Our American Correspondence.

'' The most ardent desire of the Conservators Avas the advancement of Masonry . They were ever loyal to their respective Grand Lodges , and only sought by legitimate means—that is , by instruction in Avhat . they deemed correct work and

authentic lectures , and by publishing the claims of these to Masonic recognition to carry this point . They Avere the most faithful of the faithful . They were enlig htened ancl influential , loyal to their obligations , and manly in their actions . They

stand so to-day . They Avere , from conviction of duty , hostile to the modern crime against Masonry of operating Grand Lodges in the interests of the feAV to the exclusion of the rights of the less selfasserting few . Obloquy and abuse , the grossest

and most un-Masonic , have been unsparingly heaped upon them , but they have survived it , and they are convinced that , in due time , the leaven now at work , silently and unobtrusively all over the land , will leaven the whole lump to the honour

and glory of the Order . They believed in freedom of thought and lawful freedom of action . Having brains and deep appreciation , and abiding love for the principles and ethics , history , and uses of Masonry , they Avent steadily on in the path they

had chosen , inaugurating a new era in Masonry , encouraging Masons to study its philosophy , to cultivate and make effective its principles of sociality , to foster its journals , to celebrate its days , to revere its landmarks , to promote

harmony , and , above all , to be faithful to the lodge , and to contemn all place hunters . They did great arood in their dav , and that good was not interred Avith the bones of the organisation to which they belonged . They had but two aims in

vieAV , viz ., work—uniformity , and the ele \ r ation of the membership Avhom they protested against feeding on husks , but instead thereof on the corn , wine , and oil of true Masonic culture . And these are they Avhom the Grand Lodge of Missouri thus stigmatises . "

There are several pages m Professor Guilbert's report written in this style . True to friendship and true to truth , he has spared none of those time-servers and slanderers with which a great institution like the Masonic must needs be afflicted ,

but has laid them bare on the page of history for future Avriters to anatomise at pleasure . As he says upon the same page , " time has its own revenges , and the justification of the workuniformity advocates Avill come at last . By-andbye the Avhole history of the movement will be

Avritten . Then things will be called by their right ' names ; the animus of the opposition will appearin its naked deformity , ancl some characters Avill be painted as they are . " Another of the prominent themes considered in

this masterly report is that of loyalty as compared ' with mere political action . It appears from the perusal of the proceedings of several of the southern Grand Lodges that considerable feeling is manifested in that section against brethren in the

northern States , because the latter joined in thegeneral rejoicing at the success of the Federal arms , and the crushing out of the rebellion in 1865 . This is called at the south " mixing " Masonry Avith politics ; " at the same time it is not

denied that in the incipiency of the rebellion ,-1861-2 , some of the Grand Lodges of States compromised therein , hastened to give encouragement in many Avays to Avhat was purely a politicalmovement . There is , to say the least , an

inconsistency hero which the sharp pen of Professor Guilbert has not spared , and , Avhile he favours the very moderate display of loyalty found in the proceedings of northern Grand Lodges , he is not slow to find fault with the disloyal action of those who ' are obnoxious to his rebuke .

One of the questions of the day amon g the forty- - one American Grand Lodges ( a question , too , that threatens to piwe seriously vexatious ) is that of legitiinatising negro lodges , negro Grand Lodges , and negro Masons . According to

published statements by that unfortunate class of people , they have more than 100 lodges of their own , contained in some twenty Grand Lodges , the-Avhole forming a national organisation that meets , I believe , triennially .

It is not to be considered strange that many Avhite Masons AVIIO do not share the prejudice of colour should favour the "healing" of these quasi-Masons , and their absorption into the legitimateband . The very thought of this , however , is

abhorrent to the late slave-holding Masons , and such au act Avould , I am convinced , prove calamitousto the welfare of our Order during all the present generation . This question has not had so muchattention in Professor Guilbert ' s report as it will

demand in future years ; but in the Grand Master ' s ( Peck's ) Address appears the following paragraph — "The new issues being brought forward for political consideration , consequent upon theglorious triumph of the Government in the recentsanguinary conflict , is bringing before us as