COLUMBIAN CENTINEL, Boston, March 9, 1811 

* President James Madison
* Church & State controversy

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, never-trimmed margins, very nice condition.