President Madison and the church & state controversy...

COLUMBIAN CENTINEL, Boston, March 9, 1811  Page 2 has a rather inconspicuous report under "National Legislature" that mentions not only a rare veto by the President (Madison), but also a religious establishment issue. The report states: "The bill for incorporating a Baptist Society in the Mississippi Territory, and granting five acres of land thereto, was reconsidered, and the President of the United States having objected to such bills as erecting a Religious Establishment, and therefore unconstitutional--the House negatived the bill 55 to 33 !"
How ironic that one of the principal architects of the Constitution was confronted with this issue in a later and different capacity. An interesting item that relates to the ongoing debate about the hot button issue referred to as the separation of church and state.
Four pages, indent to the right margin of the back leaf, nice condition.