East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-12-18
ORIGIN OF THE MOTTO IN COD We
TRUST"

How did the motto "In God We
Trust" come to be placed on coins OF
the United states?
This question has been asked many
times since President Roosevelt or
dered It stricken from our coins and
the church people have made a vlgor-
our protest against its removal.
The question is fully answered by
report of the director of the United
States mint, reprinted in 1897 in the
Bankers Magazine, as follows:
Story of Motto.
From the records Of the depart
ment 1t appears that the first sug-
gestlon of the recognition of the De-
ity on the coins Of the United States
was contained in a letter addressed
to the secretary of the treasury, the
Hon. S. p. Chase by the Rev. NJ. r..
Watkinson, minister of the gospel,
Ridleyville, Pennsylvania, under date
of November 13, 1861, which was as
follows:
'Ridleyville, Pennsylvania, Oct
13, 1S61-Dear Sir: You are about
to submit your annual report to con-
gress respecting the affairs of the
national finances, One foot touching
our currency has hitherto been Sc
riously overlooked. l mean the rec
ognition of the Almighty God in some
form on our coins.
"'You probably are a Christian.
What II our republic were now
shattered beyond reconstruction?
Would not the antiquarians Of sue
ceeding centuries rightly reason from
our past that we were a heather ma
ton? What | propose is that, in
stead Of the Goddess Of Liberty, we
shall have next inside the thirteen
states a ring inscribed with the
words. perpetual Unlon;" within
this ring the all-seeing eye, crowned
with halo; beneath this eye the
American flag, bearing in its field
stars equal to the number Of the
states united; n the folds of the bars
the words "God, Liberty Law"
"'Ths would make beautiful
coin. to which no possible citizen
could object This would relieve US
from the ignominy Of heathenlsm.
This would place us openly under the
divine protection we have personally
claimed. From my heart / have felt
our national shame in disavowine
God as not the least Of our present
national disasters. To you first, I
address a subject that must be agi-
tated.
I'M. r. WATKINSON,
Minister Of the Gospel |
TO Hon s P. Chase, Secretary of
the Treasury
Letter of s. p. Chase.
Under date Of November 90, 1861 |
the secretary OF the treasury ad-
dressed the following letter to the
director Of the mint:
Treasury Department, Novem-
Der 90, 1861.
Dear Sir: No nation can be
strong. except In the strength of God
except in His defense. The trust OF
our people in God should be declar-
ed on our national coins You will
cause device to be prepared with.
out unnecessary delay with a motto
expressing in the fewest and tersest
words possible, this national recogni-
tion.
"'Yours truly,
IS P. CHASE
James Pollock. ESQ., Director of
the Mint, Philadelphia
at was found that the act of Jan
uary is, 1885. 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.
I'm 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
it was proposed that one of the fol-
lowing notices should appear:
"Our Country; Our God; God, our
Trust
"In God We Trust"
THE secretary of the treasury in
a letter addressed to the director of
the mint, under date of December
1863. uses the following language:
Il approve your notices, only sug-
gest that on that with the Washing
ton diverse the motto should begin
with the word, "Our" so. as to read
"Our God and Our Country" and
on that with the shield It should be