The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-07-05

| greet, rather than tor indifference, and with her
| development as great nation, and with her
satisfaction at seeing herself show the most
convincing and unmistakable proof of the impo-
tency of despotic powers against her success,
| there should ever be interviewer and consecra-
| ted the most vivid and grateful recollection Of
every circumstance antecedent to her grandeur
| and Of every being contributing to her renown.
The purity and simplicity Of republican Gus
| TOMS and that equality which is the paramount
| boast of our citizens, do not in this country
| permit Of the lavishing recompense, other than
| temporary in its nature, irrespective always Of
that celebrity for great and good actions which
| is, and always will be imperishable; yet, be-
| cause America has natural and firmly founded
| dislike to those aristocratic rewards freely
given in Europe, where honors are hereditary,
| and where greatness of ancestors is shown in
| titles, accruing by birth to men who have no
| other claim to be considered superior to their
| low-beings-because America has these So
called prejudices there exists no good reason for
her forgetting the duty she owes to all who
| have gone before and to all who may come af-
ter, by obstinately refusing or wlfully neglect
ing to preserve the last earthly records Of those
who, by their deeds and lives. gained immortal
| names for themselves and ever verdant laurels
for their countrys glory
| In the history of nations and Of national re-
| grets there is no event that speaks more thrill
| lingly to the soul than that recounted by La
MARITIME in his History of the Girondins,"
where populace, in its violence and uncon-
trollable fury, despoiled at st. Denis the tombs
| of Frances kings, scattering their monuments
and ashes to the winds, which all the while
moaned and sighed mournfully over the desc
Grafton of the memory of the dead. Yet even
here there existed the consolation that desire
had once been evinced to preserve such relics,
and that although the efforts of vrtuous nation
atty were defeated by mob's rapine and ruin.
there still remained the conviction that the
loyal wishers for country's good had once
carried out their intention Of doing honor to
all whose names, whether celebrated by good
or evil repute) it was impossible to separate
from the history of their country.
Free from the commissions of popular dstur-
bance, and in the enjoyment of unbounded tran
quillity and prosperity. which her natural
just laws have ever given, this mighty re-
public may read valuable lesson from
the events narrated by the French historian;
and with the conviction, reasonable and newt
able, that national feeling suffers and weakens
by the endurance of national losses, she may,
and undoubtedly will, endeavor to strengthen
and support the feelings of concord and pride
which bind her people together, and which give
the promise of making them the most powerful
Of nations.
The day has again arrived when the name
Of Washington hangs upon every lip, andwhen
the vastness Of his fame, the amount ofhis setde-
NAL, and the soundness of his patriotism fall with
redoubled force upon the recollections of every
one; and although in this country no flush Of
shame is seen or felt that the mausoleum of the
illustrious dead has been invaded, or that any
chance exists of the sanctity Of their remains
being disturbed. the fact is. nevertheless, preva-
lent and true, that more merited honor might
have been shown to their ashes. and more con-
sideration given. not only to the remnants of
their vitality, but to the conservation. as ma
tional property, Of what they most valued on
earth.
In connection with these remarks. who can
read without emotion paragraph published by
a contemporary on the 3Oth ultimo by which it
may be inferred that the citizens of the United
States are accustomed to the rumor of the sale
of Mount Vernon to joint stock company of
Spectators and to this information there re-
NAMED but to be added the intelligence that
the grave Of James Madison, the father Of our
federal constitution, and twice President Of
the republic, cannot now be recognised :"
Were it necessary to add to our selfreproach
we might advert to the present dilapidated con-
dtion of Monticello and the grave of Jefferson
to the marks of violence and Vandalism which
disfgured the tomb of Gen. Harrison; to the
melancholy fact that merchant ofNew York has
saved the resting place of the mother of George |
Washington from oblivion, and that tie mod
est little monument which eneioses the ashes !
Of the Father of his Country" was patrioti-
cally furnished by marble cutter of Philadel- !
phia, whose advertisement, df our recollection
is not at faulty is sculptured upon the sarco-
phagus itself But without recalling these
things, let us hope that all such cases of deplo-
rable neglect heretofore may be redeemed by
a proper degree of respect for the illustrious
dead of the nation hereafter.
In the middle ages republican Rome knew
of no more glorious certainty for exciting
patriotism. valor and intellectually, than in
The granting bright garlands and substantial |
rewards to the living; whilst artistic, emblo-
matte. and never-ieding marble, was voted to
the meritorious, the celebrated dead and If |
ROME in the age OF barbarism could look be-
yond the present, and could desire to bequeath
for the admiration Of eternity names which her !
nationality and pride would not allow hertz
neglect or forget, how much more does it be-
booye us to follow the example she set us and |