Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-12-01
PRESIDENTS AND RELIGION.

To what Churches they were Attached
and where they WOrshfpped in
Washington.
A New York correspondent Of Boston
paper writes as follows:
The fact that Gen. Grant passed Sab
bath at West Point snd did not attend
church, though the Post Chaplain ofici-
ated near him, has been commented on by
the press generally. II is somewhat a singu-
lar fact that az far IS it is known no Presi-
dent of the United States since the days
Of Washington has been a communicate
in church. John Adams was the repre-
sentative of the liberal community of his
day. Jefferson was styled a free-thiHker.
An attempt was made when Jeffer-
son was 4 young man to make the
Episcopal Church the established re-
ligiOn of Virginia John Leland, a
travelling Baptist minister, preached a ser
moa in The preseacs Of Jefferson on what
lac called the 'inCestuous connection of
the Church and State" This sermon con-
verted Jefferson TO that doctrine. His per-
sislent opposition to a State religion caused
him to be stigmatizsd az an infi1el Mrs
Madison was a commitment at the Epis.
copal Church. Her Husband was not.
Monroe was a member of an EDisCo-
pal parish, but he was not COM
municant. John Qaincy Adams though
a member of a Unitarian parish in Mas
sachusetts, held A pew in the Second
Presbyterian Church in Washington, of
which he was a iruslee, and there he
worshipped till his death. la 4 violent
snow-storm / saw him wsding TO church
one Sunday, with the Snow up to his
loins, and he was one Of the seven
persons who composed the congreg-
alton that morning He never COM
munsd in the church. General Jackson
was a regular attendant on Sunday morn
log. He worshipped in the Second Pres
byterian Church until his quarrel with
the pastor about Mrs EHOu. He then
left for the 4k-strset 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 aud devuut attention he gave to
the sermon. 1t was his custom, at the
close Of the sermon, TO rise in his pew and
make a very courteous bow 10 the minis
ter, and then walk out, the audience wait
ing in their pews ill he had reached the
vssiblle. Van Bureu's home Church at
hlhdEtA lbJh " IL AL u u4Cu ButEhs ~
Washington, when ha went TO church, he
attended 81. Johns (Epi5copal) in the
morning Mrs. Polk was a deyout and
earnest Christian woman, belonging to the
Presbyterian Church.
Mr.. Polk accompanied his family every
Sunday morning to the Four-and-a-half-
street Church Mira Polk usually attend
ed the Second Presbyterian Church in the
afternoon, where she held 4 pew. The
President seldom accompanied her at the
second service. Gen. Taylor was not
professor of religion. When he attended
church he sat in The Presidents pew at 81.
Johns. President Pierce was a member
of the Congregational Society in Concord,
New Hampshire, but no. Of the church.
He was very gular in his attendance at
the PRESBYTERIAN Church in Washing
ton on the morning of each Sabbath.
Buchanan attended the small Presby-
terisn Church on I street, near the
White House. This was his religious home
during his long Senatorial life. He was
not a member of the church. lie came TO
worship usullly on foot and unattended.
His pew was on the side about twO-thlrds
of the way from the door. lie usually
walked up the aisle with a cst-like step,
went to the extreme end of the pew,
curled himself up in the corner, and sell
dom moved till tie service closed. He
rarely spoke 10 any one, and fastened from
the church 10 the White House. Mrs.
Lincoln was conmunicant at the New
York avenue Presbyterian church, Mr.
Lincoln was not; bu! be was a regular at
tendanl al worship. johnson seems TO
have no religious home, but rather IN
clireI 70 the Lulheraas. General Grant is
not a professor Of religion. He is a trus'
tee of the National Methodist Church at
Washington, and is a frequent attendant on
the preschiDs Of that church.