Haym Salomon, American Patriot, the Second Half

This is a continuation of thoughts concerning Haym Salomon.

It continues to upset me that there is a fear of so many people concerning immigrants coming to the United States. I saw it happening at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. But it is happening again in the early 21st century.

But more than that, I am greatly concerned now of the intolerance to those people who practice religions other than some evangelical protestant religion. President William Howard Taft in 1911 made a speech at the 8th Street Temple in Washington, DC regarding Haym Salomon. He presented a lengthy talk about Mr. Salomon, but his address touched on the freedom of religion.

He said:

"One of the privileges of the President of the United States is to attend, and to feel at home at, the religious services of every denomination that is fostered under the flag, no matter what his own church.

"It is the duty of the President of the United States, in so far as he may, to testify to his interest in every religion in order that it may be understood of all men that the absence from the Constitution of the United States of any recognition of a state church gives no right to any man to infer that the government is against churches. On the contrary, the government is for all the churches, and it eliminates a state church in order that it may embrace all and support all and protect all without guiding or restricting any."

I guess that we have not come that far in accepting the differences in people whether it be race, creed or ethnicity.