John Adams

"I promised you a letter on Christianity, which I have not forgotten. On the contrary, it is because I have reflected on it, that I find much more time necessary for it than I can at present dispose of. I have a view of the subject which ought to displease neither the rational Christian nor Deists, and would reconcile many to a character they have too hastily rejected. I do not know that it would reconcile the genus irritabile vatum who are all in arms against me. Their hostility is on too interesting ground to be softened. The delusion into which the X. Y. Z. plot shewed it possible to push the people; the successful experiment made under the prevalence of that delusion on the clause of the constitution, which, while it secured the freedom of the press, covered also the freedom of religion, had given to the clergy a very favorite hope of obtaining an establishment of a particular form of Christianity thro' the U. S.; and as every sect believes its own form the true one, every one perhaps hoped for his own, but especially the Episcopalians & Congregationalists. The returning good sense of our country threatens abortion to their hopes, & they believe that any portion of power confided to me, will be exerted in opposition to their schemes. And they believe rightly; for I have sworn upon the altar of god, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man. But this is all they have to fear from me: & enough too in their opinion, & this is the cause of their printing lying pamphlets against me, forging conversations for me with Mazzei, Bishop Madison, &c., which are absolute falsehoods without a circumstance of truth to rest on; falsehoods, too, of which I acquit Mazzei & Bishop Madison, for they are men of truth."

-  Thomas Jefferson, Sept. 23, 1800 letter to Benjamin Rush. [The Works of Thomas Jefferson in Twelve Volumes. Federal Edition. Collected and Edited by Paul Leicester Ford.]

Also see; God and Jefferson

 “It would be unbecoming the Representatives of this nation to assemble, for the first time, in this solemn temple, without looking up to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, and imploring his blessing.

“May this territory be the residence of virtue and happiness!--In this city may that piety and virtue, that wisdom and magnanimity, that constancy and self-government which adorned the great character whose name it bears, be forever held in veneration!--Here, and throughout our country, may simple manners, pure morals, and true religion, flourish forever!”

- President John Adams, Nov. 22, 1800, Message to Congress, [Journal of the Senate of the United States of America, 1789-1873. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1800.]

The Closet Companion, "Intended to be fixed up in the Christian's usual Place of Retirement, in order to remind him of, as well as to assist him in, the Work." [1800]

To Messrs. Nehimiah Dodge, Ephraim Robbins and Stephen S. Nelson, a committee of the
Danbury Baptist Association in the state of Connecticut.

Gentlemen,
THE affectionate sentiments of esteem and apporbation which you are so good as to express towards me, on behalf of the Danbury Baptist Association, gave me the highest satisfaction; my duties dictate a faithful and zealous pursuit of the interests of my constituents, and in proportion as they are persuaded of my fidelity to those duties, the discharge of them becomes more and more pleasing.
Believing with you, that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;" thus building a wall of seperation between church and state. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation, in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural rights in opposition to his social duties.
I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection and blessing of the common father and creator of man, and tender you, for yourselves, and your Religious Association, assurances of my high respect and esteem.

Thomas Jefferson, JAN. 1, 1802.
[The Aurora General Advertiser, Philadelphia, Feb., 1, 1802].

Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States,
MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 1803.

“While we regret the miseries in which we see others involved, let us bow with gratitude to that kind Providence, which, inspiring with wisdom and moderation our late legislative councils, while placed under the urgency of the greatest wrongs, guarded us from hastily entering into the sanguinary contest, and left us only to look on and to pity its ravages.”

- President Thomas Jefferson, Message to the U.S. Senate, Oct. 17, 1803. [Journal of the Senate of the United States of America, 1789-1873.]

"...In taking a view of the state of our country, we, in the first place, notice the late affliction of two of our cities under the fatal fever which, in latter times, has occasionally visited our shores. Providence, in his goodness, gave it an early termination on this occasion, and lessened the number of victims which have usually fallen before it...."

- President Thomas Jefferson  

Journal of the Senate of the United States of America,

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1808.

Journal of the Senate of the United States of America,
THE PROCEEDINGS OF A SESSION SPECIALLY CALLED ON SATURDAY, MARCH 4, 1809.

"...But the source to which I look for the aids which alone can supply my deficiencies, is in the well tried intelligence and virtue of my fellow-citizens, and in the counsels of those representing them in the other departments associated in the care of the national interests. In these my confidence will, under every difficulty, be best placed, next to that which we have all been encouraged to feel in the guardianship and guidance of that Almighty Being whose power regulates the destiny of nations, whose blessings have been so conspicuously dispensed to this rising republic, and to whom we are bound to address our devout gratitude for the past, as well as our fervent supplications and best hopes for the future."

- President James Madison, Inaugural Address

Journal of the Senate of the United States of America,
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1809.

BOOKS PUBLISHED AND SOLD BY W. W. WOODWARD, "Proof of the Eternal Godhead of our Lord Jesus Christ against modern attacks", Feb., 1810

Journal of the Senate of the United States of America, 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 1812.

Mr. Anderson submitted the following motion for consideration:

"Whereas the United States of America, notwithstanding the pacific disposition which has been so distinguishingly evinced by them towards all the nations of the world, have, nevertheless, been compelled to resort to arms for the maintenance and protection of those rights which have been achieved by the blood of their fathers; and, although they have a just confidence in the strength of their government, and in the vigor of their own arm, yet, being taught by Holy Writ, to which they bow with all due reverence and submission, "that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but of the Lord who willeth and doeth:" And it being at all times our indispensable duty devoutly to acknowledge the superintending Providence of Almighty God, especially in times of impending danger and public calamity, to reverence and adore his immutable justice, as well as to implore his merciful interposition for the prosperity of the nation: Therefore,

"Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That a joint committee of both Houses wait on the President of the United States and request that he will recommend to the people of the United States a day of public humiliation and prayer, to be observed by supplicating Almighty God for the safety and welfare of these states, and for the success of their arms."

And the motion was read.

Ordered, That it pass to the second reading.

Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States,
THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 1812.

...Ordered, That the report of the Committee of Foreign Relations, made to this House on the third instant, be entered on the journals thereof.

