Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1855-02-15

| t(CorresPondence OF the New York Observer.
CHURCH GorSe IN WAsHlNeroS.-ws
invite special attention to this letter il
connection with our remarks on the gen.
eral improvement of Society.
WAsHIssroN Jan. s9th, 1855.
If the usual attendance at church or
the Sabbath be taken as fair criterion,
then the people of this city are emphati-
cally church-going people. It has
been my privilege, during the last
few weeks, to worship in many of the
churches belonging to the Episcopal,
Methodist, Baptist, and Presbyterian
denominations, including both branches
of the latter, and almost invariably
have the churches been crowded with
attentive audiences. There is also
preaching at the Capitol, once on the
Sabbath, regularly, by the chaplains,
and the spacious hall of the House of
Representatives is generally full. 1t is
a matter of special satisfaction to be
able to bear testimony to the fact, that,
so far as | am able to learn, a large
majority of the members of Congress
attend church. Quite a number are
members, and honor their profession
The same is true Of the Judges of the
Supreme court. The venerable form
of Justice Mclean, now the oldest
Judge on the bench, may be seen,
sometimes at the Capitol on the Sabbath,
and more frequently at the Methodist
church, of which he has long been a
member. Justice Grier attends the
Presbyterian church, 70. 81 in which
branch, at home, he is ruling elder.
The Chief Justice is Roman Catholic.
Some of the other Judges are Episcopa-
lians, and one is a Congregationalist.
OF the Cabinet, nearly all are regu-
lar attendants at church; the Post Mas
ter General Is a Roman Catholic, the
others are distributed among several
Protestant denominations, the Episcopal
church having the preponderance. 1t
is peculiarly gratifying to know that the
head of the nation sets a good exam
pie to all his subordinates in the matter
of Difference to religious ordinances. 1t
is exceedingly rare to find him absent
from church on Sabbath morning, and
he frequently attends twice, and occa-
sionally three times on the same day.
At home, he attended the Orthodox
Congregational church; here, he wor-
ships at the First Presbyterian, (Mr.
Landaland's) in the morning and even
ing. and sometimes at the Fourth Pres
byterian, (Dr. Smiths, in the after
noon. And l have been assured, on
good authority, that the President has
daily worship in his family.
These things are not mentioned for
the sake of making an empty parade of
personal incidents before the public, but
for far higher purpose. While much
is said by the press of political corrup-
ton at the seat of government, and Of
the moral degradation of our public
men witnessed in the halls of Congress
-and it cannot be denied that. there is
occasionally too much ground for this
yet there is ground forsdeyout graft
tude TO God, that so many of the rulers
and Judges. of the land, from the Chief
Magistrate down, are found 10 be Yor-
shippers of God. and paysdue regard
to the Sabbath and other external ordi-
nances of Christianity The entire peo-
pie have a property in our public men;
and when they know; that outwardly,
al least, they respect the most sacred
Institutions of the Gospel, they will be
encouraged to pray more earnestly In
faith and hope.