Richard Mentor Johnson
Richard Mentor Johnson
Richard Mentor Johnsonwas the ninth Vice President of the United States, serving in the administration of Martin Van Buren. He is the only vice president ever elected by the United States Senate under the provisions of the Twelfth Amendment. Johnson also represented Kentucky in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate; he began and ended his political career in the Kentucky House of Representatives...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth17 October 1780
CountryUnited States of America
Richard Mentor Johnson quotes about
Among all the religious persecutions with which almost every page of modern history is stained, no victim ever suffered but for violation of what Government denominated the law of God. To prevent a similar train of evils in this country, the Constitution has wisely withheld from our Government the power of defining the divine law.
Our Constitution recognises no other power than that of persuasion, for enforcing religious observances.
Let the professors of Christianity recommend their religion by deeds of benevolence - by Christian meekness - by lives of temperance and holiness.
What other nations call religious toleration, we call religious rights. They are not exercised in virtue of governmental indulgence, but as rights, of which government cannot deprive any portion of citizens, however small.
It is not the legitimate province of the Legislature to determine which religion is true, or what false. Our government is a civil, and not a religious institution.
Their moral influence will then do infinitely more to advance the true interests of religion, than any measures which they may call on Congress to enact.