The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-03-11
Subscription sl5oP Year, in Advance,
TUESDAY.........MARCH II. 1902
A MONUMENT TO MArRY-

4 MUM MEN III MAI Ky
The following extract is from a
recent paragraph in Harpers weekly.
over in France they are talking of an
international memorial to Lieutenant
Maury. Before a distinguished audience
ur Tie Seghenfe. in Paris. Professor Der
geret made the proposal and commit
tee has been named 10 carry il out. This
- a bit odd Lieutenant Maury was an
American. So far As we are aware no
one has ever proposed a monument To
him over here He seems 20 have been
rather afiectually forgotten Part of
this no doubt is due to the fact that
Lieutenant Mapry was a Nirginian and
when the war broke out. forsook the
service of the nation togo with hi~ State
into THE Lost Cause When the fight
inc had ended feeling still ran too high
TO take back into the service a man who
was looked upon by the North a.
traitor, even though he may have done.
a. Maury did. great work Nowadays
we may look upon his act with kindlier
eye. Perhaps we may not offer his
memory carven image, for America has
not much of habit of putting upstatues
friendly feeling for France that she should
think OF hOnoring thus one0i our people.
all the more perhaps because We DO not
seem To think very often of empedestall-
ing French men. such as Pasteur. for
example. who have done something for
mankind.
The article then proceeds TO To-
hearse what. according 10 Prof
Bergeret, have been the blessings to
mankind from the laborS of Lieu
tenant Maurv, and agrees if one
fifth of the claim be true. it entities
him to recognition in as costly
monument as has ever been built to
a world hero.
The article above is mistaken i'm
supposing that there has been no
proposition TO erect a Maurv mOnu-
ment in this country. The late
kentOn c. Murray, Editor of the
Norfolk Landmark, repeatedly urged
that such a monument be built on
the Rip Raps, at the entrance OF
Hampton Roads. An association
for this purpose was proposed but
never took practical shape Not
only this; but proposition looking
to this end was actually laid before
the Federal Congress- This occurred
in 1890, and was at the instance of
julius Palmer, a shipmaster OF
Boston Mass. He caused TO be-
introduced in Congress a bill for the
erection OF suitable monument TO
Mathew Maury. the bill carrying with
il an appropriation OF $4,000. 1t
rehearses the same plea now set
forth by the French professor for an
international monument II was
promptly defeated, however, and
purely on the sectional grounds set
forth in the article quoted above.
But now that even Northern men
have gotten lar enough away from
the passions OF that terrible conflict
to recognize the honest patriotism OF
Southern bOrn-men. and in as much
as Maurv's claim to honor rests not
upon his relation TO a fraticidal war,
but upon a service that saves life
and property, and is one OF the
brightest stars that adOrn the
victories Of peace, does it not seem
that the time has come TO render TO
him in this country, the Tarchy re-
cognitiOn so long withheld. Wetrust
that this movement OF a great for
eign people which has taken shape in
the recent meeting in Paris may
awaken us on this side the water tOa
new interest in the life and work OF
Matthews Fountain Maury. To no
people must his memory he closer
than to the good folks OF Fredericks-
burg. Within 10 miles Of our city he
first saw the light Here was his
home and here gathered the dearest
memories of his family life.