"The Committee on Foreign Relations, to whom was referred the Message of the President of the United States, of the first of June, 1812,

"REPORT:

"...But the period has now arrived, when the United States must support their character and station among the Nations of the earth, or submit to the most shameful degradation. Forbearance has ceased. to be a virtue. War on the one side, and peace on the other, is a situation as ruinous as it is disgraceful. The mad ambition, the lust of power, and commercial avarice, of Great Britain, arrogating to herself the complete dominion of the ocean, and exercising over it an unbounded and lawless tyranny, have left to neutral nations an alternative only between the base surrender of their rights, and a manly vindication of them. Happily for the United States, their destiny, under the aid of Heaven, is in their own hands. The crisis is formidable only by their love of peace. As soon as it becomes a duty to relinquish that situation, danger disappears. They have suffered no wrongs, they have received no insults, however great, for which they cannot obtain redress...."

"..."Your committee, believing that the free born sons of America are worthy to enjoy the liberty which their fathers purchased at the price of so much blood and treasure, and seeing in the measures adopted by Great Britain, a course commenced and persisted in, which must lead to a loss of national character and independence, feel no hesitation in advising resistance by force; in which the Americans of the present day will prove to the enemy and to the world, that we have not only inherited that liberty which our fathers gave us, but also the will and power to maintain it. Relying on the patriotism of the nation, and confidently trusting that the Lord of Hosts will go with us to battle in a righteous cause, and crown our efforts with success, your committee recommend an immediate appeal to arms."

- Message of the President of the United States, of the first of June, 1812. [Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States, JUNE 25, 1812.]

So the resolution passed as follows:

"It being a duty peculiarly incumbent in a time of public calamity and war, humbly and devoutly to acknowledge our dependence on Almighty God, and to implore his aid and protection: Therefore,

"Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That a joint committee of both Houses of Congress wait on the President of the United States, and request that he recommend a day of public humiliation and prayer, to be observed by the people of the United States, with religious solemnity and the offering of fervent supplications to Almighty God for the safety and welfare of these states, his blessing on their arms, and the speedy restoration of peace."

- Journal of the Senate, June 30, 1812

Journal of the Senate of the United States of America,

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1812.

Journal of the Senate of the United States of America,
TUESDAY, MAY, 25, 1813. 

"...The contest in which the United States are engaged, appeals for its support to every motive that can animate an uncorrupted and enlightened people; to the love of country; to the pride of liberty; to an emulation of the glorious founders of their independence, by a successful vindication of its violated attributes; to the gratitude and sympathy which demand security from the most degrading wrongs of a class of citizens, who have proved themselves so worthy the protection of their country, of their heroic zeal in its defence; and, finally, to the sacred obligation of transmitting entire, to future generations, that precious patrimony of national rights and independence which is held in trust by the present, from the goodness of Divine Providence."

- [President] James Madison. Washington, May 25th, 1813.

Journal of the Senate of the United States of America,

TUESDAY, JULY 13, 1813

Mr. Anderson submitted the following motion for consideration:

Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That a joint committee of both Houses wait on the President of the United States, and request that he recommend a day of public humiliation and prayer, to be observed by the people of the United States with religious solemnity, and the offering of fervent supplications to Almighty God for the safety and welfare of these States, his blessing on their arms, and the speedy restoration of peace.

The resolution requesting the President of the United States to recommend a day of public humiliation and prayer, having been reported by the committee correctly engrossed, was read the third time and passed, as follows:

"It being a duty peculiarly incumbent in a time of public calamity and war, humbly and devoutly to acknowledge our dependence on Almighty God, and to implore his aid and protection: therefore,

"Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That a joint committee of both Houses wait on the President of the United States and request that he recommend a day of public humiliation and prayer, to be observed by the people of the United States with religious solemnity, and the offering of fervent supplications to Almighty God for the safety and welfare of these states, his blessing on their arms, and the speedy restoration of peace."

Ordered, That the Secretary request the concurrence of the House of Representatives in this
resolution.

- Journal of the U.S. Senate, July 16, 1813

Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States,

"...Under such circumstances, a nation, proud of its rights, and conscious of its strength, has no choice, but an exertion of the one in support of the other.

"To this determination, the best encouragement is derived from the success with which it has pleased the Almighty to bless our arms, both on the land and on the water...."

"The war has proved, moreover, that our free Government, like other free Governments, though slow in its early movements, acquires in its progress a force proportioned to its freedom; and that the union of these States, the guardian of the freedom and safety of all and of each, is strengthened by every occasion that puts it to the test.

"In fine, the war, with all its vicissitudes, is illustrating the capacity and the destiny of the United States to be a great, a flourishing, and a powerful Nation; worthy of the friendship which it is disposed to cultivate with all others; and authorized, by its own example, to require from all an observance of the laws of justice and reciprocity. Beyond these, their claims have never extended; and, in contending for these, we behold a subject for our congratulations in the daily testimonies of increasing harmony throughout the Nation, and may humbly repose our trust in the smiles of Heaven on so righteous a cause...."

President James Madison.

Washington, December 7. 1813.

Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States,
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1814.

The following resolution was submitted by Mr. Clopton, for consideration:

It being a duty peculiarly incumbent, in a time of public calamity and war, humbly and devoutly to acknowledge our dependence on Almighty God, and to implore his aid and protection: Therefore,

"Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That a joint committee of both Houses wait on the President of the United States, and request that he recommend a day of public humiliation, prayer, and fasting, to be observed by the People of the United States, with religious solemnity, and the offering of fervent supplications to Almighty God, for the safety of these States; his blessing on their arms, and a speedy restoration of peace."

The said resolution was read, and referred to a Committee of the Whole House to-day.

- Journal of the U.S. House of Representatives, Oct. 29, 1814

Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States,

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1815

Mr. Culpeper submitted the following preamble and resolution; which was read, and ordered to lie on the table:

It being a duty peculiarly incumbent, in a time of public calamity and war, humbly and devoutly to acknowledge our dependence on Almighty God, and to implore his aid and protection; and in times of deliverance and prosperity to manifest our deep and undissembled gratitude to the Almighty Sovereign of the Universe: Therefore,

Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That a joint committee of both Houses wait on the President of the United States, and request that he recommend a day of thanksgiving, to be observed by the People of the United States with religious solemnity, and the offering of devout acknowledgments to God for his mercies, and in prayer to him for the continuance of his blessings.

