The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1868-12-11
oN PRESIDENTS Ann RELIGION.

a New York correspondent Of tht
j Boston paper write:
+ The fact that Gen. Grant passed a
Sabbath at West point and did not at
tend church, though the Post Chaplain
oficiated near him. has been coni-
mented ofl by the press generally. II
is somewhat singular fact that Is far
a il is known nn President Of the Unit.
ei States since the days Of Washington
has been a cgmnuaicant in church.
John Adams was the representative OF
the liberal community of his day. JEFF
ferson was styled a free-thinker. An
attempt was made when jefferson was
a young man to make the Episcopal
Church the established religion Of Vir-
ginia. John Leland, travling Bap-
tlst minister, preached d sermon in the
presence Of Jefferson on what ne called
the 'inceStuOus connection Of the
Church and State" This sermon con
verted Jefferson 10 that dogtrine. His
(. persistent opposition to State religion
caused him 10 be stigmatizef as an inf
del. Mrs Madfson was a commitment
a the Episcopal Church. Her husband
vas not. Monroe was a member Of an
Episcopal Parish bl, nJta c0mmuni-
cant. John Quincy Adams. though a
member OF Unitarian parish in Mass
achusetts, held pew in the Second
Presbyterian Church in Washington,
Of which he was q trustee, and there he
woFshipped until his death. In a vio-
lent sn0w-st0rue / saw him wading TO
church, on sunday, with the snow up
TO his lOins, and he va. one the seven
persons who composed the c0ngrega-
ti0n that morning. He never COM
maned in the church. General Jack
son was regular attendant Oh Sunday
morning. He worshiped in the Second
Presbyterian Church, until his quarrel
with the pastor about Mrs. Easton.-
He then left for the u street Church.
and took his Cabinet with him. He
always came early and entered his
pew, which was on the right side Of
the church as he entered. Earnest and
dey0at attention he gave to the SER
mon. Il was his custom, at the close
OF the sermon. 20 rise in his pew and
make a very courteous bow 10 the min.
lister, and then walk out, the audience
waiting in their pews till he reached
the vestibule. Van Buren's home
church at kinderhoJk was Reformed
Dutch. At Washington, when he
went to church. he attended s.. Johns
Episcopal in the morning. Mrs
Polk was q devout and earnest Christ
ian woman, belonging to the Presby-
terian Church,
NT. Polk accompanied his family
every Sunday morning tothe Four-and-
a-halfsreet Church. Mrs. Polk usual
~ attended the Second Presbyterian
Church in the afternoon, where she
held Il pew. The President seldom ac-
c0mgaaied her at the second service.
General Taylor was not professor OF
religion. When ne attended church
he sat in the Presidents pew at 81.
Johns. President Pierce was d mem
ter Of the Congregational Society in
Concord, New Hampshire, but not Of
the Church. He was very regular in
his attendance at the Presbyterian
church in Washington On the morning
Of each Sabbath. Buchanan attended
the small Presbyterian Church on +.
street, near the White House. This
was his religious home during his long
Senatorial life. He was no member.
He came 10 worship usually on foot
and unattened. His pew was On the
side, about twy-lhirj. Of the way from
the door. He usually walked up the
aisle with q cat-iike step, Went 10 the
extreme end of thc pew, curIed himself
up in the vgEaer, and seldom moved
till the service closed. He rarely spoke
u any one. and ia tened from the
church to the White House. Mrs.
Lincoln was a cgmmunicaut at the
New York avenue Pras1yteria
church. Mr. Liucolh was not. But
he wa- aregaIar attendant of worship.
Johnson seems TO have no religious
home. but rather inclined to the Lu-
theran-. General Grant : not a profes-
sor ofreligion. He : d trustee OF the
National Methodist church at Wash
ing,oH, and Is q frequent attendant on
fhe rT4gcbing gFfhat church.