Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1908-07-29
A PLEA FOR TIE EPlGRAPH.
[By Agnes L. !. Prati.l


The names and memories of great men are the
dowery of a nstion.-[ Pasquale Viiian'
It is through excavation and the dis
coyery of the epigraph that much OF our
kno Sledge of ancient history is obtained.
Modern archaeology implies excavation.
Etrascau, Chinese, Egyptian, Grecisn
and other historical facts OF priceless
importance have been wisely recorded
portrayed on sarcopsgi, tombs, pyrs-
mds and others sepulchres, where the
ever moving fOgr of time has the less'
possible chance of placement.
The mere mention of Ksrnak, ThebeS,
B,z4ntium, aud Pompeii, Rameses,
Oheops, and PtOlemy, presents pictures
of glorious wealth OF buried treasures
of literature, science and art of inesti-
mstle value.
We redi.cover aboriginal America
through the updigging of mounds, and
the down tearing OF cliffs. Time and
tide, FIRE and Hood, war and rapiue,
rayage the forest, the city, the church
and the ait gallery. and that degraded
C tur, the vsndal, spares not the re-
yered relic of the home, nor the sanctity
OF the shrine.
If then We would preserve history for
posterity, for the school boy OF 5000 A..
d., let us follow the example of the
wise, the far sighted ancienIs, and 10
msssive masonry bury deeply such
t essures of biographical iolere't, OF
literature and art, as shall enrich and
beautify the world.
A magnificent mausolenm of buried
t)mb, without the Epigraph, may, TO
the future arch aeologisi, mean but
sordid wealth or "taintsd money" !"
Names sre duplicated sll over the land;
this leads TO confusion and disput alton,
and so on to iconoclasm, and tast in
ysrisbly t, irreyerence, and reverence
will undermine the mighiiest nation.
II Is true that SONS OF the wisest an d
bfs of men sr5 buried. no one knows
wher; but this only leads to tedious
speculst on and expensive sesrch, with
an ever haunting doubt of authent ca
tiun. The recovery of the body Of John
Paul Jones is recent case in point.
Why should ruler of nation, chosen
to represent government by the peo-
pie, be laid in The silent grave with
m.rely the name and date OF birth on
his cofiip.
We read that two OF our late honored
al d beloved president, we're thus placed
In sepulcbre, William Mckinley and
Grover Cleveland Iu my humble
opinion it is a misplaced, mistaken
modesty. i is due the man; 1t is due
the people, that he who has served biz
country wisely and faithfully ss its sl
preme executive should be accorded mo-
only national and civic obstquies beht
ting his alton, but what is OF more last
ing importance, if for no ether rsatOr
b It the enlightenment of the future his
rian, the great man 8 casket should bes
a biographical ep'gr ph. While "nt
really great man ever thought himsel
So" yet that man or that woman, WHIT
by honest achievement and inctrfupti
ole morals hss been distinguished ant
placed on a pedestal of national pre-
eminence, the churchmap, the school
man, the statesman, the philanti rOp's'
the artist, the suihor, the inventor, !
entitled to undying com mOiation b.
a grateful loyal loving p op'e.
/ plead for the epigral h snd the ePI
gram in memoriam, especially on th'
casket of the distinguished dead, fer 4
the lat the tomb is tle pedestal
greatness