The evening times., 1898-09-24
WHERE JOHN TYLER RESTS.
The Tomb of the Tenth President
Wholly Unmarked

Wholly Unmarked
The fact that the grave of one of the
Presidents of this republic is today IN
marked by even so much as board,
although he has been under the sod for
more than thirty-five years, is, perhaps,
news to many who remember when Tip
pecanoe and Tyler too" was so potent
political battle cry And yet it is true
that John Tyler, the tenth President OF
The United States, sleeps without . mon
ument to mark his last resting place in
Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Va.
The grave of Tyler Is on Presidents
Hill. so called because two men, who
once were the Chief Magistrates of this
nation, are buried on top of the knoll.
President Monroe's tomb being within 4
few feet OF Tyler's and marked by an
imposing monument. Only a short dis
tance away lie the remains of jefferson
Davis. President Of the Confederate
States; James Alexander Seddon, Secre-
tary of War of the Same government;
Commodore Matthew Fontaine Maury,
the Pathfinder of the Seas; John Ran
dolph, of Roanoke; Richard F. Bierne,
famous Richmond editor, and others
whose names are indissolubly connected
with the history of the Old Dominion and
the nation.
Suitable provision was made for mon
ument for Tyler by the general assembly
Of the State of Virginia, but the resolu-
ton was never put into execution. Presi-
dent Tyler died on January is, 1862, and
at that time the Old Dominion had her
hands full with the war between the
States, and this probably accounts for the
neglect in a measure. In his will,
dated October 10, 1859, Tyler inserted this
clause:
Il empower my dear wife to make out
of my estate suitable provisions for my
burial, and let my body be consigned to
the tomb in the earth of the county
whore ] was born, there to repose till
the day Of resurrection. My wife will Sc
lect the spot in Sherwood Forest Chis resi-
dence) and mark it by uncostly monu-
ment of granite or marble An inscrip-
ton Will be found in the paper inclosing
this"
Immediately after his death the general
assembly of the State of Virginia adopt
ed a testimonial, closing with these
words:
Resolved, that with the consent of his
family his remains be deposited in Holly
wood Cemetery, in the city of Richmond,
near the remains Of James Monroe and
that the governor Of this State be au-
thorized to cause a suitable monument 10
be erected TO his memory
Here the matter has rested ever since
so far as the State government is con-
cerned- Capt John Lamb. who repre-
sents the Richmond, or Third District, in
Congress, has worked for a long time TO
get a bin through Congress to appropri-
ate $4,000 for placing a monument over
the spot, under the direction of the Sec
retary of State. AT the last session of
Congress the resolution was fayorably
reported from the House Committee on
the Library by Representative Amos J.
Cummings, Of New York, and committed
TO the Union Calendar but Representa-
tive Lamb was unable to get Speaker
Reeds recognition to call up the resolu-
tion. In its report the committee on the
library said:
From early manhood to extreme old
age, throughout a long and eventful ca
reer. he CTyler) had served his country
with conspicuous ability, fidelity and
zeal. AS a member of the general assem-
bly, Of Virginia, as a member of her ex-
ecutive council, as governor of the Com
monwealth, as member of the State
conventions of 1880 and 1861, as A member
United States, as Senator from Virginia
I'm the Senate of the United States, as
President Of the peace conference at
Washington, member of the pro-
Nisional congress of the Confederate
States, as chancellor Of William and
Mary College, as Vice President of the
United States, and as Chief Magistrate of
the Republican all these high places of
honor and Of trust he acted well his part
and wrote his own eulogy upon the pages
OF his country's history.
by his brilliant talents and attain
ments, his unyieding devotion TO princi-
pie, his ardent patriotism and lofty in
tegrity, and, above all, by the spotless
purity OF his public and private character
he won the undying admiration of his
countrymen and shed enduring luster
upon the American name.
His remains now lie inferred at Holly
wood Cemetery, in the city of Richmond,
near the last resting place of James Mon
roe. We submit that the erection of a
suitable shaft TO mark the spot where his
ashes repose would be recognized by the
American people as pious and patriotic
duty, and that in thus honoring him we
would do honor TO ourselves
President Tyler's first wife was Miss
Lstitia Christian who was born at Cedar