Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-05-04
FAITHS OF PRESIDENTS.
They All Seemed to Have Believed
in God.
Lincoln Was Not an Inadei-Deciared Hls
Intention OF Making a Profession of
Faith Before Ills Assassination-
"Old Hickory's'' Conversion.


Everybody in New orI has heard Of
the remark recently made by col Rob
ert 9. lngersoll To the effect that 4 bra
ham Lincoln was no more a Christian
than Noltairc was. This has given
rise to a discussion Of the religious
views Of the martyr president which
promises to have long run.
1T is q remarkable fact that Of the
twentr-threo ore iaents Of the United
States very little is recorded by the
biographar. of the majority Of them rs
to their religious faith. Il is further
remarkable that as 10 an of the great
est Of them, Washington excepted.
there was much doubt during their
lives and much discussion after their
deaths as 10 whether they we're
Christians at an; and, If they
were, to what classification Of
Christians they properly belonged.
BY common consent the greatest presi-
dental names are those of Washington,
jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln and Grant.
Everybody knows that Washington
was member of the Episcopal church
of Virginia, in good and regular stand
ing; that he resorted to prayer at all
the critical moments in his career, and
attributed to Almighty God direct per-
sonal interpOsition in his behalf and
that Of the American people. Early in
1876 he wrote TO the Continental con-
gress earnestly asking for chaplains
for the army The blessing and pro-
lection of Heaven are at all times
necessary" he wrote, but especially
SO in time Of public distress and dan
ger. The general hopes and trusts
that every officer and man will en-
deavor to live and act as becomes q
Christian soldier"
In August of the same year he issued
the following notice to his army at
New York: The general is sorry To be
informed that the foolish and profane
practice of cursing and swearing. a
vice hitherto little known i'm an Ameri-
can army, is growing into fashion He
hopes that the officers win by example
ao well as by influence endeavor to
check it, and that both they aud the
men will reflect that we can have lit
Tie hope Of the blessing Of Heaven GA
our cause II we insult ii by our impiety
and folly. Added % this it is a vice 50
mean and low without amy tempta-
ton, that every man Of sense and char
acter detests and despises It,
When Lord CORVALLIS had capitu-
lated and the cause of independence
was won Washington issued this order
to the army: Divine service is to be
performed tomorrow i'm the several
hrigades and divisions The command
er-in-chief earnestly recommends that
the troops not on duty should univer-
sally attend with that seriousness Of
and gratitude 81 heart
which the recognition If such rcitcr-
ated and astonishing interpretations Of
Providence demands of us
Next came President John Adams.
lie was oongrcgutionalist, the de
seenaant Of long lime 81 Puritan am
cestors. lie was baptized October Is.
1875, i'm the First church of Quincy
Mass not unfairly called The Ch reh
of Statesmen" because within its waits +
have war9hiped tha Alamsc.. the
3uiue1 aa3 the iiannocks Buj John
Adams 5sas bY uo means % Puritan If
the salTiairtie type The First church
If Quincy was q nitarjau church 10
all intent@ aud purposes long before
Charming preached his famous Balti.
more sermon, which brought about the /
separation 81 the unjtarian~ from the
Irinitarian tongrrga tionalists iii New
England
When wc come TO 'rhoma, jefferson
il Is not 50 easy 70 define his religious F
, tatus. lie was freely denounced I
iurip> ~ lifetime, especially from
the pulpi,- of New England, as god
less man" and vas very eommouly
classified as Col Tngersoll has Just
classified Abraham Lincoln, with the
great French philosopher and sl<eptic,
There can bc no sort of
doubt now however, that MIR Jeffer-
son was a profoundly religious man.
His morality was never questioned, +
ana If he were alive to-day, leading
the same lifc that tie led and express.
-