Saying that "community leaders" endorsed "the principles embodied in the First Amendment"... Further, what did "community" and especially religious leaders at

Saying that "community leaders" endorsed "the principles embodied in the First Amendment"... Further, what did "community" and especially religious leaders at the time think about combining religion and the federal government (public schools, court-houses, etc.)? I know the article is about the free speech part of the amendment, but "[endorsing] the principles embodied in the First Amendment" is simply too broad.