Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1891-07-22
craze of Er-President Tyler.

From the Richmond Times.
The decision of Mrs. Jefferson Davis to
commit the custody of the remains of her
distinguished husband to Virginia and Rich
mond has called forth considerable COM
ment over the fact that no monument or
stone marks the grave of ex-President Tyler
in Hollywood. A good deal of talk has been
INDUCED in over this, and the statement has
been made that the grave of that gentleman
is sadly neglected. This is wholly untrue.
His grave is looked after as carefully as any
other in that beautiful city of the dead, and
is frequently most reverentially visited by
his surviving relatives and friends. Still
there is no monument over it, and it is no
wonder that the absence of any mark to
point out his last resting place should nat
urally call forth criticism whenever public
attention is directed to the subject.
A correspondent from Washington to the
Chicago Inter Ocean recently wrote that pa
per that the attention of Congress would be
called to the matter, and that an effort would
be made to secure an appropriation sufii-
cient to erect a suitable monument over this
spot This is right and proper. Congress
should BIZ all means see to it that the grave
of a man who had honorably attained to the
highest place in the gift of the people, and
whose administration was really one of the
most notable in the history of the United
States, should be appropriately designated.
But Virginia also has a duty to perform in
the matter, for Mr.. Tyler belonged far more
to her than he did to the Federal Govern
ment. Almost his whole life was spent in
the service Of his State, for he served her in
both branches of the Legislature; as her
twice elected Governor, and as one of hel
Representatives and Senators in the Con
gress of the United States Then after hav.
ing filed the Presidential chair for -four
years and retired into private life, he wa:
again, in his old age, called from his seclu.
sion to serve his fellow-citizens as president
of the Virginia Peace Congress which tried
so earnestly to avert the war which the
North had determined to wage against the
Southland finally as representative from
Virginia in the Provisional and first per
maneut Confederate Congress.
This long record of public service to Vir
ginia should certainly cause the State to re
gard it as obligatory on her to do something
towards properly marking the grave of ex
President Tyler; but there is still another
and cogent reason why she should do so
In Mr. Tyler's will lie expressed desire t.
be buried in Charles City county where h,
was born, and where the wife of his you'll
and the companion of his political life from
its rise to its mouth, was laid. When b,
died as member of the Provisional Congress
and memberelect Of the first regular Con
gress of the Confederate States, however, i
was specially requested that he should b.
inferred in Hollywood with the understand
ing that the State would properly look afte
his grave This was consented to- and th
Legislature did at that time pass resolu
ton making an appropriation for a monu
ment, but owing to the war and subsequen
events, this resolution became dead letter
and nothing has ever been done to reviv,
it.
1t is right then that Congress should tax,
steps to place monument over the unmark
ed grave of one of the counjry's Presidents
but Virginia should also do her plain duty
in this respect She should, by all means
pay her due tribute to distinguished sol
who never failed to respond to her when she
called for his services, and whose memory
she has so long neglected