The Irish standard., 1905-02-25

-~OS~~~AAS
Of the huntsman, he usually devoted
Sunday to fox hunting-or closed land
purchases or entertained company.
New England customs-cast in the
grim mold of Puritan theological
thinking-rather annoyed him, though
he was scrupulous in conforming to
them. In his journey through New
England he observes in his diary that
"because it was contrary to the law
and disagreeable to the people of these
states to travel on the Sabbath, went
10 further, but attended the morning
and evening services of a meeting
house and heard very lame discourses
from a Mr.. Pond"
Religious tolerance was part Of his
character. In New England the old
feeling Of hostility to Catholicism lin-
gered on. Guy Fawkes day was an
nually celebrated with fervid acclaim.
In 1775, when the New England troops
in the Continental army intended to
celebrate the day as usual, the general
orders declared that '.as the command
er-in-chief has been apprised of de-
sign, formed for the observance Of that
ridiculous and childish custom of burn
ing the efigy Of the Pope, he cannot
help expressing his surprise that there
should be officers and soldiers in his
army SO void Of common sense as not
to see the improperly of such step."
His attitude toward the Catholic
church was always respectful. On one
occasion he was in his library-a little
quaintly-furnished room that visitors
of today at Mt. Vernon may see as he
left it-reading the poems of Alexan-
der Pope, when friend dropped in
and laughingly expressed a surprise
that "Virginia gentleman should be
found in meditation with the Pope!"
Washington did not relish the jest and
retorted that if the Pope were better
known in Virginia and his sway ac-
knowledged there would be "less lewd-
ness and dissoluteness of life" The
story is told by Paul Leicester Ford.
There is a tradition that when Wash
ington was in Philadelphia after the
Revolutionary war he attended mass
with Patrick Moylan, prominent
member Of the Friendly Sons of st.
Patrick. The story, however, is en-
tirely uncorroborated, except for the
statement in an address appended to a
eulogy of Washington at the time of
his death. The best historians do not
vouch for it as authentic.
Washington certainly had little re-
gard for the Episcopal church as a
force making for spiritual regeneration.
Through the kindness Of Mr.. Buckley,
of the Boston public library, the Re-
public was put in possession of rare
memoir of James Madison that casts
much light upon the religion of Wash
ington. Madison write: II do not sup
pose that Washington had never at
tended to the arguments for Christian
ity, and for the different systems of
religion, or, in fact, that he had formed
definite opinions on the subject But
he took these things as he found them
existing, and was constant in his OBJ
servances of worship according to the
reserved forms of the Episcopal church,
in which he was brought up
Probably this states Washington's
true position in reference to the COM
peting forms of belief. He was rev.
crent, of contemplative habit of
mind. surely in sympathy with a
church that bore to the newly-institut-
ed order of things message of his
tory, of familiarity with past political
and social systems, of contact with
many diverse arrangemnts of national
life.
Washington came to Boston as
young man. The elite Of the town
honored him. We may notice this in
Adams diary. Then the years swept
by-and he came again. Great chang
es had taken place. Shirley had died,
new king sat on the British throne,
the flag of Britain was no longer hon