The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-04-15
INVADING THE TOMB.

The Rev. Mr.. Blanchard, president
of Wheaton College, must be no
little Of a monomaniac on the
subject of secret societies. There is
something grotesquely revolving in
his breaking off in the midst of a
funeral service because his remarks
denunciatory of secret orders were
objected to by friends of the dead
man. The incident is remarkable
as an instance of religious intoler-
ance unexpected in these times.
Mr. Blanchard, at the time in Wash
ington, was invited to preach the
funeral sermon Of young man who
in his life had been a member of the
secret order that had taken upon it
self the sad duty of his burial. The
solemn ceremony was conducted in
the Methodist Church, the Rev. T.
E. Morgan, the regular pastor being
listener. Suddenly diverging
from the course OF remarks usual
on such occasions, Mr.. Blanchard
delivered himself of a series of in
vectiVes against secret societies with
all the vehemence and hatred 'that
characterized his lectures on the
subject of Masonry, etc, some years
ago. This startling disr egard of
the sOrroWfal natureof tie occasion
produced such a shock on the Sensi-
biilties Of the sister of the dead
that she was thrown into violent
Mysteries and finally tainted. Paus-
ing merely to say, open the win
doWs, some of you," Mr.. Blanchard
was about 20 proceed when a
brother-in-law of the stricken lady
begged him to desist. This Mr..
Blanch ard declined to do, declaring:
'.Milton FGrd, the dead mans
father, asked me to oHiciate.
Isn't that SO. Mr.. Ford?" The
father, an old man, deeply
affected by the distre5sful scene,
arose and said that it would be
better that the sermon stop. Even
this protest against his course did
not produce the desired effect, and
it was not until some very decisive
and perhaps threatening expressions
came from various parts of the
church that Mr.. Blanchard gathered
up his manuscript and in an Of
Tended manner walked out of the
church. Mr.. Morgan finished the
service.
1t seems incredible that a clergy
man could have so far forgotten his
functions and his profession. To
fetch the prejudices of the platform
and pour them over the sacred
shrine where sorrow weeps for it's
dead, and to there insult the friends
who as brotherhood are met to pay
mortality its final tribute, was not
only offensive to decency, but was a
violation OF the holy principles the
offender assumed to represent on
earth. For years Mr.. Blanchard
has lectured against secret societies
and has at time9 created some SEN
sation By his utteranceS, facts we'll
known TO the friends of the de-
ceased But it was thought that in
his heart there was enough Of char
ity ana in his soul enough of for
bearaRce to bid him respect the SO
lemnfty of an occasion where he wSs
/ chosen as consider and comforter,
The shadow of the black angel is
supposed to Obliterate all human
faults, condOne all human fraiIties,
and it is rarely that one has bitter
ness to fling into the grave where
even crime is buried; never before,
since the white light CT civilization
flooded the Christian church, has
one of its servants profaned the
the rites of burial by opening phials
of hate above the peaceful dead.