The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-17

| TO him: IL WAS bred In The bone. Ills
rather had been Il vCstryman In Eng .
| iand and IN tho Virginia parish to
which hi cmigratcd. and his brother
Laurence mad y succeeded the cider
WASHINGTON In the same capacity.
When George Inherited the Mount Yer
/ non estate from Laurcncc's daughter
he became ves,rSman In two parishes
in the little nome church at Pohick
anu in Alexandria. While ne was
President. the Whshingtons we're rcyu
! lar attendants at st. Paul's chapel OH
! broadway. New York City. and pc-
cupicd i big square pew which Is ytill
| the show feature of that historic
| sanctuary.
| 1t Is fact that Washington made
| his churchmanshiD more conspicuous
| than any other President Of the vir-
ginih group who was living when
church and state parted company in
America. That group included Icncr-
| "of, Madison, Monroe. Taylor and Will
| liam II. Harrison: John Tyler was born
the year after the organization OF the
so-cailcd Protestant Episcopal Church
in America and WIS never "a member OF
| the parent body, although ne was :,
| lifelong adhcrcnt to its successor.
| From the start Washington was i'm.
| pressed with the idea that as head VI
ihc ne" republic IL was his duty to
| Invest all public functions with a
| more or less religious atmosphere
An instance OF this disposition OF
the first President to emphasize the
! Importance "f religion in affairs OF
state occurred at tho opening of the
| First Congress. While Or. Ducnc was
conducting the opening prayer service
most of the delegates stood. but Wash
inston knelt revcrcnly and remained
| on his knees until the FINAL amen. TO
the decided discomfort OF the New
England contingent which regarded
such an attitude as a survival Of mid
dlc-agc superstition. Again, when the
Declaration Or Independence was read
to the army, Washington wrote in the
general orders OF the day: Il hone
this important event will gerve as a
! fresh incentive TO every officer and sol
dicr to act with ildelity and courage
az Knowing that now the peace and
safety Of his country depend. under
Almighty God. solely Oh the success OF
| our arms
Al! OF tho other Virginia Presidents
we're thorouEhso!ng EpiScopaiians Of
! Thomas Jefferson who was also an
EpisconaliaU. bat Of type which was
not so Plentiful in those days as II
! may be Al present. In his outward
observance Jefferson conformcd TO tho
| prescribed rule OF conduct OF his
| church: he Mas baptized an anglican
churchman, was scrupulously regular
| In his attendance al services, and
when nc came TO mans estate filled
| the Office OF Tcstryman in his parish
| with dignity and TO tho satisfaction
OF his rectors and fellow parishoncrs.
No member OF his household or Of the
| parish In which he was vcstryman
| ever took tho trouble TO pick flaws in
/ his orthodoxy, bit tho outside world
| did. and has been doing so ever since.
jefferson Was 4 scholar and n man
OF the world. up-to-datc in every re-
spcct ana posted thoroughly on all
matters Of Importance. All tho other
| Virginia Prcsidcnty were satisfied 10
take their religion secondhand. but
the brilliant student Of Monticello al.
| though he never came out openly
against the ch'irch's authority in mat
/ ters of faith. reserved for himself the
privilege of Investigation. and his e.
| forts In that direction led him TO tho
belief that the theology OF his day
| was decidedly illihcral.
| Practically. Of course that was hear.
say in those days. II was not at all
| necessary for jefferson to avow him
self publicly an unbciIcver In the re-
| ligious attitude Of his country Ills
political ICES were right on the ground
10 spare him the trouble AS the
| founder of the new Republican party
| no was the target for the shafts OF
his enemies. The Fcdcralists had been
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