The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-03-30

VICE PRESIDENTS.
Henry Erben, William Bloodgood
T. A. Wilmurt, Luke Kelly,
Hiram w. Love, George Pauiling
John Graf, s. Walgroye,
John l. Gratacap, DIR. Fisk,
Smith Weeks, Thomas Cooper,
Geo. II. Swords, william Haleck,
Charles Hawkins William Quincy
James Van Norden DR. @. s. Whitehead
James ID. Oliver, Dr. 9. w. Churchill,
jeremiah IL Brooks, J. Barntz Bacon,
James G. Powers, J. Weeks,
John II. Williams, John j. Kip,
Or. L. A. Rosenmuller John Delamater,
J. Henry Hobart Halves, VIM. Everden
I. j. Fonda
SECRETARIES.
DR.. Vim. H. Gusman, Henry Clay Ianius
Charles c. Barnes, De Witt Clinton Ward
adopted
old city buryng ground of New York. which for
centuary and half in the possession of Trinity Church.
has three times been urged upon the Common Council by
those who have pecunary interest in its success and
many times has failed upon proper representation Of
the public feeling and public interests in the matter to
the city authorities and upon their mature con-
alteration Of the question: and whereas the proposed
dissertation of most ancient burial place has
recently been more nearly contaminated, by sudden
and stealthy of its interested advocates who
continue to press it before the people and the city
ttorties grounds that public interests require
it, and that the public feeling is not opposed it-there
FORE at this meeting Of the citizens Of New York without
distinction of creed or party,
Resolved That the proposed opening Of Albany street
through Trinity Church graveyard is purely selfish pro-
ect having for its motive only the desire OF few hold
es OF real estate to increase the value Of their property
Resolved That neither the interests the convent
ence of the citizens of New York demands the opening
OF me sad street. which, from its grade must be almost
useless for the purposes of convenience and which
not be opened save at immense cost which will be but
partially borne by the few who will derive the only bcne
ft from the measure.
Resolved That the opening Of street through such
graveyard is proceeding which, even under ordinary
circumstances, we should regard with horror as in
suit to the memory of the dead and violation of the
sensiblies of the living and tending to degrade and
example, that may traffic in the dust of past genera
items and sacrifice to mammon the pures sentiments of
the human heart
against the opening Of street through the ground in
question than through any other which it has been
proposed to subject to such Dissertation.
Because it was for than two centuries the COM
mon burial place OF the inhabitants of the city, and du
ring the FIRST century, Of the population of the immo
Because thousands and tens of thousands of human
bones, the remains of remote and immediate
TORS have moudered into and in fact constitute the very
substance of that ground to great depth in some places
thirty feet below the surface; and therefore it will be
impossible to separate that which is human dust from
that which is not if indeed, there be any such; and
therefore impossible to make the needful excavations
with any approach to decency.
Because for these reasons, the meres considerations
Of proprey demand that every foot of the soil in that
ground which would be disturbed by the opening of the
proposed street, should be respectfully removed to
other place OF rest proceeding which would in itself
involve such enormous expense that the property
holders who hope to be benefited by the measure in
question: would seek to avoid it, and thus We should be
subjected to the shocking spectacle seeing the dust of
our oreathers dug up and carted OFF like the sweepngs
OF our streets or the earth excavated from cellars
Because the ground in question conveyed by this
city hundred and fifty years ago Trinity Church for
ever as place Of burial certain conditions which
Trinity Church has not failed to ful and the rca
sons which is claimed justify the taking that ground
for public street would also justify in process Of time
or the cemetery at Mount Vernon-for public road an
arsenal or for any other secular purpose.
1heea use the conditions on Which Trinity Church re-
ceived this common burial place from the city were that
she should inter in it the body any nhabant of New
York OF adult age, for three shngs and any child for
eighteen pence, thus making this venerable spot espe
cia the place of burial for the respectable poor whose
last resting place it becomes us, Christian commu-
nifty, to guard with especial care
Because, in that ground are buried the remains of
hundreds OF revolutionary heroes Of ali ranks in the
yiceocers and men Of equal bravery and devotion to
the great cause Of liberty and national independence
who died the battle field in British prisons or who
after the glorious close of the struggle which they had
by the side Of their brothers in arms who did not live
to see the triumph of the for viii, III they shed
their blood thus making this spot peculiarly dear and
venerable to every American heart and the violation
or the mere perverson Of which, to the pecuniary
terests of very small part of the community, would
civilized world.
Resolved for the foregoing reasons That in the sense
this meeting the opening of Albany street through
this the most ancient burial place this city State
would be wanton and altogether inexcusabe violation
Of the repose of the dead and of the rights and feelings
wealth of few private individuals and that the plea
that for the dead must give way the
airy interests Of the living, is inhumani ghoush and
would justify the Of human dust for any purpose
Of ayr culture, mechanics commerce. by which the
farmer, the artisan or the merchant might turn an
Resolved That respectfully but most earnestly com.
mend these views to the careful consideration Of the
honorable the Mayor and Common Council Of this city,
assuring them that all citizens who do not hope
sona profit from the measure who do not openly pro-
fes disregard for the graves of their fathers and
difference to the memory of the patriots Of the Rcvou
tcn strongly opposed to the projected opening of Al
bany street, and would look with horror on its consum
nation.
Resolved That while we express our adherence of the
violation of Trinity churchyard desire to stamp with
earnest and equal detesaton the attempt TO convert
the ancient cemetery at the Of Sccoud and
First street into matter Of heartess speculation by lay
ing it out into building LOTS especially because this burial
Place dear to those who revere the memory Of the early
founders of Methodism In country, thousands of
whom rest in this haowed enclosure because the pro-
ceeds received by those in charge Of these grounds have
already been to such amount should morally
pei them to protect the remains inferred there at any
pense and at all risks and guard from PROCLAMATION the
oueathea to because he great principle Of the desc
Grafton of cemeteries and the sancty of the grave de-
Ponds upon the action taken in this matter and
this action will mark in the history of city
and country either for the elevation for the bru
alizng Of humanity.
The following resolution offered by Mr. BACON and
Enthusiastically adopted
Resolved, That all Americans who remember the days
and the men of re, and all republicans who venerae
liberty and her sons living or in the grave now voun-
teer a guard to protect the monument erected in
Trinity churchyard TO the memcry of the heroes Of the
OF Independence and TO preserve II nvolatc against
all the enemies Of freedom
The following letters were read
New YORK, March u, 1854.
To GENERAL ANTHONY LAMB, PRESIDENT CINCINNATI
SOCIETY
FEAR SiRThc subscriber in behalf Of number Of his
fellow citizens whose friends and relatives have been
buried in Trinity churchyard, and who, american pa
triots have for the romans of those heroic
who sacrificed their lives in achieving the ndepon
dcnce of the United States many Of whom died while in
captivity in the old sugar house, and inferred in
Trinity churchyard," having requested the citizens OF
Wednesday evening, Goth nst at IN o'clock to rcmon
strate against the violation of the graves attempted in
the Of Improvement in grounds 80 Justly sacred
in the eyes of New Workers respectfully invite you as
the worthy descendant Of Of the most distinguished
Of our counrys defenders whose remains rest
inc in the north part that ancient cemetery TO preside
at said meeting and join in the remonstrance against