Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1858-08-27
Dedication of Oak wood cemetery.

DeGtcatiOn OF OAK WOOu CemOtefy.
On Saturday the 2lst, the dedicatory GER
cmonos of Oak Wood Cemetery took place.
The day was pleasant, and quito largo
number OF people from the town and coun-
try wero present.
About IL o'clock, r. P. BUcKLAND, Pres't
of tho Association, called the attention of
those present to tho necessity Of tho enter
prise, and tho law Of tho State regulating
Cemetery Associations. Ho then placed
tho grounds in the hands of tho Clergy of
our town for dedication, which services
were commenced by Singing; prayer by
Rev. j. HELLER; reading of tho Scrip
turc by Rev. II. LANG; address by Rev. ].
I. CAPLEs, which we here give.
Ny CHRISTIAN FRIENDS This occasion
is to me, and doubtless to you, q somewha.
novel, and yet solemn ono. Death is a
subject with which all are familiar; they have
become SO from tho history of tho past,
from tho observation Of almost every day,
and in many instances from those broken
ties that were dear as life itself Yet the
subject of death is solemn one; it has
long since passed into kind of sacred
proverb, Solemn as Doath." 1t is an i'm
pressive subject, calculated to impress the
mind with the sad fact of mans mortali-
ty, insomuch that the wso man hath said
sit is better to go tho house of mourning,
than to tho house Of fcasting; for that is
the end of all men, and the living will lay
it to heart.' Death dissolves the union
THAT existed between tho soul and body,an
when this unionis broken the seul is re-
moved to tho spirit land, but tho body is
left with us to be disposed Of Tho dispo-
sition msdo Of, and the honors which lnvc
been paid in all ages and nations to the
codes Of the dead, seem strongly to indi
cate that there existed universal persua-
sion that scpnlchres and tombs were the
mere deposit2ries of the body; and that
the body was at some future time to come
forth from the slumbsrS of death.
+ The manner in which tho dead are dis
posed of, is not only indicative o. the state
Of society, but has its beneficial or injurious
effects upon human nature. The cmbalm-
ing, Of bodies was process in some meas,
ure cruel and inhuman; the body was to
some degree mutilated; the brains, bowels
and intestines were extracted. The ancient
Egyptians regarded this operation as bar
barous, and when those who performed this
part had completed the operation, they
fed, and were pursued with stones by the
bystanders. 1t is unjust to tho dead, be-
cause it exposes too visibly their wretched
state and deformity, spectators 500 nothing
but the melancholy and frightful remains Of
what they onco were. Burning the body is
scarcely less inhumaD, as it treats with vio-
lenco the casket Of the soul, and destroys
too suddenly and hastily tho remains Of
those once dear TO us. Cambyses, after
having offered thousand indignities to the
body of Amascs, king of Egypt, thought
to climax all indignities by causing his body
to be burned. That OF intsrment is the
most ancient and scriptural. Abraham,
when Sarah died, stood up from before his
dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, say
ing 81 am stranger and sojourner with
you; give me possession of burying- place
that may bury my dead out of my sight"
To this the children of Heth answered, "In
the choice Of our sepulchres bury thy dead. "
Abraham modestly declined this hospitsble
act of the sons of Hsth, for from time i'm,
memorial it had been thought A alsstiDp dis