The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1883-02-25
Proraning the Dead President.

A CHASTITY martial ceremony is kept up in
cemetery In Northern ohio, in guarding with mill
tary form and force the sepuchre of the late President
Garfield, which shocks All healthy senslbilltes This
military ceremony began with tho guard of honor
which attended the corps on he way from Washing
ton and at the funeral and has continued ever since
When 1t had passed beyond the funeral, the only
reason was thar the tomb might be violated and the
body stolen To be held for This reason has no
termination; for as In the case OF Washington, IL may
he supposed that the relies will become and more
veneraei when time has oblierated the asperities of
me cohhlct IN when The HE was passed and lost.
Naturally the Presldentwho has been well hammered
aud careful In paying all the forms Of respect his
10 order the discOntnuancc Of
this guard lest II may charged TO want OF respect
Naturally the General of the Army has the same
deicaCy Indeed, II there was "A reason for
this watch, the reason has expiration. People do
not speak against this gh0slly performance the
same reason that they fear to omit or oppose any Of
the customary funeral Obseryances to their friends
though unable 10 afford them, lest II may be charged
to want of feeling The situation lisa fit occasion for
that happy union of indyldull liability with n sense
OF moral responslblly to the public which is In
dicated by signed editorials
The public are Informed that military guard is
KEPT ~ me tolD, nut are NOT fully aware NJ the
CHASTITY nature OF the ceremony, the repulsve-
ness of the duty which this imposes on the soldiers.
II plants military encampment In cemetery in
Northern ONO In winter under command Of a lieu
tenant. Tho .irmy and N1Uy Journal Of February
announces that Lieut.. &. 4, Burbank, Tenth In
fantry, took charge, January 81 Of the military guard
nj Cleveland Oho over the remains Of the late Pres
dent Garfield relieving Lieut. william Panlding same
regiment, who has reOined at Fort Wayne, - DE
trOit) sentries with guns patrol the tomb day and
night, relieved at Intervals with all the military
forms, ana under command OF olhcers Of the guard.
Their orders are Ia guard the body, and there must
be an Official verihcatIOR that they have done their
duty, aud that each 0lceT OF the guard has received
that when ne Is TO guard To verify this whenever
the officers of the guard are changed, they open the
comm identify the corps aud exchange receipts Tor
IT, Thus have put the body OF the slain President
into daily norgue, and . continuous p0st-mortem
examination, violating an the slnctity Of the grave
aud forcing the soldiers into this Tepusye duty, la
the name Of honOrlng aud guarding the remains.
The tomb * violated to protect II from violation.
An the natural Instincts OF the saCredness of the body
which the life has Inhabited Teyoltat this PROCLAMATION
Better that the body were IN the hands those who
would treasure IL for ransom than 10 be subjected
this daily omCial inspection by soldiers. To whom It
Is an extreme aversion. The good sense which Mrs
Garfield has manifested IN an that the public know OF
her gives assurance that this dissertation Is Tepug-
TO her feelings; hut Ia her than 10 an others
there is reason for dcllcacy which would keep her
from interfering. The aiIar is hitting time for cOn-
sideraon OF the subject OF burial, beyond the quas
ton Of the liability Of tho dead bodies OF the rich 10
be stolen and held for ransom. II burial In fact
return 20 tho earth, the risk Of violation would
When restored to earth ia resurrection Is
In matter and forlpa which are all beautiful. In the
elOquence Uf the aboriginal tribes sentiment has
ner pathOs than that which regards the earth as their
mother, Civilization goes backward 10 Egyptian ma
terlasm when u lres to preserve the forms OF the
dead by piCkling them, or converting them 10 fright
ful numiniesi on when by patent CONN devices for
keeping them from thai universal solvent, The earth
II makes decomposition more hide0us.
The sentence, earth to earth 80 describes the en-
ghtened and the Christian burial The earth the
universal creator IN Whoin hOihlnE S ahulhllatcQ-iu
whose grand cfucbo all things arc recreated In forms
Of iuGnite variety. MI her processes wholesome.
She quickly converts the oulest matter to things OF
the most delicate beauty and 20 tho n0urishment Of
her children. II the rObbng Of tOmhs 70 hold bodies
for ransom by rich heirs shall have the effect 10
this enlightened burial, which places the dead Ia
the bosom Of the universal kindly, bOuDtlful mother
GARTH they wiz have been well disposed OF. This
ghastly ceremony at tho Garfield sepulchre should
cease. The civilized ana barbarian mind alike regard
the grave place OF rest after tho fierce battle Of
life This instinct Of nature Is shocked by the mill
NFa T H tI
the maus0leum OF slain President into military
mOrgue and Imposes upon soldiers the duty Of daily
post mOrem Inspection which Is revolving 10 them
aud dlshonuIing 10 the dead, - OiHoiaaatf Coamer-
cidI gazette.