Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-06-06
lancaster fntelllgencer.

lancaster fntellgencer.
MONDAY EVENING, JUNE Q, 1881.
The Benes or Penn.
The effort to remove the remains of
William Penn to the state he founded it
seems is not to succeed, owing to the
resolute refusal of the authorities of the
Quaker burial place in England to con-
sent to the removal. This is natural
refusal on their part, since they enjoy
the distinction of being the custodians
of the grave of 50 illustri0usa man. And
they can defend their action on very
sensible grounds. There is really no
very good reason why the bones Of Penn
should be disturbed. Their removal
hither Is altogether . matter of senti-
ment it seems fitting that the grave of
the founder of a great commonwealth
should be within its borders, and it
would certainly be agreeable to the feel
ings of all Pennsylvanians that it should
be here. Yet beyond this nothing can
be said in favor of its disturbance.
The remains rest peacefully where
they are; and very little there
is in fact of them. It would
not really benefit anybody to have
the few bones that may be found brought
across the ocean, unless, indeed, the re-
ceipt of these relics is deemed necessary
to inspire the state of Pennsylvania to
appropriate the moneys needed to
erect a suitable monument to Penn
above them. OF course, il the grave
of Penn is to be in Pennsylvania,
q monument must be erected over it..
But we can have the monument just as
well while the body rests in England in
the grave it has filled for so many years.
And maybe if the monument is first
built the bones may afterward be more
easily got. The present effort to obtain
them seems to have been unadvisedly
made, and without proper knowl-
edge of the cause of the failure of
q previous design Of the same kind sug-
gested by the late Surgeon General Foltz
in the Centennial year. Then as now the
failure resulted from the refusal of the
assent of the trustees of Jordan's grave
yard to consent to the spOliatiOn of its
chief distinction. Nothing has occurred
in the past five years to cause these Eng
lish Quakers to be more favorable to the
wish of Pennsylvania but Oh the con-
trary we have done that which may have
really caused them to doubt whether we
do, after all, care a very great deal for
the fame of William Penn. For did we,
when called upon by the national gov
ernment to furnish, for the adornment
of the capitol, statues of the two most
distinguished Pennsylvanians, select
William Penn as the subject for one ?
We did not; our Legislature did not
promptly name Penn and Franklin, the
two names that naturally arise to the lips
Of Pennsylvanians when called upon to
name their two most illustriOus men ;
but instead a statue commission was ap-
pointed to sit upon the question.
And they sat upon it they sat very
much upon it. They were at least year
sitting.
And naturally after 50 much sitting
and cositatins and consulting they got
muddled, and evolved a couple of de-
ceased gentlemen whom we are quite
sure no one would ever have thought of
naming, Of his own accord and Ioff
hand, rs the most distinguished two
Pennsylvanians.
Perhaps the commission felt that it
would hardly justify its creation if it
indicated such an obvious first choice
as Penn and franklin, though we be
lieve the reason assigned for their rejec-
tiOn was that neither had been born in
Pennsylvania.
Perhaps il our English Quaker cousins
have heard that Pennsylvania refused to
erect monument to Penn rs her most
distinguished citizen, they may have
been confirmed in their reluctance to
confide his bones to her soil.
And the very best thing the state
can do, if she really wants Penn0 re-
mains buried within her borders, will be
to show her regard for his fame
by the erection of an elaborate
mausoleum to his memory. 1t will not
need to Ike over his body /; but maybe
the English Quakers, when they see the
magnificent place made ready by the
state for the bones of its founder, will re.
lent and let her have them.