Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-10-22
NE0 RO # REEDOM AND KQUALA
TxIN PHILADELPHIA

TWIN PHILADELPHIA,
That all men were born free and
.ouaz. is the burden Of our glorious
declaration of Independence; first
published to the world in the "Clty OF
Brotherly Love-" nigh one hundred
years ago.
In the face of facts, then, and until
ten wears since, existing, we OF the
South were little increduloLs about
this same freedom and equality of all
men, but really, the proteetations OF
the dwellers in the Quaker City were
40 earnest in favor of that view, that
We we're almost persuaded they were
sincere.
A little circumstance has recently oc-
Cured in that pious city which proves
that even if mon are there born Stree
and equal, they lose there equal rights
after death.
Henry Jones was a colored individu-
al, we'll known in Philadelphia as
we'll to do man, and able caterer. Du-
rim. bis lie time he amassed quite
fortune. and had provided for his fu-
turo home, half section in fashion
able cemetery, where the bodies OF the
elite of Philadelphia mouldered into
dust. Henry was a man who kpe"
and appreciated his position in good
soci ETY., and as living. he had served
the erietocracy, 80, dying, he had no
notion of allowing his body to mix
with meaner clay. Having obtained
deed for the half section aforesaid IN a
beautiful cemetery called Mount Mo-
riah'-in honor of the hill upon which
the Temple of Jerusalem was built
he died happy. u II pleasant to die
happy. It is sal faction to feel that
we have made fuissble provision for
the decent interment If our bodies;
particularly if it bo in such beautiful
and arjstocratic cemetery as that of
"Mopnt Mori&h."
If d,s-nbodie led spirits, as some sup
pose. do hover over their mortal tene-
ments until ,terment, that OF poor
Henry mu.t have been sadly grieved
" Zen bis Borrowing misunderstanding
to carry "ut :,is last will ard testament
to bury nj ,.c1v III his l. il Mount
Moriah--, ped by lie sections
firmly anc .-aast contemptuously
refusing to nit ''This is white
mans bury ground" said he.
During the war it was no great dis
qualification with our friends the enc
nv. when soldiers were wanted, that |
the recruits were negroes; they made
good food for powder and the colored /
troops, we are assured did fight nobly. |
Then, battle fields often beheld the
spectacle of a colored soldier and a
white one tumbled together in the
same excavation.
This, however, may be regarded by
the Dice. aristocratic citizens of Phila-
delphia as an exigency wherin circum-
stances left no time for decent burial.
Now, seriously, we think this difficult
ty all absurd and we trust Henry Jones
soul will rest in peace, even though
his body does not slumber on Mount
for though we are believers
in caste yet we doubt whether in the
future world there are separate COM
for the white and shaded
races. But however that may be,
is this not queer exhibition of broth
erly love and equality, made by our
friends in Philadelphia
Let the colored man beware of such
people: they profess and do not.
We state deliberately that decent,
we'll behaved colored men are nowhere
treated with the same respee5 and con
sideration as in the South among their
old masters.
Legal proceedings have been COM
menccd by Jones' family to compel the
custodiaps of the cemetery to admit
the body. end our sympathies are
with the plaintiffs.