An engrossed resolution for the appointment of a joint committee to wait upon the President and request that the recommend a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God for his goodness in restoring to these United States the blessings of peace, was read the third time and passed.

Ordered, That the title be, "A resolution for the appointment of a joint committee to wait upon the President and request that he recommend a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God for his goodness in restoring to these United States the blessings of peace."

Ordered, That the Clerk carry the said bill and resolution to the Senate, and request their
concurrence therein.

- Journal of the U.S. House of Representatives, Feb. 25th, 1815

"Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers."

- John Jay, October 12, 1816, in The Correspondence and Public Papers of John Jay, Henry P. Johnston, ed., (New York: G.P Putnam & Sons, 1893; reprinted NY: Burt Franklin, 1970), Vol. IV, 393.

(Mr. Jay was one of the authors of the Federalist Papers and became America's first Supreme Court Justice. He also served as the president of the American Bible Society).

"...Never did a government commence under auspices so favorable, nor ever was success so complete. If we look to the history of other nations, ancient or modern, we find no example of a growth so rapid--so gigantic: of a people so prosperous and happy. In contemplating what we have still to perform, the heart of every citizen must expand with joy, when he reflects how near our government has approached to perfection; that, in respect to it, we have no essential improvement to make: that the great object is, to preserve it in the essential principles and features which characterize it, and that that is to be done by preserving the virtue and enlightening the minds of the people; and, as a security against foreign dangers, to adopt such arrangements as are indispensable to the support of our independence, our rights and liberties. If we persevere in the career in which we have advanced so far, and in the path already traced, we cannot fail, under the favor of a gracious Providence, to attain the high destiny which seems to await us. . . .I enter on the trust to which I have been called by the suffrages of my fellow-citizens, with my fervent prayers to the Almighty, that He will be graciously pleased to continue to us that protection which He has already so conspicuously displayed in our favor."

- President James Monroe, March 4, 1817 Inaugural Speech. [Journal of the U.S. Senate] 

Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States,

December 2, 1817

AT no period of our political existence had we so much cause to felicitate ourselves at the prosperous and happy condition of our country. The abundant fruits of the earth have filled it with plenty. An extensive and profitable commerce has greatly augmented our revenue. The public credit has attained an extraordinary elevation. Our preparations for defence, in case of future wars, from which, by the experience of all nations, we ought not to expect to be exempted, are advancing, under a well digested system, with all the despatch which so important a work will admit. Our free government, founded on the interest and affections of the people, has gained, and is daily gaining, strength. Local jealousies are rapidly yielding to more generous, enlarged, and enlightened view of national policy. For advantages so numerous, and highly important, it is our duty to unite in grateful acknowledgments to that Omnipotent Being, from whom they are derived, and in unceasing prayer, that he will endow us with virtue and strength to maintain and hand them down, in their utmost purity, to our latest posterity.

- President James Monroe

Journal of the Senate of the United States of America,
TUESDAY, November 17th, 1818.

"...Fellow-citizens of the Senate
and of the House of Representatives."

"The auspicious circumstances under which you will commence the duties of the present Session will lighten the burdens inseparable from the high trust committed to you. The fruits of the earth have been unusually abundant: commerce has flourished; the revenue has exceeded the most favorable anticipation, and peace and amity are preserved with foreign nations on conditions just and honorable to our country. For these inestimable blessings we cannot but be grateful to that Providence which watches over the destiny of nations...."

"...When we view the great blessings with which our country has been favored, those which we now enjoy, and the means which we possess of handing them down, unimpaired, to our latest posterity, our attention is irresistibly drawn to the source from whence they flow. Let us then unite in offering our most grateful acknowledgments for these blessings to the Divine Author of all good...."

- President James Monroe, November 16th, 1818.

State of New-Hampshire, BY THE GOVERNOR. A PROCLAMATION FOR A DAY OF THANKSGIVING, Oct. 1, 1821

American State Papers, Senate, 17th Congress, 2nd Session
Indians Affairs: Volume 2, Page 372, No. 189. Progress of the society of United Brethren in propagating the Gospel among the Indians.

From the State department.

By the President of the United States of America.

A proclamation.

"Whereas a General Convention of Peace, Amity, Navigation, and Commerce, between the United States of America and the Republic of Colombia, was concluded and signed, at Bogota, on the third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-four; which Convention, being in the English and Spanish languages, is word for word as follows:

"General Convention of Peace, Amity, Navigation and Commerce, between the United States of America and the Republic of Colombia.
Convencion Jeneral de Paz, Amistad, Navegacion, y Comercio, entre la Republica de Colombia y los Estados-Unidos de America, Año de 1824.

"IN THE NAME OF GOD, AUTHOR AND LEGISLATOR OF THE UNIVERSE.
EN EL NOMBRE DE DIOS, AUTOR Y LEJISLADOR DEL UNIVERSO...."

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.

By the President:
H. CLAY, Secretary of State.

 “For these blessings, we owe to Almighty God, from whom we derive them, and with profound reverence, our most grateful and unceasing acknowledgments.”

- President James Monroe, Dec. 7, 1824 Message to the U.S. House & Senate. [Journal of the Senate of the United States of America, 1789-1873.]

Updegraph v. Commonwealth, "Thus this wise legislature framed this great body of laws for a Christian country and Christian people.", 1824

Journal of the Senate of the United States of America,
FRIDAY, March 4th, 1825.

"In compliance with an usage coeval with the existence of our Federal Constitution, and sanctioned by the example of my predecessors in the career upon which I am about to enter, I appear, my fellow citizens, in your presence, and in that of Heaven, to bind myself by the solemnities of religious obligation, to the faithful performance of the duties allotted to me in the station to which I have been called....”

“...To the guidance of the Legislative councils; to the assistance of the Executive and subordinate Departments; to the friendly co-operation of the respective State Governments; to the candid and liberal support of the people, so far as it may be deserved by honest industry and zeal, I shall look for whatever success may attend my public service: and knowing, that, except the Lord keep the City, the watchman waketh but in vain, with fervent supplications for his favor, to his overruling Providence I commit, with humble but fearless confidence, my own fate, and the future destinies of my country."

