The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-23
President James Buchanan was all

character, but it was not until after
he had retired from the presidency
that he made formal profession Of
faith and became member of the
Presbyterian church.
Now we come to President Lincoln,
whom Col Ingerson says held reli-
gious views akin to those Of Voltaire.
It is no doubt true that he never at
any time in his life was a member of a
church in good and regular standing.
Yet from his earliest youth and all
through his great career he is on
record as holding and expressing con-
victions which are essentially Chris
tan, tinged, perhaps, with shade of
Tiers death, he affirmed his belief
that the broken family circle would be
reunited beyond the grave. He spoke
often and most revcreDtly Of his
.'angel mother" Both his parents, by
the way, were members of the Baptist
church.
He never would touch Intoxicating
liquor and never was heard to use a
profane word. He believed in dreams
and omens and thought his wife had
the gift of prophecy. One dream that
he had shortly after his first nomina-
ton was interpreted by Mrs Lincoln
TO mean that he would be~twice elected
but would not live through his second
term-a prophecy that was sadly full
filed. Time and again he declared his
belief in the teachings of the Bible
nd h1si int S.f ti1a isrb "
in the affairs Of nations as well as of
individuals. He held that slavery was
wrong, because Christ and the New
Testament taught liberty.
When he was leaving Springfield in
March. 1861, TO take his seat as presi-
dent, he spoke to his neighbors and
said: "a duty devolves upon me which
is perhaps greater than that which has
devolved upon any ether man since the
days of Washington. He never would
have succeeded except for the aid Of
Divine Providence, upon which ne at
all times relied. feel that cannot
succeed without the same Divine aid
which sustained him. In the same Al
mighty Being place my reliance for
support; and / hope that my friends
will all pray that may receive that
Divine assistance, without which can
not succeed, but with which success 10
certain"
While one of the great battles of the
war was in progress he retired to his
room with his Bible and was overheard
praying with as much earnestness and
faith as the most devout church member
could show. Yet on one occasion he
is reported as saying positively he was
not Christian, though he wished he
could be. To lady connected with
the Christian commission he frankly
said at later day that he hoped he
was Christian and that it was his in
tention at suitable opportunity to
make public religious profession. He
died, however, without making it, but
clergymen of nearly every denomina-
ton stood around his coffin and eulo-
gized him with warmth which showed
that they were certainly far from class
flying him with the great French skep-
tic. Voltaire.
President Andrew Johnson was at
times fervidly pious, and many of his
speeches on occasions of great public
excitement were freely embellished
with references to the Deity and quo
tations from Scripture. but if he ever
was member OF any particular de-
nomination OF Christians his biogra-
piers DO not say So He seems TO have
had Methodist leanings. On one occa-
sion, while he was governor of Ten
nessec, he is reported TO have asked
Col. Moody, a Methodist clergyman
serving with the union army in that
state, TO pray with him The chaplain
prayed and Mr.. Johnson said to him:
Il don't want you to think that have
become a religious man because ask
you to pray. | an sorry to say it. but
lam not and never pretended to be re-
ligious. But, Moody, there is one thing
about it, do believe in Almighty God
and / believe also in the Bible. and |
say d-n me if Nashville shall be sur
rendered.
This anecdote doubtless affords
fair index of President Johnson's re-
ligious character. He believed in God
and in prayer, but made no formal dec
laration OF his faith.
Presid ent Grant, as is we'll known,
was affiliated with the Methodist
church. He was man who always
spoke reverently of sacred things, and
in many of his pubic utterances &C
knowledged his faith in God. When
accepting his commission as lieutenant
general of the union armies from Pres
ident Lincoln he used these words: II
feel the full weight Of the responsible
ity now devolving upon me. I know
that if it is properly met it Will be due
to the armies and, above all, to the
favor Of that Providence which leads
both nations and men" Many similar
expressions came from his lips on like
grave occasions
President Hayes was a devout mem
Der of the Methodist church. President
Garfield was a member OF the Church
of Christ, or the Campbellite church as
it is otherwise called. President Ar
thur was an Episcopalian, and our two
last presidents, Mr.. Harrison and Mr.
Cleveland, both belong to the Presby-
terrain fold. And this exhausts our
brief religious review of the presidents
JAMES w. CLARKE, A. ".
During the last decade. according
70 hc I o,v.~,,c =,