their banner—and that , should the

Versaillaise fire on it , they would fire in returnthe deputation Avas about to retire , when the Commune insisted on accompanying it . Commune and Masonry traversed the Place together , and proceeced to the Rue de Rivoli , saluted by the

spectators Avith cries of "Vive la Commune !" " Vive la Macjons I " From another source Ave learn thatit was resolved to invite the different lodges to gather together in the Cour du Louvre on Saturday , the 29 bh ult . As

early as nine o'clock deputations from several lodges began to arrive , with their banners , followed , of course , by croAvds of people . A battalion of Federals were drawn up in lines to keep the public at a respectful distance . About ten o'clock some

members of the Commune and the central Committee joined and the whole together marched off to the Hotel de Ville , where Felix Pyat received them . A discussion had previously taken placa between the " venerables ; " some proposed to

confine the demonstration to Paris , others to march out to Versailles . It was decided by eight votes to seven to place the banners on the ramparts , and to send a deputation to M . Thiers . After a little speechifying on the part of the Commune , the procession set out on its inarch ,