The Columbian fountain., 1846-08-10
TRINITY CHURCH YARD, NEW
YORK.

n How h. artily do we endorse the following
rich productions, from the able pen Of the edi-
tor of the Richmond Republican? ? How could
such question be the subject Of debate p
How could civilized men enlightened men be
willing to scatter the ausis sleeping oftheir fathers
and mothers to the winds Of Heaven? Many
have there reposed in the quiet slumber o.
death for more than two centuries. Now, from
avaricious motives. The graves are 10 be ran
asacked---,he bodies to be the subjec, Of a man
ual resurrection. and strewed in every direc
ton. Indignation should be found on the brow
of. every one, even al the suggestion of such
an atrocious perpetration upon that spot SO
dear to many hearts, and SO iondly enshrined
in The memory Of thousands. s... f.
Even in the darkest ages,of the antediluyian
world. when but few twinklng stars were
seen 10 glitter in the dome Of Heaven when
gross darkness covered the mind OF man
when there was scarcely ray Of light, by
which he, could direct his wayward and wan
dering footsieps--eyen then, humanity would
"The city fathers Of New York are now
gravely and deliberately engaged in consider
ing thequestion, whether or not this old Church
Yard shall be given up to the mad spirit Of spec
Observation-Disclosures, or not as the N. York Ex-
press saps. s,here shall be stree, running from
Greenwich to Broadway. that shall, literally,
be made and formed of the decomposed dust
Of the dead, who have been consigned to the
grave in Trinity Church Yard, during the last
TWO centuries a public highway, 10 render
certain private possessions of certain wealthy
men yet more valuable!' ,..s,..s
p"What question to be debated before a
body OF civilized men, A question:! How
can itsbe a question except with those whose
God is gold, and who, to secure the smiles of
Mammon, are willing TO slrew even the ashes
of the departed about his shrine Why, the
savages who once reigued over Manhattan,
Showed a more refined feeling towards the re
mains Of their kindred than these bond slaves
of avarice who, for lew pallry dollars, would
invade the last rcpose of the dead. a
'lf we mistake not, the same question was
up, once before, in the Common Council oil
New York, and would have been carried into
effect but for the firmness Of the last Mayor,
Haaemyer, who deserves the thanks of the
whole civilized world for successfully resisting
the Vandalism of his native city. a
"How would such an attempt succeed in
Virginia The very thought of the PROPOSE
,ion Glls every mind with horror. Wha, then
must be the tp ,toos Of those, and they are to
be found ~ all parts Of the Union as we'll as in
New York, whose ancestors sleep in the grave
yard of old Trinity? No wonder that their
descendants in the city have rallied, and in
dlsnantly protested against this most unparai-
leled outrage n"
"For Two hundred years, Trinity has been
one of the chief burial places of New York
There, The firs, founders Of the city were inter.
red. The p,os iusirious names of the Empire
State, names venerable Tor learning moral
worth, and exalted pety, may be found among
l'scrumbling tombstones. There too, have been
deposited the poor and pennyless as well as the
rIch and powerful. Generation after generation
has been admitted to that ancient enclosure.
where the old church so long has thrown its
hallowed shade, while, within its consecrated
walls, Prayer aud Praise, like guardian an
gels, have Kept watch and ward over the sleep
ing dust
"Can il be that this venerable cemetery.
this sacred ground, embalmed in so many
hearts--ihespot which. amid ceaseess changes,
has been hitherto permitted 10 remain un-
touched by all except the gentle hand OF time
shall now be turned into public highway. 10
swell the fortunes Of greedy specuators7 The
act would have disgraced the dark ages, and.
if performed, will leave 2 blot upon the escu,
cheon Of New York, which all her enter
prise. power, wealth, and renown, can never
eface.
---~-.-1-------a.-->---~-- t
An amusing incident occurred on the lst Of
last April (All Fools Day). A young lady
promenading Chestnut street was accosted by a
smal quaker girl, with "Miss, thy shoe is I'M