The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-03-26


1907 was a fine classical scholar, and was APP |
pointed by Washington to the Office Of District At
torney OF the United States. Richard Morris |
was u vestryman from l7s4 to l7S5. He was !
in l779 and, Of course, a staunch wing. Fran |
els Lewis was a vestryman from 1854 to l7s6, and
no one can forget that he was one of the signers
Of the Declaration of Independence. What then
becomes of the objection that it was peculiarly
tory church. That there were tories in the church,
frankly admit; that there were tories in all the
churches in the city of New York my learned friend
would be compelled to admit, if indeed he admitted
anything. But where is the evidence that Trinity
was peculiarly the tory church in the city of New
York, or any more inclined to toryism than the
Dutch Church for example, or any other church in
the city, during its occupation by the British?
formerly regal hierarchy" What an argument in
favor of opening the street! Is it true! Yes; in
the same sense in which it may be said that the
Dutch Church was formerly regal hierarchy. In
1774 every church in New York was under the pro-
lection Of the Crown of Great Britain; and if that
be an argument against them, then tear down the
churches, and declare a general prescription OF
Christianity: for if the argument means anything,
it is good against the observances of religion gem
orally as it is for the purpose for which it is in
voked.
But this is tring with the great topic before you.
Whether wing or tory was in the church during the
revolution is matter which has relevancy to the
present question. We need have nothing now to do
with the church: and an argument directed against
il necessarily raises collateral issue which has no
thing to do with the peoples buryng ground as this
has emphatically always been, and in which no
power could prevent or ever did prevent the inter-
ment Of the peoples friends. 1t is the poor mans
final resting place which you are now besought to
desecrate. They ask you to eXhume the remains
of the poor of two centuries. Arguments addressed
against the cusodans of the cemetery have, in fact
nothing to do with the question The interference
which the learned counsel hangs upon the fact that
the assistant rector was opposed to the war when
Int hrnE ant
and positively refuted by reliable testimony. If, in
deed the church had been in OF this
rector, il would furnish strong confirmat0ry evil
dence that the British did inter the bodies of the
deceased patriots there. They the prisoners OF
the British, and they died in the sugar houses near
the grave yard. In short, it was the very place OF
all Others where they would be buried if either Bri-
fish or Americans had charge of their nterment,
and the place where many concnrrng sources OF evil
dence prove they were in fact inferred. Of course
the American prisoners were buried by their British
captors, and it is most natural to suppose that they
buried them in the City bnrying ground; especially
when that ground was nearest the place of their
captivity and DEATH j. Barnitz Bacon* the sexton,
and the Hon. FIR Tillou, your recorder, man whose
name alone is sufficient guaranty for the truth OF any
statement he may make; and the affidavit OF General
Height the COMMANDMENTS thief of the Veterans of
the second Of Independence, show that some, at
least Of the faithful soldiers of the Revolution lie
inferred in the line of the proposed street, The
same thing is repeated in the report of committee
of your Board in March, lS4It IL Is stated in the
Life of General Lamb that he was buried in Trinity
churchyard, and am informed by Mr. Blocker that
he was buried on the north side Of the church. See
Leake's admirable Life Of General Lamb, page 1856,
where il is stated that
General Lamb had been Vice President OF the CINCINNATI
once while Baron Steuben was President and afterwards
under George Clinton. He borne to the grave in
Trinity churchyard followed by the members Of that
ciety He was buried with the military honors which he
had we'll deserved And the long of citizens
they attended him to the tomb, attested the respect
which his virtues his bravery and worth had universally
commanded
The following obituary notice, ascribed at the
time to the pen of DR.. Peter Irving, is extracted
from Dennistons paper
How sleep the brave who sink to rest
With all their countrys wishes blest.
On Saturday morning departed for better world our
much respected fellow citizen General John Lamb Who
TO the unbendng honor aud martial spirit of soldier
to the mistaken integrity of real patriot added the
humane and benevolent virtues of philanthropst.
lie distinguished himself throughout our revolution
liant but Inflated Montgomery fell He otherwise
severely wounded; captured and suffered the hard
ships of imprisonment in assisting the cause OF freedom
and his country.
General Lamb has from early manhood trod the rug
ged paths of life in public view and though fortune
not meothcd his descent into the vale of years nor
scatter ed in his path yet he has ever preserved
purity of character which the breath of detraction
has not dared to sully
Peace We to his ashesi He is gone into The presence
Of that Being who will reward his virtues. The blessings
OF misorunes children watt his spirit onward while
the tears Of the veteran patriots who fought and
qu,red by his side cmbalm his memory
Peace be To his aSneS ! Salu the voice OF ms sur
wing friend as the remains OF General Lamb were
committed to what that friend fondly supposed vas
their final resting-pace. But those who desire to
open Albany street declare that there IS no final
triot dead HE was buried with the military hon
ors he had so well descIvcd!' says the bographer.
How strangely would il have sounded in the ears of
"the long array Of citizens who gathered round his
tomb. if some prophetic voice had declared that |
those military honors should not avail to protect
his bones from eXhumation.
/ have referred to the biography of General Lamb
merely to prove that officers OF the Revolution have
been buried in Trinity Churchyard that many such
were buried there during the is proved by trad
ton as we'll as the other evidence before your com
mttee and tradition so generally believed in by
the people would Of itself be sufficient to establish
any historical fact. But if it were admitted that no
such officers soldiers were inferred there during
the war; it is beyond all controversy that many such
buried there after the close of the struggle.
This is not denied, and is undeniable.
But the counsel suggests that there Is no tomb
stone bearing an inscription showing that the re-
mains of Revolutionary soldiers were inferred there
Where is the tombstone Of the poor soldier I
Where is the marble slab that marks the last resting
place of Sir John Moore? Who is there living that
can point out the place where Leonidas and the
Spartan band who fell at Thermopyla were sepul-
tured? What living witness can state that he saw
the battle Of Pharsaa and can designate the tombs
of the Roman republican soldiers who fell there
BY the same course of argument which the counsel
pursued it might be proved that the great battles of
antiquity were never fought. twould be dificultto
prove by such standard of evidence that George
Washington ever lived that the artillery of the
volution itself ever flashed upon the midnight OF
despotisin, and harbingered the dawn of liberty
that Waterloo ever trembled beneath the tread of
British egions, or resounded with the thunder of
Napoleon's cannon. Indeed, the argument would go
much further and prove the non-existence Of every
thing but the present. All the records of the past
are but traditions history itself is but written ira
dition-and shall we therefore deny its teachings
no phpd of hp IL
tered by ruthless enemy buried in dishonor,
will live forever in the hearts of their coun-
trymcn and the fact that no marble, with
its storied Inscriptions, marks their final resting
place; that no pillar, rough with sculpture, points
out the spot where the old veterans deathless acts
were displayed, is a cogent argument against dis
turbing their remains-remains which consccrate
every inch OF ground where they lie Inferred No
power on earth can divest that ground of the hall
lowed associations with which it is cmbamed in the
hearts Of the people.