The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1907-12-26
ORIGIN OF MOTTO
I'm GOD We TRUST

How did the motto Tn God We
Trust" come to be placed on coins Of
he United StatesY
This question has been asked many
times since President Roosevelt or.
dered 1t stricken from our coins and
the church people have made a vigor.
on protest against its removal.
The question is fully answered by q
report of the director of the United
States mint, reprinted In 1897 in the
Bankers magazine, as follows:
''FrCm the records of the depart.
ment it appears that the 1rst sugges-
tion Of the recognition of the Deity
on the coins Of the United States was
contained in letter addressed to the
secretary OF the treasury, the Hon.
s. z. Chase, by the Rev. M. r. Wat.
kinson, minister of the gospel. Rid
b9r l3, 1861. which was as follows:
Ridleyville, Penn, Oct. ID, 1861
--Deac Sir: You are about to submit
your annual report to congress re-
specting the affairs OF the national f.
aancoa. One foot touching our cur
ency has hitherto been seriously
overlooked. | mean the recognition
of the Almighty God In some form on
cur coins
/" 'Yon probably are Christian.
What IL our republic we're now shat
tered beyond Ieoonstruction? Would
not the antiguarians OF succeeding
centuries rightly reason from our past
that We we're heather nation? What
! propose Is that, instead of the God
tless Of Liberty, we shall have next
Inside the thirteen states ring in.
Ecribed with the words, Perpetual
Union;" within this ring the all-see.
ing eye, crowned with a halo; be-
meath this eye the American flag,
bearing 10 it, field stars equal to the
numhel of the states united In the
folds OF the bars the words "God,
Liberty, Law.
+" This would MAKE a beautiful
coin, to which no possible citizen
could object. This would relieve us
from the iguominy of heathenism.
This would place us openly under the
divine protection we have personally
claimed. From my heart | have felt
our national shame In disavowing God
as not the least of our present nation.
al disasters. To you, frat, address
a subject that must be agi.ated.
" M. Il. Watkinson,
Minister of the Gospel.
" 10 Hon. s p. Chase, secretary
of the Treasury.
"Under date OF November 20, 1861,
the secretary of the treasury addressed
the following letter to the director Of
the mint:
" Treasury department, November
20, 1861.
" Dear Sir: No nation can be
strong except In the strength of God,
except In His defense. The trust of
our people 10 Gcd should he declared
on our national coins. You will cause
device to be prepared without un.
necessary delay with motto express
ing in the fewest and terset words
possible, this national recognition.
''Yours truly,
I" IS. p. Chase.
" James Pollock, esq, director of
the mint, Philadelphia.
at was found that the act of Janu-
airy Is, 1896, prescribed the notices
and devices that should be placed on
the coins OF the United States, so that
nothing could be done without legis-
lation.
In December, 1868, the director Of
the mint submitted to The secretary
of the treasury for approval designs
for |, 2 and 3 cent pieces, on which 1t
was proposed that one Of tho follow
lug notices should appear: Our
Country; Our God; God, Our Trust.
"The secretary of the treasury in a
letter addressed to the director of the
mint, under date of December 1868,
uses the following language; Il ap-
prove your notices, only suggest thai
"A that with the Washington diverse
Lha motto should begin with the
,ord, Our so as to read Our God
aud Our Country" and on that with
he shield it should be changed so as
to read In God We Trust.
San act was passed April %, 1864.
changing the composition of the l.
mt piece and authorizing the coin
age of the 2-oent piece with devices,
hlch we're to be fixed by the director
It the mint, with the approval OF the
secretary OF the treasury, and 1t was
upon the 2 cent bronze piece that the
motto In God We Trust first ap-
peaTed.
"The act Of March 3, 1856, provided
hat in addition to the legend that de-
vice on the gold and silver coins of
the United States IL should be lawful
Tor the director of the mint with the
aproval of the seci etary of the treas
ury, to place the motto In God We
Trust on such coins as will admit of
the inscription thereon. Under this
act the motto was placed upon the
double eagle. and half eagle aud also
upon the dollar, halt and quarter dol
lars, in the latter part of 1866.
''The coin act OF February u, 1878,