Aftermath
More support for Blanchard came from Dr. Edward Beecher, son of Blanchard’s Lane Seminary mentor Lyman Beecher. One of Beecher’s children was part of the graduating class that had boycotted Commencement. Beecher had traveled from Boston to Galesburg to support Jonathan. He even brought a book of rules to the fateful board meeting when Jonathan was asked to resign.
The conflict worsened. Prominent citizens took sides. Arguments between the two parties were made public in the press. Students threatened to seek education elsewhere. To quell the worsening conflict, the board reinstated Blanchard as a professor for the upcoming year. Gale was replaced with an "experienced and successful teacher." But the conflict would drag on until 1861, long after Blanchard's departure to Wheaton.
