The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-23
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FAITHS OF PRESIDENTS.
They All Seemed to Have Believed
in God.
Lincoln WAS Not an Infdei-Declared His
Intention Of Making Profession of
Faith Before His Assassination
"Oid Hickory's" Conversion.
TCoPYRIGHF. 1887


Everybody in New York has heard of
the remark recently made by Col Rob-
ert G. Ingersoll to the effect that Abra-
ham Lincoln was no more Christian
than Voltaire was. This has given
rise to discussion of the religious
views of the martyr president which
promises to have a long run.
1t is remarkable fact that Of the
twenty-three presidents of the United
States very little is recorded by the
biographers of the majority Of them as
to their religious faith. 1t is further
remarkable that as to all of the great
est of them, Washington excepted,
there was much doubt during their
lives and much discussion after their
deaths as to whether they were
Christians 81 all; 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 a member of the Episcopal church
of Virginia, in good and regular stand
ing; that he resortcd to prayer at all
the critical moments in his career, and
attributed to Almighty God direct per-
sonal interPosition ia his behalf and
that of the American people. Early in
1915 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 dam
ger. The general hopes and trusts
that every officer and man viii en-
deavor TO live and act as becomes q
Christian soldier"
In August of the same year ho issued
the following notice TO his army at
New York: The general is sorry to be
informed that the foolish and profane
practice of cuI6ing and swearing, a
vice hitherto little known IN an Ameri-
can army, is growing into fashion. Hc
hopes that the officers viii by example
as well as by influence endeavor to
check it, and that both they and the
men VIII reflect that we can have lit
tie hope of the blessing Of Heaven On
our cause If we insult it by our irpiety
and folly. Added to this il is vice so
mean and low, without any tempta-
ton. that every man Of sense and char
acter detests and dcspises il.
When Lord CORVALLIS had capitu-
lated and the cause of independence
was won Washington issued this order
10 the army Divine service is to be
- s, ha
hrigades and divisions. The command
er-in-chief earnestly recommends that
the troops not Oh duty should univer-
sally attend with that seriousness OF
department and gratitude Of heart
which the recognition of such reitor-
ated and astonishing interpretations of
Providence demands Of us
Next caIne President John Adams
He was Cuzgregationalist, the de-
scendant of long line of Puritan an
cestors. He was baptized October 20,
1T3a, in the First church of Quincy,
Mass not unfairly called The Church
of Statesmen, because within its walls
have worshiped the Adamses. the
Quincys and the Hancoel1s. But John
Adams was by no means Puritan of
the Calvinistic type. The First church
Of Quincy was Unitarian church To
all intents and purposes long before
Charming preached his famous Balti-
more sermon, which brought about tho
separation Of the Unitarians from the
Trinitarian Congreyationahsts in New
England.
When we como to Thomas Jefferson
1t is not so easy to define his religious
status. BE was freely denounced
during his lifetime, especially from
the pulpits OF New England, as god
less man." and was very commonly
classified, as Col. Inger-soil has just
classified Abraham Lincoln, with the
great French philosopher and skeptic,
Voltaire. There can be no sort of
doubt now, however, that Mr.. Jeffer-
son was a profoundly religious man.
His morality was never questioned.
and If he were alive to-day. leading
Abe same life that he led and express