- President John Q. Adams, Inaugural address.

"We learn from the result of this experiment, how fortunate was our own condition, and how admirably the character of our people was calculated for setting the great example of popular governments. The possession of power did not turn the heads of the American people, for they had long been in the habit of exercising a great degree of self-control. Although the paramount authority of the parent state existed over them, yet a large field of legislation had always been open to our Colonial assemblies. They were accustomed to representative bodies and the forms of free government; they understood the doctrine of the division of power among different branches, and the necessity of checks on each. The character of our countrymen, moreover, was sober, moral, and religious; and there was little in the change to shock their feelings of justice and humanity, or even to disturb an honest prejudice. We had no domestic throne to overturn, no privileged orders to cast down, no violent changes of property to encounter. In the American Revolution, no man sought or wished for more than to defend and enjoy his own. None hoped for plunder or for spoil. Rapacity was unknown to it; the axe was not among the instruments of its accomplishment; and we all know that it could not have lived a single day under any well-founded imputation of possessing a tendency adverse to the Christian religion."

- Daniel Webster, An Address Delivered At The Laying Of The Corner-Stone Of The Bunker Hill Monument AT Charlestown, Massachusetts, On The 17th Of June, 1825.

Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States,

December 6, 1825.

....In taking a general survey of the concerns or our beloved country, with reference to subjects interesting to the common welfare, the first sentiment which impresses itself upon the mind, is of gratitude to the Omnipotent Disposer of all Good, for the continuance of the signal blessings of his Providence, and especially for that health which, to all unusual extent, has prevailed within our borders; and the that abundance which, in the vicissitudes of the seasons, has been scattered with profusion over our land. Nor ought we less to ascribe to Him the glory, that we are permitted to enjoy the bounties of His hand in peace and tranquillity--in peace with all the other nations of the earth, in tranquillity among ourselves. There has, indeed, rarely been a period in the history of civilized man. in which the general condition of the Christian Nations has Been marked so extensively by peace and prosperity....

"...The heroic struggles of the Greeks themselves, in which our warmest sympathies as Freemen and Christians have been engaged, have continued to be maintained with vicissitudes of success adverse and favorable...."

“...But moral, political, intellectual improvement, are duties assigned, by the Author of our existence, to social, no less than to individual man. For the fulfilment of those duties, governments are invested with power; and, to the attainment of the end, the progressive improvement of the condition of the governed, the exercise of delegated power is a duty as sacred and indispensable, as the usurpation of power not granted is criminal and odious....”

"The spirit of improvement is abroad upon the earth. It stimulates the hearts, and sharpens the faculties, not of our fellow citizens alone, but of the nations of Europe, and of their rulers. While dwelling with pleasing satisfaction upon the superior excellence of our Political Institutions, let us not be unmindful that Liberty is Power; that the nation blessed with the largest portion of liberty, must, in proportion to its numbers, be the most powerful nation upon earth; and that the tenure of power by man is, in the moral purposes of his Creator, upon condition that it shall be exercised to ends of beneficence, to improve the condition of himself and his fellow men. While foreign nations, less blessed with that freedom which is power, than ourselves, are advancing with gigantic strides in the career of public improvement; were we to slumber in indolence, or fold up our arms and proclaim to the world that we are palsied by the will of our constituents, would it not be to cast away the bounties of Providence, and doom ourselves to perpetual inferiority? In the course of the year now drawing to its close, we have beheld, under the auspices, and at the expense of one state of this Union, a new University unfolding its portals to the sons of science, and holding up the torch of human improvement to eyes that seek the light. We have seen, under the persevering and enlightened enterprise of another State, the waters of our Western Lakes mingled with those of the Ocean. If undertakings like these have been accomplished in the compass of a few years, by the authority of single members of our Confederation, can we, the Representative Authorities of the whole Union, fall behind our fellow-servants in the exercise of the trust committed to us for the benefit of our common Sovereign, by the accomplishment of works important to the whole, and to which neither the authority nor the resources of any one State can be adequate?"

"....Finally, fellow citizens, I shall await with cheering hope, and faithful co-operation, the result of your deliberations; assured that, without encroaching upon the powers reserved to the authorities of the respective States, or to the People, you will, with a due sense of your obligations to your Country, and of the high responsibilities weighing upon yourselves, give efficacy to the means committed to you for the common good. And may He who searches the hearts of the children of men, prosper your exertions to secure the blessings of Peace, and promote the highest welfare of our Country."

President John Quincy Adams

"...he has kindly protected the civil and religious interests of this state, blessed our seminaries of learning, sent the Gospel of his Son to the needy, and caused multitudes to bow with profound reverence and grateful hearts to the sceptre of the Great Redeemer..."

- STATE OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE. A PROCLAMATION, FOR A DAY OF THANKSGIVING, PRAYER AND PRAISE. [9/29/1826]

Journal of the Senate of the United States of America,
TUESDAY, December 5, 1826.

Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States,
TUESDAY, December 4, 1827.

"Fellow-citizens of the Senate,
and of the House of Representatives:"

"A revolution of the seasons has nearly been completed since the Representatives of the People and States of this Union were last assembled at this place, to deliberate and to act upon the common important interests of their constituents. In that interval, the neverslumbering eye of a wise and beneficent Providence has continued its guardian care over the welfare of our beloved country. The blessing of Health has continued generally to prevail throughout the land. The blessing of peace with our brethren of the human race, has been enjoyed without interruption; internal quiet has left our fellow-citizens, in the full enjoyment of all their rights, and in the free exercise of all their faculties, to pursue the impulse of their nature, and the obligation of their duty, in the improvement of their own condition. The productions of the soil, the exchanges of commerce, the vivifying labors of human industry, have combined to mingle in our cup a portion of enjoyment as large and liberal as the indulgence of Heaven has perhaps ever granted to the imperfect state of man upon earth; and as the purest of human felicity consists in its participation with others, it is no small addition to the sum of our national happiness, at this time, that peace and prosperity prevail to a degree seldom experienced over the whole habitable globe; presenting, though as yet with painful exceptions, a foretaste of that blessed period of promise, when the lion shall lie down with the lamb, and wars shall be no more...."

