The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-04-21

When he came to die. after brief
sickness of only five days, he had no
misgivings, but calmly said: 81 am not
afraid to die. am ready. have en-
deavorcd to do my duty" What more
than this can any Christian say?
President Willard Fillmore, who fol-
lowed him, was u man of unostenta-
tious piety. He always showed great
reverence for the Bible, and by afiilia-
ton, if not Icy actual membership, was
a Baptist. Ills wife was the daughter
of Baptist clergyman President
Franklin Pierce, who followed Fill
more, was communist of the Episco-
pal church, and Nathaniel Hawthorne,
in his biography of him, says that he
mad "A widc-embracing sympathy for
all forms of Christian worship and a
reverence for individual belief as Il
matter between the Deity and mans
soul with which no other has a right
to Interfere"
President James buchanan was all
his life man of rcverent and pure
character, but it was not until after
he had retired from the presidency
that he made u formal profession of
faith and became member of the
presbyterian church.
Now we come to President Lincoln,
whom Col. Ingcrsoll says held rcli-
gions views akin to those of Voltaire.
1t is no doubt true that he never Mt
my time in his life was n member of
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 a shade Of
spiritualism. Writing about his ia
theirs death, he affirmed his belief
that the broken family circle would be
reunited beyond the grave. He spoke
often and most reverently 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. lie 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
and in the intervention of the Almighty
in the affairs of nations as we'll 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 devolvcs upon me which
is perhaps greater shan that which has
devolved upon any other man since the
days of Washington. lie never would
have succeeded except for the aid of
Divine Providence, upon which he at
all times relied. l 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 is
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 ms much earnestness and
faith as the mostdevout church member
could show. Yet on one occasion he
is reported rs saying positively he was
not II Christian, though he wished he
could be. TO n lady connected with
the Christian commission he frankly
said ut n later day that he hoped he
was Christian and that it was his in
tention Mt a suitable opportunity to
make public religious profession. He
died, however, without making it, but
clergymen of nearly every dcnomina-
ton stood around his coffin and eulo-
giZcd him with n 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
nessee, he is reported to have asked
Col. Moody, q Methodist clergyman
serving with the union army in that
state, to pray with him. The chaplain
prayed and Mr.. johnson said to him:
II don't want you to think that have
become religious man because ask
you to pray. am sorry to say it, but
| am 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 anccdOte doubtless affords a