The herald., 1837-04-11
From our Ceuespondent)
WASHINGTON, April A, 1857.


FROM gay 70 Craze from lively severe"
have never taken you with 10 visit the con-
gresslonal burial ground OF this CITY, The mind loves
change, and perhaps will not be dspleasing 10 you
your readers 10 take stroll with me through these
repositories of the dead.
TO me 1t is, at all times, melancholy pleasure.
Among the mute but eloquent monuments OF morla-
hy where the "bltterness of hatred the lnsatiaDlty
of avarice and the fire of AMBITION, no longer exist
and are for buried in the tomb which covers
them, our minds must sink into that train OF melan-
choly thought which such is calculated to m
spire, and become soened and mellowed py the sa-
lutary reflections it excltes. -
We feel that but cyphers in tins beautiful
world and that in few short years we snail also De-
come "kneaded clod," and quit all thaf once rem
dered life delightful, and perhaps repose am'd tne
moulderng heaps over which oar eyes now pehslVely
wander
This burial ground is situated about two miles east
of the capitol and embraces an area OF about ten
acres It's location IS romanic, colnmianalhg view
of the Anacostia, and the ADJOINING country.
This fine stream flows at short distance from the
grave ward, and calm summer evening, reflects
from its polished bosom the beautiful landscape on
the opposite SIDE
A brick wall, about six feet high and capped with
stone, surrounds the cemetery through which run
several avenues and walks, grayeed and ornamented
with trees and shrubs A spacious and handsomely
constructed general receiving vault stands one of
the main avenues which erected by the govern
ment for the reception Of the Dead for whom graves
might not have been prepared IL Is surrounded by
an iron railing. It's front is of free stone, the door
of iron, and the space within the railing orAamented
with beautiful shrubs
In this vault bodies may be kept two months, after
which they must be removed for interment This
course is adopted by families who have no private
vaults in order 10 prevent those out ages which are
Sometimes committed in other cities upon the dead by
resurrectionsts.
In one instance however, the body of distn-
guished individual was permitted 10 remain for up
wards Of nine months, in the expectation that tomb
he
which his remains to be deposited. This was
the eloquent author of the British Spy, to whose me-
mory his friends and the bar pro nised TO a mo-
nument TO be erected, provided his family permitted
his body to be buried there.
The pledge as in the case Of Washington and Mar
shall has never been redeemed and the remains OF
the illustrious Writ were thrown into an obscure
grave TO moulder with the dead around him. In the
south west corner of this cemetery the eye rests upon
a broken marble shaft, which points out the spot
where repose the remains of the brave Brown
"The paths of sery lead but ts the er4se.''
What thrilling events does this mute memorial OF
the dead recall But they, tco fast passing away
from the memory of his countrymen, and the sue
ceeding generation will know them only from the
page OF history.
two neat marble monuments erected 10 the memo
ries of men who filled large space In the pub
lie eye-George Clinton and Elbrdge Gerry-who
died here while the discharge Of their official duties
as Vice Presidents OF The United States. AT present
they are the principal monuments IN this cemetery
Almost in a line with these, and rangug from north
TO SOUTH are the ombs of such members Of congress
as have died at the seat OF government and been
buried at the public expense. They are built of free
stone have each four panels, on one OF which are en-
graved the names, age, penod of death, &C. of the
deceased and topped with small pyramid. These
tombs are in bad taste. wall of brick is formed
the bottom Of the grave INTO winch splendid maho,
qany coffin, decorated with gilt escutcheons, and
which contains the body of the deceased member is
deposited over which brick arch is thrown, and the
whole is surmouned by the very plain and tasteess
tomb of which have spoken
In olancing over the efrecords OF the dead which
shey contain, many of whom are now utterly forgot
ten the eye rests upon that which covers the remains
Of OF the greatest orators tins country has ever
produced.
Who accompanied me, had known him. :" He said he
knew him in the proud zenith OF his glory, when ad-
mring senaies hung on the connses OF wisdom he Ut
tered and were fascinated by the rcsistess charm he
welded" n
ale saw him in his last forensic effort, when all his
intellectual energies had been wrought up TO the last
degree OF tension and were forced TO yield to the
power OF disease which prayed upon his frame" The
orator has not the chance to pcrpetuae his name
ma the historian, the philosopher, or the poet His
prandest bursts Of eoquence ms most power vi ana
impassoned appeals, may never have been preserved;
and the skeleton sketches OF those that have been 50
G,rtnate az 10 be preserved from oblivion not often
.nch as would enable the reader TO form correct es
mate of the powers OF the living orator.
There are often, too, in extemporancous eloquence
feryor and energy that can only be reached, while
the mind glowing and heated is pouring out masses
NJ thoupht and decorating them with bold, rich and
apnropryate imagery. Moreover the voice the attitude
the expresson the action lost, and we lese the
charm which these combined, so often produce.
Such is the case with Pinckney and his lllusrlous
compeer Writ, who both slumber IN this city OF the
dead. -,
The written compositions Of the latter Will contrib
ute more 10 perpetuae his fame than all the oral eo
aucnce he ever displayed, and his eoquence was of
the first order while but little remains OF The former
that is calculated transmit his fame TO posery-
Here repose the statesman the orator, and the wSr-
ror; the llustrous and the obscure alike crumbe into
dust and rnngle with the common elements from
which they sprang
Man is dust and to dust he must return-he only
serves to fer,ze the earth from which he springs
and all his greatness and glory, and power bat the
anp igncs fatui of living corruption the glitterns
d evanescen meteors that eradiae the path of life
sor n moment, and then sink forever in the eternal
night Of death.
Who i there that cannot, at the end Of long and
Gwen brilliant career of existence, exclafn
ocho u,ne,o piac, vi monde, 9 brcve sogno,"
In the pcrod of thirty six years, during which Con-
oss has assembled in this city, there have not been
soro than thirty intermenis Of s members. Twoof
,hosc were buried in rural church yard few miles
sro,n Washington having died IN the infancy OF the
c,v when no public grave yard existed; Their re-
mains were subsequently transferred TO tins cemetery
~ ;,,r,J with those who afterwards died here.