"...Practical seamanship and the art of navigation may be acquired on the cruises of the squadrons, which, from time to time, are despatched to distant seas; but a competent knowledge, even of the art of ship building, the higher mathematics, and astronomy; the literature which can place our officers on a level of polished education with the officers of other maritime nations; the knowledge of the laws, municipal and national, which, in their intercourse with foreign States and their Governments, are continually called into operation; and, above all, that acquaintance with the principles of honor and justice, with the higher obligations of morals, and of general laws, human and divine, which constitute the great distinction between the warrior patriot, and the licensed robber and pirate; these can be systematically taught and eminently acquired only in a permanent school, stationed upon the shore, and provided with the teachers, the instruments, and the books, conversant with and adapted to the communication of the principles of these respective sciences to the youthful and inquiring mind..."

- President John Quincy Adams, Washington, December 4th, 1827.

Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States,
TUESDAY, December 2, 1828.

Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States,

TUESDAY, December 8, 1829.

"...The beneficent Author of all good has granted to us, during the present year, health, peace, and plenty, and numerous causes for joy in the wonderful success which attends the progress of our free institutions...."

"...Our country, by the blessing of God, is not in a situation to invite aggression; and it will be our fault if she ever becomes so. Sincerely desirous to cultivate the most liberal and friendly relations with all; ever ready to fulfil our engagements with scrupulous fidelity; limiting our demands upon others to mere justice; holding ourselves ever ready to do unto them as we would wish to be done by; and avoiding even the appearance of undue partiality to any nation, it appears to me impossible that a simple and sincere application of our principles to our foreign relations can fail to place them ultimately upon the footing on which it is our wish they should rest...."

"...In conclusion, fellow-citizens, allow me to invoke, in behalf of your deliberations, that spirit of conciliation and disinterestedness which is the gift of patriotism. Under an overruling and merciful Providence, the agency of this spirit has thus far been signalized in the prosperity and glory of our beloved country. May its influence be eternal."

- President Andrew Jackson, December 6, 1830 message to the U.S. House and Senate. [Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States, 1830-1831.]

Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States,
TUESDAY, December 6, 1831.

"...But frequently, and justly, as you have been called on to be grateful for the bounties of Providence, at few periods have they been more abundantly or extensively bestowed than at the present: rarely, if ever, have we had greater reason to congratulate each other on the continued and increasing prosperity of our beloved country...."

Journal of the Senate of the United States of America,

THURSDAY, June 28, 1832

The following motion, submitted by Mr. Clay, was considered:

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That a joint committee of both Houses wait on the President of the United States, and request that he recommend a day, to be designated by him, of public humiliation, prayer, and fasting, to be observed by the people of the united States with religious solemnity, and with fervent supplications to Almighty God that he will be graciously pleased to continue his blessings upon our country; and that he will avert from it the Asiatic scourge which has reached our borders; or, if in the dispensations of his providence, we are not to be exempted from the calamity, that through his bountiful mercy, its severity may be mitigated, and its duration shortened.

And on the question to agree thereto,

It was determined in the affirmative,
Yeas, ... 30,
Nays, ... 13.

Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States,

"...It gives me pleasure to congratulate you upon your return to the Seat of Government, for the purpose of discharging your duties to the people of the United States. Although the pestilence, which had traversed the Old World, has entered our limits, and extended its ravages over much of our land, it has pleased Almighty God to mitigate its severity, and lessen the number of its victims, compared with those who have fallen in most other countries over which it has spread its terrors. Notwithstanding this visitation, our country presents, on every side, marks of prosperity and happiness, unequalled, perhaps, in any other portion of the world. If we fully appreciate our comparative condition, existing causes of discontent will appear unworthy of attention, and, with hearts of thankfulness to that Divine Being who has filled our cup of prosperity, we shall feel our resolution strengthened to preserve and hand down to posterity that liberty and that Union which we have received from our fathers, and which constitute the sources and the shield of all our blessings...."

"...Limited to a general superintending power to maintain peace at home and abroad, and to prescribe laws on a few subjects of general interest, not calculated to restrict human liberty, but to enforce human rights, this Government will find its strength and its glory in the faithful discharge of these plain and simple duties. Relieved by its protecting shield from the fear of war and the apprehension of oppression, the free enterprise of our citizens, aided by the State sovereignties, will work out improvements and ameliorations which cannot fail to demonstrate that the great truth, that the people can govern themselves, is not only realized in our example, but that it is done by a machinery in government so simple and economical as scarcely to be felt. That the Almighty Ruler of the Universe may so direct our deliberations, and overrule our acts, as to make us instrumental in securing a result so dear to mankind, is my most earnest and sincere prayer."

- President Andrew Jackson, December 4th, 1832.

"'Eastern district of Pennsylvania, to wit: The grand inquest of the United States of America, inquiring for the eastern district of Pennsylvania, upon their oaths and affirmations, respectively, do present, that James Porter, otherwise called James May, late of the eastern district aforesaid, yeoman, and George Wilson, late of the eastern district aforesaid, yeoman on the 6th day of December, in the year of our Lord 1829, at the eastern district aforesaid, and within the jurisdiction of this court, with force and arms, in and upon one Samuel McCrea, in the peace of God and of the United States of America..."

- CERTIFICATE of Division from the Circuit Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. [U.S. Supreme Court U S v. WILSON, 32 U.S. 150 (1833). 32 U.S. 150 (Pet.), January Term, 1833.

Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States,
TUESDAY, December 2, 1834.

Journal of the Senate of the United States of America,
TUESDAY, December 6, 1836.

"...Our gratitude is due to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, and I invite you to unite with me in offering to him fervent supplications that his providential care may ever be extended to those who follow us, enabling them to avoid the dangers and the horrors of war, consistently with a just and indispensable regard to the rights and honor of our country...."

- President Andrew Jackson

Journal of the Senate of the United States of America,

MONDAY, September 11, 1837.

