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| Stephen Grover Cleveland (US-PD) |
Although 22nd (and 24th) United States
President Stephen Grover Cleveland was the son of a Presbyterian minister (and was even named after another Presbyterian pastor), adherents.com states that he did not seem “especially religious himself.”
Nevertheless, Cleveland seemed to be somewhat preoccupied with God and the hereafter, especially after the death of his
daughter Ruth. A few
days after she died, Cleveland made this understandably bleak entry in his diary: “I had a season of great trouble in keeping out of my mind the idea that
Ruth was in the cold, cheerless grave instead of in the arms of her Saviour.” After
some merciful time had passed, he added: “God has come
to my help…” Two years later, he wrote these words to Rev. Wilton Smith: I know as
no one else can know my
limitations… but I shall trust God, as I have in the past,
for strength and opportunity for further usefulness.
Adherents.com mentions that there are those who link Cleveland’s politics to his “Calvinist upbringing.” Others fail to see such a connection. In any event, Cleveland was known for his “honesty and good character.” Wikipedia quotes biographer Allan Nevins as saying that Cleveland “possessed honesty, courage, firmness, independence and common sense” – qualities that many others have; however,
Cleveland “possessed them to a degree other men do not.”
The Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, & World Affairs reports that Cleveland “was tolerant of religious diversity, although staunchly opposed to polygamy.” When prejudice arose against the United States envoy to Austria-Hungary because his wife was Jewish, Cleveland refused to withdraw the envoy’s appointment - and openly stated that doing so would have violated “the precepts of the Constitution.”
However, Clevelands's views about Native Americans seemed far less tolerant, and perhaps far more influenced by his own roots.
In his 1885 State of the Union address, Cleveland stated:
The history of all progress which has been made in the civilization of the Indian I think will disclose the fact that the beginning has been religious teaching, followed by or accompanying secular education.
Resources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grover_Cleveland
http://www.adherents.com/people/pc/Grover_Cleveland.html
http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/resources/quotes/grover-cleveland-on-religious-tests-for-ambassadors-in-state-of-the-union-address
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