Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-20
International Eseciy SuascHFrr.

Some American citizens seem TO have a sinru-
lar love of disinterrng dead bodies and remov-
ing them from the places where they We're de-
posted by the friends and relatives of the de-
parted. 1t is not long since all that was NOR
tai of tie late Nj. Stewart. a successful trades
man. was secretly dug up and carried of. nor
are We aware that the relics have even now been
recovered and restored. Mr. Stewart WAS prob
ably by descent a ScOtchman. yet We deem it an
improbable theory that Professor Blackie and
Othef Catedoniap patriots have combined to re-
move his ashes to the land of the mountain and
the flood. Some of the inhabitants Of Pennsvl-
yanla are eacer to carry the bones Of William
Penn from their English grave to the State
which Penn founded. and to bury them i'm the
midst OF Il city where il is supposed that their
presence will raise the moral tone of the pub
lie. There is something of ancient Greek senti-
ment in this proposal. About the time of the
Persian-or was il the Peloponnesian war;
an oracle commanded the Athenians to bring
back the mighty bones of their great local hero.
Theseus. and to bury them in Athenian soil
According to the tradition. Theseus al ed in
exile in SyrOS and his DosthumouS restoration
to Attica was a kind of amends to his memory
In the same way the removal of the dust of
Dante from
''the tomb
On Ravenna sands, in the shade
Or kavenna pines,
to Florence would be kind of dilatory amends
made by that city to the memory of her most H.
lustriOus exile. The reinterment of Napoleon
in Paris was the most famous modern examine
of an honorable disturbance Of the repose of the
dead. All these are examples of the restoration
OF an exile to the country which regrets him.
We can understand the French sentiment about
Napoleon
Though more than half the world was his.
lie lied without L rood his own,
And borrowed IRON his enemies
SIX loot OF ground TO lie upon.'
So Thackeray rhymed. And it was natural that
the French should wish to transport their hero
from remote and hostile island to the capital
OF the nation, which. for moment of historic
time. he made the foremost i'm the world. The
Pennsy lvanan desile to bring back the ashes OF
Penn TO Pcnnsy lvania does not seem to lis to
have quite the same sentimental excuse Penn
after all. was an Englishman and he died i'm his
own country. among his own people among
friends of his own religion. Among them too
he was buried HE is surrounded by his two
wives and five children and many Of his most in
innate friends, say the trustees of JOrtians es-
tate. the plot of ground in which Penn is in-
TERED. 4 Bucking hanlshire man and Quaker.
he is buried in a Quaker burial ground. in a
quiet field Of his native land. Why should he
not be allowed TO remain there especially as the
members of the Society Of friends anc; the trus-
tees OF the cemetery are anxious that his grave
and the grave OF his wives should not Dc violated
even by the pious hands OF Pennsyiyanians:
We confess that we think the circumstances
which justify interference with the asst resting
places OF men are rare: and it is not without re-
9ret that we read of nyasiOns even of ancient
barrows. and Of modern pckaXes at work above
the sleeping head of the king of men.-The Sat
tiatdy Recielr