Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-02-24

turbed him more than the continuous dis
putes among the various Christian sects,
and he did not hesitate to say SO. 'Of
all the animosities," he writes, (which
have existed among mankind, those which
are caused by difference Of sentiment in
religion appears to be the most inveterate
and distressing, and ought to be most de-
precated- I was in hopes that the en-
lgntened and liberal policy which has
market the present age, would at least
have ~reconciled Christians of every de-
nomination SO far, that we should never
again see their religious disputes carried
to such a pitch as to endanger the peace
of society" And then just to quote one
more reference, writing to Lafayette.
about the proceedings of the Assembly
of ~notables, he said: Il am not less
in our plan of federation in religious
matters. Being no bigot myself, l am
disposed to indulge the professors OF
Christianity in the church with that road
to heaven which to them shall seem the
most direct. plainest easiest and least
liable to exception"
Here are some Of washington's liberal
views about religion in general. But we
have a few instances of his tolerant views
that come nearer home. When Washing
ton was elected President, the Jewish con-
gregations Of Savannah, Ga, Newport.
philadelphia, New York. Richmond and
Charleston addressed to him their con-
gratulations. In answer TO all, after ex-
pressing his thanks and appreciation, he
necessarily made some reference TO the
faith of those who had addressed him and
those references are typical Of the man.
In his response to the Savannah congre-
CATION he closes with the words May
the same woodworking deity who long
since delivered the Hebrews from their
Egyptian oppressors, planted them in a
promised land; whose ~providential agency
has lately been conspicuous in establish
ing these United States as an Independent
nation, still continue to water them with
the dews of heaven and make the inhabi-
tants OF every denomination participate in
the temporal and spiritual blessings of
that people whose God is Jehovah"
To the Newport congregation he wrote,
among other things: 1T is now no more
that liberation is spoken of as if it were
by the indulgence of one class of people
that another enjoyed the exercise of their
li5AASSs lOl AdpDlly tuC
government of the United States which
gives to bigotry nc sanction, TO persecu-
ton no assistance, requires truly that
they who live under it's protection should
demean themselves as good citizens in
giving it on all occasions their effectual
support.-May the children of the stock
of Abraham, who dwell in this land con-
tinue to merit and enjoy the good will of
the other inhabitants, while every one
shall sit in safety under his own vine
and fig tree, and there shall be none to
make him afraid"
No need to quote further. Washington
may not "a written the Constitution.
nor may he lave created single-handed its
Observation-Disclosures, but remembering
the position he occupied, and the tolerance
that was his personally, we can in no
way overestimate the influence he exerted
both directly and indirectly in shaping
the hberalty of this, our country. What
privileges the differing faiths of the coun-
try enjoy they may trace largely to the
rather OF the country, and the Jew can do
the same. He is here free. He is here
a a He is here a Jew, and he will
not soon forget him to whom it is due.
And now one ina word. George WASH
ington not only exerted a tremendous i'm
fuence in shaping the religious or rather
liberal attitude of our country, and so
in showering blessings on Israel here.
but he necessarily exerted a powerful in
fuence in liberalizing the of
other countries. L have already quoted
what he said to Lafayette on this subject.
That was direct influence. But of course
most Nf ~ ~l:-z
could not demand that other countries
should treat their non-conforrning inhabi-
tants better, but his very example could
not be without effect in stirring up others
to laudable imitation. And it was not
without effect. No good Example ever
IS. The response may not be immediate
but 1T is bound to come. The world to-day
is much more liberal than it was over
100 years ago. Church and state are al
most everywhere practically separated.
The religion of a man is in but few
places made a cause for discrimination,
so Tar as governments are concerned. In
most of the countries of the world the
Jew is given all the rights of citizenship.
How much all this is due to the influence
OF America perhaps we know. Perhaps,
however, we have never fully understood
how much of it is due to Washington.
The Father of his country planted better
than he knew, and we are reaping the
results of his planting. America has be-
come the worlds paradise, but it has be-
come the Utopia of the Jew, too, and the
Jew is not apt to forget it. When the
world has grown older, and the centuries
will have multiplied themselves when
history will lave focused more attention
on other matters and the millennium has
come nearer; when the blessings for
which the Jew was bequeathed will have
vastly increased and he comes into his
own, still will he turn the light of his
memory on Washington to whom he owes
so much.
First in war, first in peace, first in the
hearts of his countrymen.
DISTINGUISHED LECTURER.