Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-01-06
M N MEMS u si|k dSSyl.e
The Only President Who Is without = Monu-
ment.

The fact that the grave of one of the
Presidents Of this republic is today
unmarked by even so much as a board,
although ne has been under the sod
for more than thirty-five years. is per-
hans. news to many who remember
when "Tippecanoe and Tyler too" was
SO potant a battle cry. And yet 1t Is
true that John Tyler, the tenth Presl-
dent of the United States, sleeps with
out a monument to mark his last rest
ing place in Hollywood cemetery,
Richmond, Va.
The grave of Tyler Is on Presidents
Hill, 80 called because two men, who
once was the chief magistrate of this
nation, are buried on top of the knoll,
President Monroe's tomb being within
few feet of Tyler's and marked by an
imposing monument. Only a short
distance away lie the remains of JEFF
ferson Davis, President of the Confed-
crate States: James Alexander Sed
don, Secretary of War of the same
government: Commodore Matthew
Fontaine Maury. the pathfinder Of the
seas, John Randolph OF Roanoke, Rich
ard F. Bierne, famous Richmond
editor. and Others whose names are IN
dissolubly connected with the history
of the Old Dominion and the nation.
Suitable provision was made for a
monument for Tyler by the General
Assembly of the State of Virginia, but
the resolution was never put into exc
cution. President Tyler died on Jan.
IL. 1862. and at that time the Old Do
| minion had her hands full with the
war between the states, and tllis prob
,.l,u
measure In his will. dated Oct 10.
1859. Tyler inserted this clause:
II empower my dear Wife to make
out of my estate suitable provision for
my burial, and let my body be con-
signed to the tomb in the earth of the
country where | was born, there TO re-
pose till the day of resurrection. My
wife viii select the spot in Sherwood
Forest CHS residence) and mark it by
an uncosty monument of granite or
marble. An inscription wifi DE found
in the paper inclosing this
Immediately after his death the Cen
eral Assembly of the state of Virginia
adopted testimonial closing with
these words:
Resolved. That with the consent of
his family his remains be deposited in
Hollywood cemetery in the city of
Richmond, near the remains of James
Monroe and that the governor of
this state be authorized 10 cause a.
suitable monument to be erected to his
memory
Here the matter has res ted ever
since, so far as the State government
is concerned. Capt. John Lamb who
represents the Richmond. or third dis
trict in Congress, has worked for a
long time to get a bill through Con-
gress to appropriate $4,000 for placing
a monument over the SPOT. under the
direction of the secretary of state. AT
the last session of Congress the reso-
luton was favorably reported from the
House Committee on the Library by
Representative Amos j. Cummings of
New York and committed to the Union
Calendar, but Representa- Lamb
was unable to get Speaker Reeds rec
ognition to call up the resou lion. In
it's report the committee on the Libra
ry said:
From early manhood to extreme old
age. throughout a long and eventful
career. he (Tyler) had served his
country with conspicuous ability. fl
General Assembly of Virginia as a
member of her Executive Council. as
Governor of the commonwealth. as
member of the state conventions of
1880 and 1861. as member of the
House of Representative of the United
States, as senator from Virginia in
the Senate of the United States. as
President of the Peace Conference at
Washington. as a member of the Pro
viSional 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 We'll his
part and wrote his own eulogy upon
the pages of his country's history.
by his brilliant talents ana attain
ments, his unyielding devotion to prin-
ciple, his ardent patriotism and lofty
integrity, and. above ALL by she spot
less purity of his public and private
character. he won the undying adm-
ration of his countrymen and shed en-
during lustre upon the American name.
His remains now lie inferred at
Hollywood cemetery. in the city of
Z
of James Monroe. We submit that the
erection of a suitable shaft to anark the
spot where his ashes reDose would be
recognized by the American people as
a pious and patriotic duty. and that in
thus honoring him we would Go honor
to ourselves
President Tyler's first wife was Miss
Letitia Christian. who was born at Ce-
dar Grove. New Kent county. Va. Nov
r. 1890, and died Sept. g. 1872 she was
only % years of age when she became
the bride of the future President, and
she died shortly after his inauguration
The grave of his second wife is just TO
the left of Tyler's. and. like his. is un-
marked save for magnolia tree which
stands near the heads of both She
was Miss Julia Gardiner a daughter of
David Gardiner, and was born on Gar
diners Island, n. Y. in 1920 She has
been dead less than ten years, having
passed away in Richmond on July TO-
1889. The story of her marriage to the
President has in it a touch of sad ro-
nance. Miss Gardiner completed her
education at the Chegary Institute
New York city, and spent several
months in Europe in 1S43 In the
Wint Sne arcn,,, +, n y, o,J J,n,