Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-06-03

To the EdItOr Of The EVENING STAR:
Being requested and authorized to show how
idle are ali plars and suggestions for the re-
moval of Je:ferson's remains from Monticello,
ask place in your columns for this card.
The interesting origin ofthe Monticello grave
yard should in itself be reason sufficient for
leaving its great dead undisturbed. More than
century ago, two earnest and enthusiastic
young men of genius and devoted friends
Thomas Jefferson and Dabney Carr-sought the
solitude of the wooded sides of a then unnamed
little mountain, and week after week during
their college vacation studied together at the
foot OF a certain oak So attached did they be-
come to the spot that a mutual promise was
made that the one who died first should be
buried by the other at the foot of this favored
tree. Young Carr died on the threshold of life
but not too soon for his rising genius to have
made its mark and ranked his name among
those distinguished in the early days of the reyO-
luton Jefferson, who was away at the time of
his friends death. found him already buried on
his return, but, true to his promise removed his
body and placed it at the foot of the tree whose
secular arms now stretch over the graves of the
two friends. as undivided in death as they were
In life. The very thought of disturbing their
long siuElber by removing either of them should
seem sacreIigiOuS.
But above every consideration as to where q
man should be buried certainly his own wish on
the subject Is to be placed Jefferson expressed
his most distinctly in directions given his grand
son and executor, the late Mr.. Jefferson Ran
dolph. To bury him in the space left vacant Tor
his grave between those of his long lameDted
wife and Of his daughter Mrs. Eppes In the
State department. framed. and placed beside the
Declaration of Independence, there can now be
read, in mis- own handwriting. on the torn back
of an old letter the directions for his monu-
ment. aud its inscription. These directions-at
once so simple and so strikin9-were carried out
by his grandson in the erection OF the monIl-
ment al Monticello. which is now to be replaced
oy the one for which Congress has made the
recent appropriation.
When Mr.. Wise was governor OF Virginia he
made formal and earnest request i'm his Off
cial character, backed by personal friendship
that SIR Randolph would allow his grandfather's
remains To be removed TO Richmond. The lat
ter declined the request peremptorilv saving
that he had buried Jefferson i'm the spot chosen
Dv himself. and where he had directed him to
see that he was buried. and there he should
rest 1t would be appropriate to remove
shakespeare from Stratford to Westminster Abb
Dey as Jefferson from Monticello to Washington.
During the four years in which the matter of the
appropriation by Congress was under considera-
lion not single objection to the monument
being placed at Monticello was made By any of
JeaersOn's grandchildren. On the contrary the
prospect and hope of having it there was one of
earnest congratuiation among them. Mrs.
Trist. a granddaughter. who has passed away in
the last few weeks. was deeply interested i'm the
passage by Congress of the resolution making
the appropriation. and nothing would have been
more repugnant to her feelings than any sug-
gest1on to move her graHdfathers remains
from his loved Monticello. In effect a change
could not be done without getting another bill
through Congress, which would scarcely be Dos
sibie- BE this as it may. under no crcum-
stances will the owners of the graveyard at
Monticeiio allow his remains to be removed
from the spot selected by himself as their last
resting-piace- These owners are Virginians
They are the descendants of jefferson himself
snd the children OF the grandson. who, while
living, was the custodian of his wishes and feel
1ngs on the subject They would. therefore be
trebiy recreant to their duty should they consent
to the proposed removal. With the publication
OF these facts all such proposals, If is TO be
hoped. will cease. Whether they do or not. it
may be safely asserted that the great mans long
sleep Ion that lovely mountain side. surrounded
by the graves OF his children and grandchildren
70 the fifth generation" will remain unbroken.
VIRGINIA
THE writer Of the foregoing is understood to
Be not only familiar with all the facts in the
premises. but also qualified by ties of consan-
guinity to speak authOritatively on the subject,
% far as the wishes of Jefferson's descendants
are concerned Whatever arguments might be
urged in favor Of the removal Of his remains,
the reasons thus set forth against that PROPOSE
ton would therefore seem to be conclusiye.-Ep.
STAR