Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1869-01-22
On Presidents and Religion.


far as it is known no President of the
United States since the days Of Washing
ton has been communicant in church.
John Adams was the representative of
the liberal community of his day. JEFF
ferson was styled free thinker. An at
tempt was made when Jefferson was a
young man to make the Episcopal church
the established religion of Virginia
John Leland, travelling Baptist minis
ter, preached a sermon in the presence of
Jefferson on what he called the inces-
tuous connection of the Church and
State" This sermon converted Jeffer-
son to that doctrine. His persistent op-
position to State religion caused him
to be stigmatized as an infidel. Mrs.
Madison was a COMMUNICATE at the Epis-
copal church. Her husband was not.
Monroe was a member of an Episcopal
parish, but not communicate. John
Quincy Adams, though a member of
Unitarian parish in Massachusetts held
a pew in the Second Presbyterian church
in Washington, of which he was trus-
tee, and there ne worshipped until his
death. In violent snow storm saw
him wading to church, one Sunday, with
the snow up to his loins, and he was one
Of the seven persons who composed the
congregation that morning. He never
communed in the church. General Jack
son was regular attendant on Sunday
mornings. Heworshipped in the Second
Presbyterian church until his quarrel
with Mrs. Eaton. He then left for the
Al Street church ard 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. Ear
nest and devout attention he gave to the
sermon. 1t was his custom, at the close
of the sermon to rise in his pew and
make very courteous bow to the minis
ter, and then walk out, the audience
waiting in their pews till he had reached
the vestibule. Van Buren, home church
at Kinderbrook was reformed Dutch.
At Washington, when he went to church
he attended St. Johns, Episcopal, in the
morning. Mrs. Polk was devout and
earnest Christian woman, belonging to
the Presbyterian church.
Mr.. Polk accompanied his family
every Sunday morning to the AZ Street
church. Mrs. Polk usually attended the
Second Presbyterian church in the after
noon, where she held pew. The Presi-
dent seldom accompanied her at the Sec
ond service. General Taylor was not
professor of religion. When he attended
church he sat in the Presidents pew at
st. Johns. President Pierce was mem
Der of the Congregational society in Con-
cord, n. H.. but not Of the church. He
was very regular in his attendance at the
Presbyterian church in Washington on
the morning of each Sabbath. Buchan-
an attended the small Presbyterian
church on F. street, near the White
House. This was his religious home dur
ing his long senatorial life. He was not
a member of the church. He came to
worship usually on foot and unattended.
His pew was on the side about two-thirds
of the way from the door. He usually
walked up the aisle with cat-like step,
went to the extreme end of the pew,
curled himself up in the corner, and sell
dom moved till the service closed. He
rarely spoke to any one, and fastened
from the church to the White House
Mrs. Lincoln was communicant at the
New York avenue Presbyterian church.
Mr.. Lincoln was not. But he was reg
ular attendant at worship. johnson
seems to have no religious home, but
rather inclined to the Lutherians. Gen.
Grant is not a professor of religion. He
is trustee of the National Methodist
church at Washington and is frequent
attendant on the preaching of that
church.
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