The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-04
iY OLIVER r. BALDWIN, ESQ, OF
RICHMOND.

RICHMOND.
THE following address will bs of
interest to gil our Confederate readers.
az It wac delivered at the dedication
of Hollywood Cemetery. on June 25,
and journalists OF Richmond and Vir-
glnia at that time. We are deeply In
debtsd to Dr. r. G. Crouch. of Rich
inond, for a COPY OF this beautiful
oration. which he has so carefully pre-
pared and had copied for our -use.]
My fr!ends,--The occasion which has
brought US together Is one of new al
well as solemn interest. In our ut.li-
tartan age and country, It Is rare that
an assemblage like this 10 convened.
except for some object which ministers
to party excitement. or to the naces-
of the living world. We arc brought
here by no ouch purposes. We have
met amid these hills and dales, not
for those political aims which draw
men together IN excited crowds to
listen TO Esrains of impa5sioned de-
clamation, and to put forth their I'm
pnt!ent hands 10 save the ark of liberty
from overthrow. no. The only polit.
teal truth suggested By this Ecene Is
one that dwells In human theory, but
is never found fully realized save here
the equality OF all mankind We
have NOT come to dedicate these groves
TO philosophy. though the highest wis
dom that man can learn shall here be
taught. ar over the bodies % the
strong. the beautiful. the great and
rich, dust 10 dust, ashes to aches"
shall echo from grave to grave. We
have not come hero even for purposes
of religion. though closely associated
with this spectacle are the thoughts OF
Immortality and a future HE. We
have come to give a place to our dead;
TO declare that hcnceforth this spot is
separated from all uses of tho living
TO arrange our own couch where VIC
shall lie down and sleep our last
slumber. We here come, not for osten-
tat!ous show. or idle parade, but In ac-
cordancc with ancient and general
practice. to dedicate thi. place TO the
dead
On TN occasion like this. raro as
it must necessarily be. and new to
most of us IN Virginia It seems proper
10 dwell Oh those authorities which
custom and reason supply in behalf of
rural and ornamented cemeteries.
II wo look back to the past, we shall
find In the most remote antiquity,
abundant proofs and Illustrations OF
the sacred care and affection bestowed
upon the last reatinK-place OF the dead
We shall find that In selecting q rural
spot, removed from tho city. and en-
bellish!ng 1t with trees and flowers,
instead of an innovation. you arc but
going back to the most ancient Gus
toms of tho world. In primitive times.
burial places were nsvor in the temple
or the town. but always In the tlclda
and groves. THUS We read that the
patriarch abraham purchased "the
field of EPhron. in Macpelah. with all
the trees that were therein and the
borders round about" as q posses
sion OF a burying place, where he
might bury his dead out OF his sight"
In that field and amid those trees, were
deposited the patriarchH Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob. We read Of other scrip
turaI characters whose remains were
Inferred In similar spots--of Moses
buried In the Nalley. and Elczar In the
hill--of the prophecies Deborah, bur
led beneath Bethel under an oak," and
of the bodies of Saul and his three
warrior sons, who had fallen together
In the heat or battle. taken from tho
possession OF the enemy, and 'buried
under a tree"
Tho sepulchros of tho old Israelitea
were to ho found in the hills which
stood around Jerusalem. The grave of
town of Bethany. 1t will be also re-
collected that 1t was at the gate of
the city of Main that our Saviour met
"a dead man carried out, the only
son Of his mother, and she was a
widow" 1t was In q garden, surround
ed by all its pleasant sights and fra-
grant orders. that the mangled and
bleeding body OF the Son OF God was
hurled, anu 1t was thence he rose. the
first fruits OF that great harvest which
the graves shall yield when tho hus-
bandmen of Heaven descend upon
earth to gather seeds OF Immortality
for new and eternal Eden,
II now we turn from the Jews to
heathen nations. we shall find that In
thus providing for the dead, we have
tho sanction, not only of ancient and
OF acriptural, but OF universal custom.
The rudest savages OF the most primi-
tive times placed their humble graves
amidst tho most beautiful scenea of
nature. The cntacomhs OF Thehes were
amid hills and trees. The hurial-placea
OF Memphis We're situated amid auch
fascinating attractions that from them
were derived the Fabulous accounts of
the Elysian Fields. The ancient Ash
atlc buried hlS dead amldsr all Inc
sweets and delights of tho richest
shrubbery. For a similar purpose. the
aboriginal Germans uelectcd attractive
groves. which were consecrated by
their priests. Tho Greeka lavished all
the luSuriance of their art upon the
nlncas of their last repose, The Ro-|
mans, notwithstanding their hardy and
heroic cast Of character, and all their
lovn of power. were no t insersib Die t9s