The Semi-weekly Madison County Democrat. (London, Ohio) 1923-19??, 1933-03-28


the Vice Presidency, and the election
of new Speaker of the House o.
representatives, there has beer
naturally a quickened interest in thu
matter of the national speakership
1t is interesting to know that tn
first Speaker of the national House
of Representatives was minister oi
the Gospel. In an interesting stor,
in the current issue of the Nationa
Republic, under the caption, "Firs
Speaker Was Preacher" Mr.. H. o
Bishop says, in part:
Ever since last November, whel
Speaker John N. Garner was electet
Vice President Of the United States
the people of the country have beer
unusually interested in that import
ant cog in our governmental machin
cry known as Speaker of the House
Some great men have held that jot
during the intervening years since
George Washington was selected as
our first President and started oul
government in motion under the Con
stitution framed by an aggregation
of able men presided over by Wash
ington.
"But if your wife, or your boy OF
girl or your next-door neighbor askee
you the name of the first Speaker
of the House what would you tel
them? | doubt if more than one
person out of thousand could give
his name and tell anything about his
activities during those struggling
days of our history.
"His name was Frederick Angus
tus Conrad Muhlenberg. He was q
Lutheran preacher, his father was q
Lutheran preacher, and his two
brothers were Lutheran preachers.
preacher Muhlenberg was not only
the first speaker of the House OF
Representatives but he also was the
third Speaker. Years previously he
had twice been elected speaker Of the
Legislature. Of Pennsylvania. His
father, Henry Melchior Muhlenberg,
was that sturdy old pioneer who EN-
igrated to America from Germany
and planted and nurtured the Luth-
eran church in the colonies. He was
a remarkably able and useful man
in his day. He was known through
out the country. He rode everywhere
on horseback preaching and praying,
establishing churches in the new set
Elements, comforting the sick and
encouraging those who were home
sick and disheartened. He was a
rare man. His study was not located
in a steam-heated house-it was in
the great outdoors under the trees,
where he mixed with human beings
and understood them. And what a
wife he had! Never in the world
could their boys have developed into
the great men they were had it not
been for the fine things she taught
them as they leaned against her
knees or sat in her lap. That blessed
soul was a builder of men Of char
acter.
"The first Speaker of the House
was born in Pennsylvania in 1850
when George Washington, a young
man of 18, was making important
history in Virginia. There being no
suitable educational institutions in
America for the training of young
men as Lutheran preachers, the
father sent him and his two brothers
across the ocean to Germany to be
educated. He was ordained in the
ministry in TITO, at the early age OF
90, and for some time served as an
assistant to his father. During the
hot and exciting days preceding and
early in the Revolution-1773t to 1776
he was pastor of Christ German
Lutheran church in New York City,
one of the most important churches
in the country. Beng sort OF
preacher who had convictions about
the affairs of his country he, quite
naturally, aroused the ire of the
British on both sides of the ocean.
On several occasions he was driven
out of New York and chased from
one place to another. But this didn't
phase him at all. Wherever he went
he continued to preach the gospel Of
the Lord and the righteousness of the
American Revolution. The people
were so proud of him and SO highly
respected his patriotism and ability
that they elected him to the Cont
mental Congress, where he served