"...On motion by Mr. Grundy,

"The Senate proceeded to the election of a Chaplain, on their part; and, on counting the ballots, it appeared that the Reverend Henry Slicer had a majority, and was elected...."

Journal of the Senate of the United States of America, 1789-1873
TUESDAY, December 5, 1837.

"We have reason to renew the expression of our devout gratitude to the Giver of all Good for his benign protection. Our country presents, on every side, the evidences of that continued favor, under whose auspices it has gradually risen from a few feeble and dependent colonies to a prosperous and powerful confederacy. We are blessed with domestic tranquillity, and all the elements of national prosperity...."

- President Martin Van Buren 

Journal of the Senate of the United States of America,
TUESDAY, December 4, 1838.

Journal of the Senate of the United States of America,
TUESDAY, December 24, 1839.

"...Fellow-Citizens of the Senate,
and House of Representatives:"

"...But, notwithstanding these adverse circumstances, that general prosperity which has been heretofore so bountifully bestowed upon us by the Author of all good, still continues to call for our warmest gratitude. Especially have we reason to rejoice in the exuberant harvests which have lavishly recompensed well directed industry, and given to it that sure reward which is vainly sought in visionary speculations. I cannot indeed view without peculiar satisfaction, the evidences afforded by the past season of the benefits that spring from the steady devotion of the husbandman to his honorable pursuit. No means of individual comfort is more certain, and no source of national prosperity is so sure. Nothing can compensate a people for a dependance upon others for the bread they eat; and that cheerful abundance on which the happiness of every one so much depends, is to be looked for nowhere with such sure reliance as in the industry of the agriculturist and the bounties of the earth...."

- President Martin Van Buren, Washington, December 2, 1839.

Journal of the Senate of the United States of America,
WEDNESDAY, December 9, 1840.

"We admit of no government by divine right, believing that, so far as power is concerned, the beneficent Creator has made no distinction amongst men; that all are upon an equality, and that the only legitimate right to govern is an express grant of power from the governed. The Constitution of the United States is the instrument containing this grant of power to the several departments composing the Government. On an examination of that instrument it will be found to contain declarations of power granted and of power withheld. The latter is also susceptible of division into power which the majority had the right to grant, but which they did not think proper to intrust to their agents, and that which they could not have granted, not being possessed by themselves. In other words, there are certain rights possessed by each individual American citizen which, in his compact with the others, he has never surrendered. Some of them, indeed, he is unable to surrender, being, in the language of our system, unalienable."

"...I deem the present occasion sufficiently important and solemn to justify me in expressing to my fellow-citizens a profound reverence for the Christian religion, and a thorough conviction that sound morals, religious liberty, and a just sense of religious responsibility, are essentially connected with all true and lasting happiness. And to that good Being who has blessed us by the gifts of civil and religious freedom--who watched over and prospered the labors of our fathers, and has hitherto preserved to us institutions far exceeding in excellence those of any other people, let us unite in fervently commending every interest of our beloved country in all future time.

- President William H. Harrison, Inaugural speech, March 4, 1841. [Journal of the executive proceedings of the Senate of the United States of America, 1837-1841. MARCH 4, 1841.]

Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States,
TUESDAY, December 7, 1841.

To the Senate and House of
Representatives of the United States:

We have continued reason to express our profound gratitude to the great Creator of all things for numberless benefits conferred upon us as a people. Blessed with genial seasons, the husbandman has his garners filled with abundance; and the necessaries of life, not to speak of its luxuries, abound in every direction. While, in some other nations, steady and industrious labor can hardly find the means of subsistence, the greatest evil which we have to encounter is a surplus of production beyond the home demand, which seeks, and with difficulty finds, a partial market in other regions. The health of the country, with partial exceptions, has, for the past year, been well preserved; and, under their free and wise institutions, the United States are rapidly advancing toward the consummation of the high destiny which an overruling Providence seems to have marked out for them. Exempt from domestic convulsion, and at peace with all the world, we are left free to consult as to the best means of securing and advancing the happiness of the people. Such are the circumstances under which you now assemble in your respective chambers, and which should lead us to unite in praise and thanksgiving to that great Being who made us, and who preserves us a nation...

- President John Tyler, December 7, 1842 message to U.S. House and Senate. [Journal of the Senate of the United States of America, 1789-1873 WEDNESDAY, December 7, 1842.]

Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States,
TUESDAY, January 3, 1843.

"And whereas the trade thus existing in this District is aggravated in enormity by reason of its being carried on in the heart of a nation whose institutions are based upon the principle that all men are created equal, and whose laws have, in effect, proclaimed its great and superlative iniquity; aggravated, moreover, by its outrage on the sensibilities of a Christian community, by its sundering of the ties of Christian brotherhood, and by the anguish of its remorseless violation of all the domestic relations, rendered the more deep and enduring by the hallowing influence of the Christian religion upon those relations, and by the increased strength which it gives to the domestic affections: ..."

Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States,

April 16, 1844.

....Also, a petition of citizens of Gibson county, State of Indiana, for an amendment of the Constitution, so as to acknowledge the obligation of God's law, and the authority of Jesus Christ.

Ordered, That said petitions and remonstrance be laid upon the table.

"Our prayers should evermore be offered up to the Father of the Universe for his wisdom to direct us in the path of our duty, so as to enable us to consummate these high purposes.”

- President John Tyler, Washington, December 3, 1844.

Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States,

February 20, 1845.

....By Mr. Adams: A petition of citizens of Lincoln county, State of Maine, praying that measures may be taken to prevent the disorders frequently occurring within the bar of the House; and that members may have the good, as well as the fear, of their constituents before their eyes;

Also, a petition of citizens of Perry and Muskingum counties, State of Ohio, praying an amendment of the constitution, by which the Sovereign of the universe shall be acknowledged as the God of the nation; also, that the Lord Jesus Christ may be acknowledged as the ruler of the nation.

"In assuming responsibilities so vast, I fervently invoke the aid of that Almighty Ruler of the Universe, in whose hands are the destinies of nations and of men, to guard this Heaven-favored land against the mischiefs which, without His guidance, might arise from an unwise public policy. With a firm reliance upon the wisdom of Omnipotence to sustain and direct me in the path of duty which I am appointed to pursue, I stand in the presence of this assembled multitude of my countrymen to take upon myself the solemn obligation "to the best of my ability to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States...."

