The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-27
The Opposition of the Press.


The feeling of opposition to the plan of bury
ing General Grant in Central Park has been
gathering strength here throughout the day,
until it has become intense among all classes.
The nearest friends of the General are those who
crticise the matter most severely. Their oppo-
sition arises from the feeling that Central Park
is only pleasure ground, a place Of museums
| and great variety of attractions.
There is general feeling that the New York
| City officials acted with undue haste and ar
| gued and led the family into agreeing upon this
great show ground before they had time to hear
from General Grants best friends and safest ad-
visers. There is a conviction that if General
Sheridan had been here, Central Park would
never have been chosen. Army officers have
been informed today from the West that nu-
merous old army comrades of the General, who
| are prominent among his nearest friends, have
telegraphed Colonel Grant urging that the de-
| cision in regard to Central Park be changed
| The more it is talked over here the more repul-
| sive the plan appears
The Star we'll expresses the general sentiment
| in its leader when it says There has been up-
| seemly and undignifed haste on the part of the
| New York authorities in trying to force his fam
lily to decide in favor of that city as the burial
| place of General Grant before all the considera-
| tions affecting the case could be presented and
| properly weighed; and at this writing there is
| reason to believe that the statement sent out
from that city last night that the question was
| practically settled in favor of Central Park as
| the chosen spot was intended to prevent discus
sion rather than to express the exact truth If
| it shall turn out to be we'll founded the decision
| is one greatly to be regretted.
| ''Of all places that could have been selected
| for General Grants tomb the people of the
| country Will regard the pleasure ground Of a
| great city as IN every way the most unsuitable
| Central Park is credit and an ornament to the
| city, but 1t is mere play ground 1t is designed
| for the recreation of the masses, breathing
| place for the people Laying aside the consider
alton, which weighs with many persons, that the
| dead should lie IN consecrated soil it jars on
| almost any ones of fitness to learn that
| the body is to rest in pleasure ground.
New York has more than one beautiful ceme-
terry where the honored remains might rest, but
Central Park is but one step from the Polo
grounds or Jerome Racing Park. We do not
recall an instance where a rational hero lies
amid similar surroundings"
The Philadelphia Times thus sets forth the
objections to the present plan: 1T must be
hoped that more suitable burial place may be
chosen for General Grant than the Central Park
in New York. If his associations with that city
were such that his friends wished to have him
buried there, there doubtless cemeteries
where he might be quietly laid to rest. A public
park seems most incongrous place for burial
| inconerous ornament to a park Thus, from
either point of view, the reported selection is in
questionable taste. Regarding General Grant
simply a private citizen. a public place of
sepuchre is not to be discussed. Regarding him
as a national character, the obviously fitting
point for his last resting place would be at
Washington He is more closely associated with
the federal capital than with any other city, and
everyone must feel that his ceremonious en-
tombment there would be suitable and becoming
We could not feel so of his burial in Central
Park
The New York World thus opposes the PLAN
ut has been decided in effect that General
Grant will be buried in Central Park, in this
city The funeral will take place on the 8th of
August. 1t is a cause Of pride that New York is
| to be made the custodian of the great soldiers
remains over the claims of the State that gave
him birth and the State that first gave him mill
| tary honors, but as matter of sentiment it
| would have been better if Washington City had
been selected as the place of interment. The
wishes of the family, however, are to be first
considered. If the selection of resting place
were left to the people of the Nation we are
| confident that the capital would be chosen, for
the principal among several reasons, that
Washington is, moro than any other city, the