Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-04-18
political PRAYING.

1t is customary and decorous that the
legislative proceedings of a God-fearing and
Christian people should be, from day to day,
inaugurated with prayer to the Deity; and
there has never been time in the history of
this people when such invocations addressed
by the appointed ministers of the Prince
Of peace" were more appropriate than the
present That this service should be de-
puted to elected and salaried chaplains has,
however, always seemed to us repugnant to
propriety, and entirely ont of keeping with
the high and sacred mission which clergy
men are called, or assume TO exercise. A
becoming respect TO the office it il proper
always to pay, but if its incumbents would
initiate their Divine Master and exemplar
who went about doing good, depending for
wherewithal he was fed and clothed upon
that charity which one of his most illus
trious apostles described as the greatest Of
virtues, they should not seek to turn a
penny by their prayers for the public veal.
II is well enough 10 pay the public crier
who shouts the "oyez, oyer" of the court
when the Judge assumes his seat but to
pay preacher, morning after morning, for
notifying Omnipotence, after a set phrase,
that certain body of men are about to COM
mence another diumal course Of wrangling
about human things, is as much violation
Of good sense and decorum, as it is ire
weren't, not TO say blasphemous alike on the
part ofthe prayer and the prayed for.
We remember that early after the COM
mencement of the present General Assembly
Of this State a motion was submitted, and
for aught we know, passed, that none but
loyal ministers should be invited to pray at
its morning sessions. This was vile intro
duction of religion into politics, but at Wash
ington, where the chaplains of the Senate
and House of Representatives are elected
and paid, the evil is greater, The chaplain
is chosen for political reasons, and deems it
his duty TO perform the part assigned him in
accordance with the views of those who
elected him. This degrades the clerical
office into a despicable trade. 1t is bar
gain in which so many prayers for the ascen-
dency of party are given for so many dol
lars paid out Of the treasury. A recent most
fragrant instance in illustration Of this view
occurred few days since in the United
States House Of Representatives. We give
il in the language of a correspondent Of the
Cincinnati GdSette:
The House has chaplain who is fully in accord
with the majority. Members say he prays that
all important measures may pass and never fails
TO return thanks when majority or the requi-
sito two-thirds is obtained. One member, on
hearing the prayer which opened the session,
when the Civil Rights bill was passed over the
veto, remarked that the previous question did
not cut of debate on the part of the Chaplain.
In sense this is true, for after J Judge Wilson
had given notice on Saturday that he would de-
Inand the previous question upon the bill ON the
following Monday, the Chaplain preached n ser
mon whose application was very plain TO the mea-
sure under consideration, and upon the opening
of the House on Monday he made an appropriate
prayer, which called forth the remark upon the
restricted power Of the rule upon the previous
question.
The following is sample extract from
this political prayer, which was receivedwith
so much JUNCTION:
We thank Thee. o God that we behold this il
lustrious day-this day which, for the first time,
the sun will look on no man in all our territory
who is not under the protection of equal laws.
We thank Thee. GOdl that this consummation
has been reached, because II is in accordance with
the teachings Of the Gospel of Jesus, our ne
dsemSr We feel great lem ny WINS b We tbTone
and exclaim 1T is the Lords doing, ana II Is
marvellous m our eyes.