vers in this religion. The
President of the United States, standing in the portico of the
Capitol, before the face of heaven and in view of the assembled
people, swears upon the Bible to support the Constitution. The great
functions of government cease to be exercised among us when the
morning of the Christian Sabbath dawns. The Executive closes his
mansion, Congress vacates its halls, the judge comes down from his
bench;--all pause and wait through the day of which the God of the
Bible and the Lord our Saviour has said--it is mine. How solemn the
testimony, and how frequently recurring, that this is a Christian
nation.

And whose rights are invaded by this observance of the Christian
religion? The Jew's? Why he can observe his Sabbath on Saturday, and
the law will protect him in the observance. None shall molest or make
him afraid. The infidel's? It may be that he is put to inconvenience.
He cannot have his cause tried in Court; he cannot lay his petition
before Congress or the Executive; he may not be able to procure his
letters from the Post Office: but is this an invasion of his rights?
Who has the right to compel the judge to violate the Sabbath by trying
his cause, or the mail-carrier or post master by delivering his
letters? Would not the non-observance of the Sabbath by the government
operate at once to close the doors of office against four-fifths of
our conscientious citizens? For the very reason, then, that the body
of our people are Christians, our government does and must, as a free
government, respect the Christian religion; and furthermore, because
this religion is, as we know, the true religion of God, and its
influence most happy in sustaining a free government, the State is
bound not simply coldly to protect it in common with all forms of
religion, but warmly to foster it as its own chosen religion.

It would not be well longer to dwell on this topic. It may only be
added that while the understanding of this subject is of the very
first consequence to us as a nation, there is no subject of general
interest which seems to be so little understood.[C]

Nations of necessity have a religious character. The civil government
is of God's ordination, and does God's ministry. The civil government
is administered by and upon men who are religious beings, who cannot
under any circumstances divest themselves of their religious
character. The prevalence of true religion amongst its citizens, is of
the highest ad