New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-10-31
BURNING BODIES.
70 a, Ed.io~ a TIE " L. Tylbaas.

copied from 7ke MUraskee American. The truly
centlenspike ard Christian writer las his language
proves bin to be thst penned the article In question
is very oquept in his denunciaon of Z" the upgodly
act committed by hat " moral monster that ic-
"fsmous husband who being doubtless iustigated
thereto BY tue devil end no. having the fear of The
MirapLcc american before bis eyes, prepared 20 fu Ill
the las, wishes of his DEF ted wife. Now would ask
The american 10 explain in precise terms in what con-
siss the crime Of burning dead bOdy-to point out
the moral guilt Of the act To say that is opposed
TO Il moral sense CT the community is no sign that
the deed IL q Itself wckec that volates any nstur
al law-the true standard by which to judge of the
intrinsic meit Of our actors. " The moral sense Of
the con munity is often sadly astr,y on questions OF
right or wrong bl history proves Ii was the moral
sense of Queen Mary Of EDgaad that caused the
free Of Snithfeld to blaze fercely. She thought
rel gion called on her to pat down heresy with the
strong hand II was the moral Of the priesthood
Joined to that e the people who backed them, that
filled the dungeons of the Inqusition and kinded the
sggos for the auto da ia. Ii the moral sense OF
the Pr testants of EogaDd that led them TO persecute
the non-conforusts with the urspsrng bitterness they
old, and that moral sense led the COvenanters
of Scotland to shoot and cut down the EpIscopaans
in their turn, thinking they were thus doing God
Puriians led them to persecute the Quakers and de-
STOW the witches socsled. And 10 come down to our
own times the moral sense Of one class OF men does
not binder them from keeping in hopeless ignorance
and slavery another class whose skin chances to be
d@ker and still further this vsunted moral sense in
duces set Of ntoerants to prosecute to the extent Of
their little power such of their feow-ctizens and
Others in this country as happen to have been born 10
tborn Of tba thereby
they are saving the country and their religion from
tbrestered attack. In short, the moral sense, or in
other words the religious principle in the human
mind when unai led and unenlightened by reason,
has induced mankind, and will again induce them,
TO comu it ell kinds Of atrocities their fellows 10
stop at no sort of ersecutoD under the excuse and
cloak that their religion requires it Consequently,
hold that the moral sense Of an excited community is
dangerous guide to follow 10 questions of right wrong
l. IL sign that a man must be heather las this
writer would infer because he disposes Of his dead in
the same way as some heather nations have done
just as logical to ASSERT that we must be cannlbas
becsuse We In common with some csnnbal nations,
use fire in the preparation of our food. am afraid
that there are some customs among US much moro
akin to those OF savage and heather people than that
Of bunrg the dead. Some savages wear rings ON
their and lips paint their bodies, shave their
heads compress their feet into deformty, eat
opium, swallow injurious drinks, wage uefciess wsrs,
ki seue prison with hord tOments at the stake,
ano keep hers as slaves, &C.; While some people
that don't think the mselves savages wear rings in
their ears psint thor faces shave their heads, COM
press their waists into deformy chew tobacco, swal-
low poisonous alcoholic drinks, kill each other by
millions, in the nineteenth century, burn men a. the
stake take criminals out Of the hands of law officers,
lsppointed by tbemselyes,) and marder them with
fearful barbsrity, even though they the criminals)
may have been insane,
II would be better for The Miltcankee american TO
exIend ne vruous indignation on such practices as
these than .oi its columns with such language as 1t
applied TO Mr. Pfeil.
have long been in favor Of burning the dead in
stead Of buryiDg them, and am not afraid to svow
and defend it, even if 80 doing shall ,ause me 20 he
placed in the moral monster list of The MlDaukee
hmerieaa. Now for the reasons:
FIRST: Bu,nirg tie dead would conducs to the
health of the living. Mr. Pieil is perfectly correct
when he Gays that plaques ard fever arise from the
practice Of inrsmuTal interment in cities Many can
testify TO fearful disease breaking out from the open
ing Of fresh graves where previous victims Of the
pesterce had been buried. Signal instances OF this
occu red in London after the gres. plague III sd the
bodies been burned instead OF buried this would not
have occurred. high temperature destroys insec-
tious and poisonous matter.
Second: 1t would obyiate the terrible overcrowding
of the grsveyards which i. apparent in cities
especially in the old world. Ia Of the grayeyards
Of Ltndon the collins are four deep, and one par
scular OCCASION when making room for fresh inter-
merits the cons were broken open and the cecaying
booies actually minced up by the spades Of the grave
Giggers IL there anything half 80 hesthenish' in
burning booies in running the chance Of that desc
Grafton OF the dead.
7lird II would be more agreeable to the feelings
of the surviving relatives and friends to thisk that the
body Of the departed loved one saved from the
pollution Of decay and all the disgusting circumstances
a.te nding it
Fourth II would prevent the practice Of body
.re.cLiIg. Surgeons coulc 10 longer dig up the re-
airs Of beloved wife or mother, TO cut 10 pieces
and expose to the Of the dssectDg Students
while at the same time criminals, and those that
ced the public hospitals, could be preserved for
the rurfose, and would present fair and Legitimate OBJ
iects for the knife OF the operator.
FIN It would hinder that fightful catastrophe
buying alive which occurs more frequently during
pestiltnces than the public are aware Of Far, far
better to be burned up instsntaneOusly in raging
furnace while Isensible than 10 awake from trance
10 fnd ore;ef in coffin
Sxth It would prevent the tearing open Of graves
sn6 the devourpg Of toe bodies By beasts Of prey as
often happens.
La connection wi l. the influence OF ihtermen's On
tie health Of the comm unity night have been msn-
tored the pollution Of tie drinking water r IN the