The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-07-18

or bsnc' actor is a ,itic, what rate shall hS tho
co. tEe right IS hereditary, must not time multi
Y 10 tbo evil 20 excess and will not our churches |
6e crowded beyond endurance If distinc ions
of rank arc 20 exist after death, can vanity know
any limitation ofjudgmenti II fthese distinctions
are to be procured for money, will not vanity
lavish riches 70 procure themi Aud would it be |
proper for the Church to prostitute wea IN as an
honor only due TO such as have been rem
dcred worthy bv the grace OF Cod ~ Having |
thus 6dduccd unIuswcrGblc arguments against
the peruiciUus custom, the Archbishop pro
,tIyc arc disposed, dearly beloved brethren, 20 |
show an possible moderation /. this necessary |
reformation; though chargcdto be strict VA tlg
| discharge Of our pastoral duuea, we arc ahu"vu |
| Discretionary power, and can consult your |
| habits your opinions, and cyon your prJudices, |
| and all that may ConcIlime your interests WIN /
| the glory OF Gods but woe 70 MS, ~, ol9uyu ny |
| weakness we lose sight of the experience OF |
| mast apes and suffer things still tO CONTINUE thot
have tin now served, and can cnly ser'e' TO per
| petuate disorder ,,,,,.c,u.
| ,dyocafes-a fact we need only alludo To as at
| fordiug an additional proof Of the good common
sense Of our people, The large majority are IN
favor of buryiug their dead, not without the city,
hut quite a considerable distance from u. In
instances, indeed, this feeling s carried 10 Au
extreme; Greenwood Cemetery Is rathcr IaI
fom New York TO suit the poorer classes Oh oul
citizcus vet there are others, at least one OF Two,
! that are still moro inCOnYCnlent nearly, II hO'
| quite, twice as far. ,-.t
air of gay ETY. which, were it not Tor the tOm's
| ond n, M made graves, would ba much more sug-
acstiye OF pleasure. grounds for the living, than
| of the last resting places OF the dead lhere Is
| no lack of trees in our graveyard, but they arc
seldom of The right kind One-fuurth as many
as there ave, il we'll selected would nc vastly
more auitable. 1t is not natural, but the reverse,
that a cemetery should be like garden 10 the
! dead II is all the same what kind OF trees grow
over their graves their only use consists in thelr
moral ell, ct on the living. Then the question rs,
| ought this effect 60 be solemn, or otherwsc fhI
| be IL from us 20 maintain that we should DC tuBnt
tn reoord death with horror, since II is as natural
for as 70 die as 10 be born But there should be
something in the abode Of the dead calculated to
awaken solemn thoughts in the living, to remind
| them that their time Is approaching.
In short, the church-yard should nave an hlr
Of desolation rather than Of luxurant and vigor-
Gus growth, vegetable growth only though it be.
) Two or three suitable trees, therefore, would be
; better than fifty. These few might be yeWS, OF
; cypr, sscs or cedars or mixture of the three
4 kinds The vine and the fig tree might be used
with good effect, but sparngy, for they are appro
u pirate if not sacred, types. Any of those which
J, we have mentioned Is much more suitable than
:; either the weeping-willow or the tyyi both o
y which are pagan types OF such character ~
: would be readily rejected by every Christian.
% But more bad taste is shown in the planting o
n flowers in graveyrds than by any other means
6 with the sole exception of those silly epltaphs
y which read as il their design were to excite rldl
IS cule and contempt. The fewer flowers we plan
ol over our friends graves the better, if we do no
wish 10 seem as if we riumphed In their death
~ There is, indeed, no mproprety in planting en-
OF rose of Sharon, or the wild vine of AmeriG
K beside the rrave of those dearest 70 us, NO i'm
eS proper idea Is associated with either of these Of
" the contrary, both are suggestive OF What IL u
y | once pure and hopeful; but Wheh many oStle c
r- kinds are added indscriminatcly, as Is 100 0Iei
le the case the profusOn is suggestive OF no;hnt
n else but thoughtlessness aud bad taste.
le AS for burning the dead, it has few advocate
ol at the present day in any part of Christendon
is for the strongest arguments in It's favor nav
been set aside by the general adoption OF lntra
nc mural burial. Were there no alternative Dl
ss either to establish burial grounds in the hear
nc of our popuous cities, have recourse TO burr
re ing them indeed, the latter might be preferable
e as not so injurious to the public health as th
~ former. Were we to exclude religious conslt
nc eraious altogether, there would still remain tn
er fact that il is not philosophical to burn Oh
IL dead since IL is violent means of hasenin
ar that dissolution which is the proper work
~ nature. When science is TO be benenteu
IL the immediate destruction of a corpse, thel
IL; generally speaking there should be no oble'
Gu ton TO it but when the motive for destruction
VIC simply to guard against the disagreeaoleness {
| nossible danger of decomposition or putrellt
Gu lion the question presents a different aspect
~ cannot prevent the decay OF vegetable matte
us which, according 10 the most eminent physician
nv nv and chemists, is much more dangerous 10 heal
IS, than that of animal matter. In short, we cann
Llu save ourselves from decay 1t is the law OF OF
W. nature and we have to abide by 1t why therefor
ing o. TastroS bnt even in lis inanimate state
au- Ionp as The face remains--has still something in
ept thafrcminds us of the Creator BUTT was not
ies intention to discuss the merits of any plrcul
tno burial custom. All we meant was to give !
Do readers q glance at the different modes of int
ear ment and the accompanying ceremonies pr
tised by those ancient and modern nations, W
% ,m are most unlike, as well as most ike, each on
ALL - ~ Ia ~ eleye that This would not prove
mat interesting, since, let mankind say what they
SIN. of their dlsso alton, it is a subject 10 which NJ
h Of ar M 10 M restTan onr vanity il is
Two Two contemplation OF what man in this life = SURF
Ions come to sooner later, and how etiectuay dc
i % brings all that is mortal OF the greatest conqu(
6mn " wv wv