Reflecting on Memorial Day, the First Civil War, and Trust in God

Memorial Day was created within the ashes of the death and destruction of the First Civil War in order to honor the staggering number of dead American (over 600,000) men and boys. This past holiday several sacred reminders reflected the honor Americans still give to those who had given their lives for the sake of Freedom itself. It is reflective that the ideals of Freedom are still evident within the internal DNA of Americans.

Yet, there was something quite profound that also emerged from within the nation at the time of the Civil War, and that was the increased religious or spiritual sentiments among the people. It led to many positive developments, despite the horrors from the devastation, and one of the most profound was the placing of “In God We Trust” on coins minted for common use in the United States. According to the history, truly buried and likely long forgotten now, Salmon P. Chase, the Secretary of the Treasury under Abraham Lincoln, “received numerous appeals from devout people of faith throughout the country, all urging that the United States recognize the Deity on U.S. coins.” Chase had requested from President Lincoln’s newly appointed Director of the Mint, James Pollock, to provide suggestions for placing a motto on America's coins expressing "the trust of our people in God."Apparently, Pollock proposed a number of mottos, including "Our Trust Is In God" and "God Our Trust." According to the account, Chase settled upon his own revision: "In God We Trust"... How did "In God We Trust" come to be on American currency? A 19th century Presbyterian played a major role — Log College Press In the article referenced above are some substantial pieces of correspondence that led men of faith to the consequential action of honoring our people’s trust in God. In one of several letters to Secretary Chase, Mark Richards Watkinson, a Baptist minister from Pennsylvania, wrote:

What if our Republic were now shattered beyond recognition? Would not the antiquaries of succeeding centuries rightly reason from our part we were a heathen nation? What I propose is that instead of the Goddess of Liberty we shall have next inside the 13 stars a ring inscribed with the words ‘perpetual union’; within this ring the all-seeing eye crowned with a halo; beneath this eye the American flag, bearing in its field stars equal to the number of the States united; in the folds of the bars the words ‘God, liberty, law.’ This would make a beautiful coin, to which no possible citizen could object. This would relieve us from the ignominy of heathenism. This would place us openly under the divine protection we have personally claimed. From my heart I have felt our national shame in disowning God as not the least of our present national disasters.

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In response to this letter and apparently others, Secretary Chase wrote to Director Pollock:

“Dear Sir: No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His defense. The trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins.”

It actually was genuine faith from a faithful people that prompted the motto of "In God We Trust" on our coinage, and on our paper currency eventually. On April 22, 1864, Congress passed legislation that changed the composition of the one-cent coin and authorized the minting of a two-cent coin. In that legislation, the approved designs by Secretary Chase were rolled out. The first coin with the "In God We Trust" motto was the 1864 two-cent piece. However, the one question that is more than obvious today is whether American citizens still trust in God. Such a question is very similar to the question arising from the phrase “We hold these truths to be self-evident…” in the Declaration of Independence: Do American citizens still hold on to the self-evident truths? Or, are those self-evident truths still self-evident, or have they become easily forgotten? Do American citizens still trust in God? Please note that the question is not whether Americans still trust in religion or in the Church. It is likely that one can grab a handy public opinion poll to prove their ‘yes’ perspective or their ‘no’ perspective. But, it is not that simple for several reasons. Such a trust in God is rooted in faith, as it was evident from the men of faith who initiated such action to place the motto on our U.S. coins in the first place. Faith, especially Christian faith, is not something ‘worn on one’s sleeve.’ However, it shows up in people’s actions when their faith is challenged as it is being challenged in such a time as this. All of the resistance to and premeditated suppression of people of faith in this time should serve to stimulate people’s faith as it had done in countless experiences in God’s Providence in the past.

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In 1863, Baptist minister Watkinson asked, “What if our Republic were now shattered beyond recognition? Would not the antiquaries of succeeding centuries rightly reason from our part we were a heathen nation?” Cannot this question be asked of our nation today? In Samuel Chase’s request to James Pollock, some of his key words were “No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His defense.” Does not this statement still ring true today? As much as Memorial Day honors those who truly deserve honor, in the midst of the collective amnesia, even more American citizens need to be concerned whether this nation can continue to stand without the ‘strength of God.” It is surely good that the nation has on its currency the honorable motto "In God We Trust," but it is more important to have the motto written on the hearts and in the minds of the people. Just as surely as the nation seemed shattered beyond repair in the midst of the first Civil War, today the case could be made by some that our nation is divided beyond healing. But it must be understood that the nation in the midst of that Civil War was so divided that over 600,00 boys and men lost their lives. That was a deadly divisiveness. Yet, the nation survived, moved on, and healed somewhat from such a horrible period in the nation’s history. In this time, America seems deeply divided as well, but we are not yet at such a deadly and destructive stage – yet. Some would say we are mighty close. It would be wise to pray for wisdom to not fall into such a deadly trap. The key takeaway from this somewhat minor historical development in America’s history should be clear in the words of Salmon Chase: “No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His defense.” Thus, we must revitalize our trust in God in such a time as this, and all people of faith should be challenged to exercise their trust in the Almighty God to work in each of us to help us protect and preserve “One Nation Under God.”