Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-05-16
card From ,ne rev. rr. NIcrs,m.

razor gazette DC journal: My attention
has been callcdIto letter rejecting upon
my alleged action, on the occasion Of a
funeral, on Friday last, at st. Georges
Chapel, Sussex county. Allow me TO say
by way OF explanation, that the place
itself Is conseorRted church yard; not
an Odd Fellows burying- ground, nor a
public cemetery. The presumption,
therefore, 10 that burials here are to be
by the minister OF the church, (when his
services may be had or, in his absences,
by some one duly authorized to ofliciate;
and by no other person. And that the
burial office is to DO that prescribed by
the church, and no other office. Upon
this presumption the vt. Georges chapel
was built, and legacies have, from
time to time, been left by church.
men to keep the grounds in good condi.
tion. The burial in question was that OF a
minister Of the church. The bishop and
a half dozen brother clergymen were
present expressly for the purpose OF at.
tending the funeral; and 1t was certainly
not unreasonable to assume that they
were entirely competent in themselves to
attend to the necessary and proper reliR.
ious services Of the occasion. in answer
TO some inquiries made day or two be-
fore on behalf of secret suciety ahout
the performance of certain Exercises" Of
theirs in the yard, the minister in charge
OF the parish had replied that he sup.
posed they might do anything they liked
except that the religious part of the cere.
monies would probably be by the bishop
and clergymen exclusively, that he could
mt nkUa WNaFUaiaatnx. in, 81.
out OF his jurisdiction and that secret
society religious Offices were, under the
circumstances, simply out Of order. And
1t is only fair to state here
that before the funeral all the
members Of the Georgetown lodge
were understood as agreeing that their
fraternity were, for their part, to ofIioiate
pall-bears, to have reserved seats, to
wear regalia, and to throw their ever
green sprigs into the grave OF the de-
ceased member of the mysterious order
they represented aud that the bishop
and priests who might be present, were,
for their part, to be allowed TO say, In
peace, the appointed burial cfiioe over
the remains OF their brother departed In
the faith and communion of the Catholic
church. The subsequent attempt 10
upset this conciliatory arrangement was
not made known to the minister until the
hour appointed for the services TO begin.
! sad t'ts '1larsl procession vas about "a
antsF the copsectated ground. When tht
| question had finally to be left to biz
reluctant decision, the ruling was made
on. principles, not Of individual prefer.
ence, but OF church law, order aud pre-
cedent, and in accordance, 30 far as he
has been able to learn, with the practice
| of olergymen OF the church who them
selves are members OF secret societies,
II Ia hardly necessary to say thai
this final disposition OF the case was very
generally and heartily approved Of b.
the sensible and religious people on the
ground. For religious and sensible
people, and especially church people, &C
called, are never prepared for anything
but dignitied and reyerent conduct in thu
church and in its precincts; especially in
the celebration Of the solemn Otto.
for the burial OF the dead. The per
sons, If there were any such, who tool
otence that their secret society religious
exercise was not allowed to be inter.
polated into the order of the day, were
OF course, and without exception, non
Episcopalians. 1. is only Just to the
memory OF the deceased to say that mot.
outstanding statements to the contrary
no request was ever made by him for any
services at his grave other than thos,
prescribed by the church. Begging
pardon for the length Of this communi
cation, which but for the explanation i
contains would not be cent. Yours, 30.
j. LEIGHTON McKIM.
GEoRdRTowE, May 8th, 1859.