The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-09-30
gifhmond 9ispatth.
~ ...sEPTEMBER 80, 1881.
e-.eas OF acc presIdenls.

ny nr. stanton thuN "IfVVS w tue
The ~ general Washington was r
Ev,g.Et ne Episcopal Church Ioug be.
wtabd ,r,mc President. lie was a con.
soc pc Too. Besides his ~weltknown
ngn'c,g" ,,or.hip IN the Episcopal Church,
Moi' y A,,o. Va, where his pew Is snn
% AtN's an much the same autiquated
prscsor had when ne was accustomed
sye tu" h thc fact is well autsted, and
% oo,ut hon published, thst during the
D. o1 .I var he was accustomed 10
"srying the Lords supper when
i0o " engagements with the army per-
ever o~oportunity. Many instances
nil'l owen 10 the pubic, and it is
haNt v,ly gtatifyiug 10 know that be who
pauN 60 m vat. 6rSt 80 peace. aud hrst
W bssri. Of his couuiTymcn," set such
'nn,c 10 our public men, both IN bis
an ord private life, rs a mao, a gentle
i.r. snd a CHRISTIAN:
% ,o be regretted that SO many Of our
ts,,. have failed 10 follow In AT re-
IT, that example, but some OF them
sF' wanting in respect 10 religion.
We. ,3sm, and his son John Quincy were
J' Was also Millard Fillmore.
, i,ff.r were regular attendants on
iI. 't,rilr church al Washington. My
%. Ton e that the two former, and pos
vr Fillmore, were COMMITMENTS.
s'' ,b. 4 am not sue. OF the religious
o.'s ,ents ~ Thomas Jefferson the world
.rcr,bt itself well assured, but they
zen made The subject oi controversy.
General opinion IS that be WAS a SYM
...b.zsr With the views 81 Paioe, aod re-
....3 Cbri,tianitv. The religious SEN
" En..F- NTnEHAnv at~f NJ,
.rs also euyeiOpcd IN some un.
~.s.n,y. sud t1eir most ardent admirers
III. rot claimed that they were members
.wmnnicints in any CnIiStisn church.
y sing Joan Quincy Adams, already men
..sd. wc come 90 President Jackson. Toe
IA knows what be was in religion, as
, al, be was in politics. for few more
r.i,yc characters have ever appeared in
- history. Tie was out and out a Presby-
..r noft The %SiauncheSt sort, and IN his later
Az. a co umunicsnt, although IL Is he
Nod that he did not Join toe church until
-s.r be bqd retired from public NE. Mar
-, Van Bpreu was inclined. | think, 10 the
Dr,,b Reformed Church, with which he
Tsr,hipped when al homo i'm kinderhoOk,
tr, % FAR q. ! am aware, was not q cOmmu-
Meant.
President Harrison. who succeeded Mr.
IN Curen. and died after being a month in
saes. was p communirant In the EplscOpsl
Clerc5 for a considerable period before he
l.,lme President. He was q member Of
ORR, church. 10 Cincinnati, and for long
Grs after Ms death bis nam engraved on
4, silver mattel remained on his pew door,
,,3 nav oman there still. His decided
Cf-i.,isn sentiments and character are well
Known. and IN Cincinnati, nesr which be
Used. hi, memory is held In high yenera-
ton among an classes OF people.
President Harrison Is tHe only n in the
long LIT II Presidents u the United States
WHO. 0n entering upon the duties % that
oFla. ever announced a confession OF
faith " for himself. His inaugural address,
b, onlg official paper, is probably we'll
remembered Boy The Older citizens OF the
c@.a1,rr. lie said he deemed the occasion,
on iaking the oath OF office, a lifting one
far ihe announcement OF bt> L" belief in the
divine origin and obligations % the Chris.
tilD religion" 10 was a ( grand thing FOR a
President Of The United States, when stand
iBg up before the American people to take
OF office a. their Chief Magistrate, TO
mskc .Ucn ~ explicit declaration. IL was
o ltS>On Tor young men ana pOlltlclah>.
Perhaps all our Presidents have been be-
% God l,s their State papers show,
but no one has given a more explicit testI-
uoDy for Christianity than This.
10 Is probably true that not one OF those
who hlye occupied the presidential chair
between General Harrison and General
was q commitment; yet nearly all
% hem, ten IN Notwithstanding those
who entered the office from the yice.presi-
dency-were church goeiS, and their de-
nOminstiousl preferences have been indi-
Gated. Tyler was an EpIScOpallan, Polk
snd buchanan and Lincoln were Presbyte-
Tiaus, Pierce was a COugregatiODalist, Tag-
lor probably bad no special preference, FIJI.
was q Unitarian, Johnson was claimed
by both Pre,byterisns and Me,hOdlsls,
Grant aud HIVES were M~ethodists, and
President Garfield belonged 10 a sect which
o variety Of names, a. Campbellite,.
Disciples, Christians.