"...I trust it may not be deemed inappropriate to the occasion for me to dwell for a moment on the memory of the most eminent citizen of our country, who, during the summer that is gone by, has descended to the tomb. The enjoyment of contemplating, at the advanced age of near four-score years, the happy condition of his country, cheered the last hours of Andrew Jackson, who departed this life in the tranquil hope of a blessed immortality. His death was happy, as his life had been eminently useful. He had an unfaltering confidence in the virtue and capacity of the people, and in the permanence of that free government which he had largely contributed to establish and defend. His great deeds had secured to him the affections of his fellow-citizens, and it was his happiness to witness the growth and glory of his country which he loved so well. He departed amidst the benedictions of millions of freemen. The nation paid its tribute to his memory at his tomb. Coming generations will learn from his example the love of country and the rights of man. In his language on a similar occasion to the present, "I now commend you, fellow-citizens, to the guidance of Almighty God, with a full reliance on His merciful providence for the maintenance of our free institutions; and with an earnest supplication, that whatever errors it may be my lot to commit in discharging the arduous duties which have devolved on me, will find a remedy the harmony and wisdom of your counsels."

- President James K. Polk, Inaugural speech, March 4, 1845. [Journal of the executive proceedings of the Senate of the United States of America.]

"...Mr. Andrew Johnson offered the following resolution:"

"Resolved, That the ministers of the different churches of God be, and they are hereby, most respectfully invited and earnestly requested to attend every morning, and open the proceedings of Congress with sincere prayer to the Giver of all Good for a continuance of his benedictions upon the nation; and that it shall be done upon the terms as laid down in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, "without money and without price," except such amounts as may be voluntarily contributed by the members of this House individually...."

Journal of the Senate of the United States of America,
TUESDAY, December 8, 1846.

Journal of the Senate of the United States of America, 1789-1873
TUESDAY, December 7, 1847.

“...Subject to no arbitrary or hereditary authority, the people are the only sovereigns recognised by our constitution. Numerous emigrants of every lineage and language, attracted by the civil and religious freedom we enjoy, and by our happy condition, annually crowd to our shores, and transfer their heart, not less than their allegiance, to the country whose dominion belongs alone to the people.

“No country has been so much favored, or should acknowledge with deeper reverence the manifestations of the Divine protection. An all-wise Creator directed and guarded us in our infant struggle for freedom, and has constantly watched over our surprising progress, until we have become one of the great nations of the earth....”

“...In the enjoyment of the bounties of Providence at home, such as have rarely fallen to the lot of any people, it is cause of congratulation....”

“...Invoking the blessing of the Almighty Ruler of the Universe upon your deliberations, it will be my highest duty, no less than my sincere pleasure, to co-operate with you in all measures which may tend to promote the honor and enduring welfare of our common country."

(President) James K. Polk.

Washington, December 7, 1847.

"Under the benignant Providence of Almighty God, the representatives of the States and of the people are again brought together to deliberate for the public good. The gratitude of the nation to the sovereign arbiter of all human events, should be commensurate with the boundless blessings which we enjoy...."

Invoking the blessings of the Almighty upon your deliberations at your present important session, my ardent hope is, that in a spirit of harmony and concord, you may be guided to wise results, and such as may redound to the happiness, the honor, and the glory of our beloved country.

- President James K. Polk, Washington, Senate Journal, December 5, 1848

"...In conclusion, I congratulate you, my fellow-citizens, upon the high state of prosperity to which the goodness of Divine Providence has conducted our common country. Let us invoke a continuance of the same protecting care which has led us from small beginnings to the eminence we this day occupy; and let us seek to deserve that continuance by prudence and moderation in our councils; by well-directed attempts to assuage the bitterness which too often marks unavoidable differences of opinion; by the promulgation and practice of just and liberal principles, and by an enlarged patriotism, which shall acknowledge no limits but those of our own wide-spread republic."

- President Zachary Taylor, Inaugural Address on March 5, 1849. [Journal of the Senate of the United States of America.]

Mr. Giddings offered the following resolutions:

Resolved, That we hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with the certain inalienable right to life and liberty; and that governments are constituted for the purpose of maintaining these rights.

Resolved, That in constituting governments in any territory of the United States, it is the duty of Congress to secure all the people thereof, of whatsoever complexion, in the enjoyment of the rights aforesaid.

Mr. Haralson moved that the said resolutions be laid upon the table.

And the question being put,

• It was decided in the affirmative,

- Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States, Feb. 4, 1850.

“And now, fellow citizens, I cannot bring this communication to a close without invoking you to join me in humble and devout thanks to the Great Ruler of nations for the multiplied blessings which he has graciously bestowed upon us. His hand, so often visible in our preservation, has stayed the pestilence, saved us from foreign wars and domestic disturbances, and scattered plenty throughout the land.”

President Millard Fillmore, Message to U.S. Senate, Dec. 2, 1850

Journal of the Senate of the United States of America,
MONDAY, December 6, 1852.

"...Fellow-citizens of the Senate
and of the House of Representatives:"

"Our grateful thanks are due to an All-merciful Providence, not only for staying the pestilence which, in different forms, has desolated some of our cities, but for crowning the labors of the husbandman with an abundant harvest, and the nation generally with the blessings of peace and prosperity..."

"...Men of the revolution who drew the sword against the oppressions of the mother country, and pledged to Heaven "their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor" to maintain their freedom, could never have been actuated by so unworthy a motive. They knew no weakness or fear where right or duty pointed the way, and it is a libel upon their fair fame for us, while we enjoy the blessings for which they so nobly fought and bled, to insinuate it..."

"...We owe these blessings, under Heaven, to the happy constitution and government which were bequeathed to us by our fathers, and which it is our sacred duty to transmit in all their integrity to our children...."

- President Millard Fillmore, Washington, December 6, 1852.

Journal of the Senate of the United States of America,
THURSDAY, February 17, 1853.

