Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-21
THE TOMB OF LINCOLN.
A Dfsgraeefu1, SfckenfnE Sham mt
SDrfnR6ell.

Springfield.
Harriet Monroe in the Chicago Times-Heral
1t was last spring that I visited for the
first time the capital of my native state.
AS the highest privilege connected with this
visit, looked forward to standing beside
the last resting place of the brave emanci
pator, the martyred President, the greatest
man of the nineteenth century. To be sure,
1 knew that the tomb under which he lay
had little artistic value, but 1 supposed
that at least it was a decent covering, and
that the sleep of the hero was respectfully
guarded. did not expect to be moved to
disgust and nausea, to have every senti-
ment of honor and patriotism outraged and
sickened. did not expect to find the mon
ument and the manner OF it's guardianship
a mere insult to a great memory.
we drove up toward the tomb one bright
spring morning. The cemetery is beauti-
1ully located-a succession of gentle slopes,
well wooded and the monument is situated
IN commanding position at the apex of
one of these hills ArtisticalE, it was hope
Iess. hrst glance sufficed to convince
me that the worst had heard of it was not
pad enough. l reflected that little could be
expected of work of monumental archi-
lecture which was designed at the worst
period OF mid-century degradation. In all
the worlds history there was never a time
when civilized nations became so lost to all
sense of beauty in design as the era of
Louis Philippe and the decades which fol-
lowed. In this country, especially, the en-
ergies of the people were driven during
these years to things more strenuous than
art; We had few architects or sculptors
worthy the name; and such as we had ac-
cepted without question the blight which
vitiated taste everywhere at that time. In
approaching the monument. even while
sorrowing over Its heavy and brutal ugli-
ness, l excused the people who paid for 1t
cOndnnp he mo wi m pad
II. doubtless 1t was not their fault the
architects did not know any better and
the people probably got as good~a design
as they could at that time. But longed
with all my soul that might live to see the
day when the state would grow enlightened
enough to remove the unsightly pile and
give US something better.
A Fee Demanded.
AS we left the carriage and drew near
the Enclosure the sense of degradation
grew within me. The monument was sur
rounded by a common picket fence of wood,
at the gate of which we were met by a
person in uniform, who demanded a paltry
fee, as though at the door of a museum.
We paid, and mounted the granite steps,
In spite of loyalty and decorum, 1t was i'm
possible not to laugh at those bumptious
groups of emblematic statuary which were
scattered around the base of the shaft.
What observer with any sense of humor
could help laughing at them, even though
his heart grew sore at the thought of the
great life which they were supposed to in
terpret in enduring bronze? There was
little comfort to be found there SO we re-
traced our steps and entered the chamber
to which the uniformed functionary had in
vited us.
l don't know what to call this place. 1
supposed that 1t would be house of peace,
Surely. Lincoln must be sleeping not far
away, and yet here-oh, unspeakable in
sult!-here. within few feet Of his bones,
we were led around like pair of morbid
slght-seers, among hdeous and ignoole
things; The functionary recited a rigma-
role descriptive of these objects which
covered the walls and Uttered the floor and
filled showcases in the center All the
years of my life had lived in happy ig-
norance of the fact that ghouls had once
attempted to desecrate Lincoln's grave and
carry away his bones, and yet here, in this
sacred place. must be shown the portraits
of these infamous marauders, the tools
with which they began their ghastly inva-
sion. must hear every detail of their
attempt, their capture. trial and punish
ment-the history of deed so dark that 1t
should be blotted out of memory forever.
here also was piece of cloth stained with
the martyrs blood, with other morbid evil
a .,a1 OF the violence of his death; and ar
ticles of furniture he had used wired up
to guard them from relic hunters ruck
OF trash was admitted here pell-mell;
memorials from anybody who had chosen
wholly foreign to the subject, as when
some German admirer of the great emanci-
pator sent life-sized husts of certain for
efgn worthless who reminded him of Lin
coin.
At Lenst Not Deserted.
My gorge rose before 1 could quit the
place and get out once more under the blue
sky. After that experience I hesitated TO
follow the guide further; only the most
nf 6Itv
whole humiliating lesson. We walked
around to the other side Of the monument
and entered the chamber of death. 1t was
relief 10 find this at least bare not des-
ecrated like the abominable place we had
Just left. But it was cheap and paltry TO
the last degree-a mere little plastered
room, without any. pretense of dignity in
proportions or materials. Beauty one could
not expect, of course, but we had right
to expect honest stone walls and roof, with
gates and other metal work of bronze.
l drove away heartsick and guilty. How
far was l responsible as citizen of the ma
ton he served, as a native of his own
state? Must 1 accuse the whole American
people of ingratitude and disloyalty, pro-
nounce their worship Of this hero mere
the beloved of other nations. none more
worthy than he of honor; the high, somber
arches Of Westminster Abbey, the silent
austerity of the Invalides, the cleaning
white sunshine-I thought of these and
longed that the bones of the great Ameri-
can might be as nobly consecrated to re-
pose.
Let US be glad, then, that this monument
is not built of enduring granite, that its
massiveness is a mere veneer, condemned
to destruction like other shams. Let us
! remove the dead from its desecrating shell
ter and then tear it down to the last brick
| and melt its statues in the fusing pot And
then let US take advantage of the new ar
tistic era which is giving our nation the
lead of all the world in architecture and
bringing her well to the front in sculpture
| and painting. Let US see If we cannot con-
centrate the artistic energies of the coun-
try upo4 this monumental work, as we did
| a few years ago upon the Columbian ex-
| position. as Boston does today upon her
public library. There is genius enough in
America to do it, money enough to pay for
| 1t. We need no longer feel overwhelmed
| with shame at the tomb of the mighty
dead.
RIGHTS OF THE CHILDREN,
| They Need Playground and Sent