...Mr. Underwood, from the Committee on Foreign Relations, to whom were referred sundry petitions praying the adoption of measures for securing to American citizens in foreign countries the rights of conscience and religious worship, submitted a report, (No. 418,) accompanied by the following resolutions:

Resolved, That it would be just and wise, on the part of the government of the United States, in future treaties with foreign nations, to secure, if practicable, to our citizens residing abroad the right of worshipping God freely and openly, according to the dictates of their own consciences, by providing that they shall not be disturbed, molested, or annoyed in any manner on account of their religious belief, nor in the proper exercise of their peculiar religion, either within their own private houses, or in churches, chapels, or other places appointed for public worship; and that they shall be at liberty to build and maintain places of worship in convenient situations, interfering in no way with, but respecting, the religion and customs of the country in which they reside.

Resolved further, That it would be just and wise, in our future treaties with foreign nations, to secure to our citizens residing abroad the right to purchase and own burial-places, and to bury any of our citizens dying abroad in such places with those religious ceremonies and observances deemed appropriate by the surviving relatives and friends of the deceased.

Ordered, That the report be printed....

Journal of the Senate of the United States of America,
FRIDAY, March 4, 1853.

“...The energy with which that great conflict was opened, and, under the guidance of a manifest and beneficent Providence, the uncomplaining endurance with which it was prosecuted to its consummation, were only surpassed by the wisdom and patriotic spirit of concession which characterized all the counsels of the early fathers....”

“...But let not the foundation of our hope rest upon man's wisdom. It will not be sufficient that sectional prejudices find no place in the public deliberations. It will not be sufficient that the rash counsels of human passion are rejected. It must be felt that there is no national security but in the nation's humble, acknowledged dependence upon God and his overruling Providence....”

“...I can express no better hope for my country, than that the kind Providence which smiled upon our fathers may enable their children to preserve the blessings they have inherited.

- President Franklin Pierce, Inaugural Address.

"Although disease, assuming at one time the characteristics of a widespread and devastating pestilence, has left its sad traces upon some portions of our country, we have still the most abundant cause for reverent thankfulness to God for an accumulation of signal mercies showered upon us as a nation. It is well that a consciousness of rapid advancement and increasing strength be habitually associated with an abiding sense of dependence upon Him who holds in his hands the destiny of men and of nations."

"...Happily I have no occasion to suggest any radical changes in the financial policy of the government. Ours is almost, if not absolutely, the solitary power of Christendom having a surplus revenue, drawn immediately from imposts on commerce, and therefore measured by the spontaneous enterprise and national prosperity of the country, with such indirect relation to agriculture, manufactures, and the products of the earth and sea, as to violate no constitutional doctrine, and yet vigorously promote the general welfare. Neither as to the sources of the public treasure, nor as to the manner of keeping and managing it, does any grave controversy now prevail, there being a general acquiescence in the wisdom of the present system...."

"Recognising the wisdom of the broad principle of absolute religious toleration proclaimed in our fundamental law, and rejoicing in the benign influence which it has exerted upon our social and political condition, I should shrink from a clear duty did I fail to express my deepest conviction, that we can place no secure reliance upon any apparent progress if it he not sustained by national integrity, resting upon the great truths affirmed and illustrated by divine revelation. In the midst of our sorrow for the afflicted and suffering, it has been consoling to see how promptly disaster made true neighbors of districts and cities separated widely from each other, and cheering to watch the strength of that common bond of brotherhood which unites all hearts, in all parts of this Union, when danger threatens from abroad, or calamity impends over us at home."

"We have to maintain inviolate the great doctrine of the inherent right of popular self-government; to reconcile the largest liberty of the individual citizen, with complete security of the public order; to render cheerful obedience to the laws of the land, to unite in enforcing their execution, and to frown indignantly on all combinations to resist them; to harmonise a sincere and ardent devotion to the institutions of religious faith with the most universal religious toleration; to preserve the rights of all by causing each to respect those of he other; to carry forward every social improvement to the uttermost limit of human perfectibility, by the free action of mind upon mind, not by the obtrusive intervention of misplaced force; to uphold the integrity and guard the limitations of our organic law; to preserve sacred from all touch of usurpation, as the very palladium of our political salvation, the reserved rights and powers of the several States and of the people; to cherish, with loyal fealty and devoted affection, this Union, as the only sure foundation on which the hopes of civil liberty rest; to administer government with vigilant integrity and rigid economy; to cultivate peace and friendship with foreign nations, and to demand and exact equal justice from all, but to do wrong to none; to eschew intermeddling with the national policy and the domestic repose of other governments, and to repel it from our own; never to shrink from war when the rights and the honor of the country call us to arms, but to cultivate in preference the arts of peace, seek enlargement of the rights of neutrality, and elevate and liberalize the intercourse of nations; and by such just and honorable means, and such only, whilst exalting the condition of the republic, to assure to it the legitimate influence and the benign authority of a great example amongst all the powers of Christendom.

"Under the solemnity of these convictions, the blessing of Almighty God is earnestly invoked to attend upon your deliberations, and upon all the counsels and acts of the government, to the end that, with common zeal and common efforts, we may, in humble submission to the Divine will, co-operate for the promotion of the supreme good of these United States."

President Franklin Pierce, Message to the Senate, Dec. 4, 1854

"Nor is it hostility against their fellow-citizens of one section of the Union alone. The interests, the honor, the duty, the peace, and the prosperity of the people of all sections are equally involved and imperilled in this question. And are patriotic men in any part of the Union prepared, on such issue, thus madly to invite all the consequences of the forfeiture of their constitutional engagements? It is impossible. The storm of phrensy and faction must inevitably dash itself in vain against the unshaken rock of the constitution. I shall never doubt it. I know that the Union is stronger a thousand times than all the wild and chimerical schemes of social change, which are generated, one after another, in the unstable minds of visionary sophists and interested agitators. I rely confidently on the patriotism of the people, on the dignity and self-respect of the States, on the wisdom of Congress, and, above all, on the continued gracious favor of Almighty God, to maintain, against all enemies, whether at home or abroad, the sanctity of the constitution and the integrity of the Union."

- President Franklin Pierce, Washington, December 31, 1855. [Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States, THURSDAY, February 14, 1856.]