democracy in america-1-第98章

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o　obedience；　it　certainly　does　not　prepare　them　for　inequality；　but　the　contrary　may　be　said　of　Protestantism；　which　generally　tends　to　make　men　independent；　more　than　to　render　them　equal。

Catholicism　is　like　an　absolute　monarchy；　if　the　sovereign　be　removed；　all　the　other　classes　of　society　are　more　equal　than　they　are　in　republics。　It　has　not　unfrequently　occurred　that　the　Catholic　priest　has　left　the　service　of　the　altar　to　mix　with　the　governing　powers　of　society；　and　to　take　his　place　amongst　the　civil　gradations　of　men。　　This　religious　influence　has　sometimes　been　used　to　secure　the　interests　of　that　political　state　of　things　to　which　he　belonged。　　At　other　times　Catholics　have　taken　the　side　of　aristocracy　from　a　spirit　of　religion。

But　no　sooner　is　the　priesthood　entirely　separated　from　the　government；　as　is　the　case　in　the　United　States；　than　is　found　that　no　class　of　men　are　more　naturally　disposed　than　the　Catholics　to　transfuse　the　doctrine　of　the　equality　of　conditions　into　the　political　world。　　If；　then；　the　Catholic　citizens　of　the　United　States　are　not　forcibly　led　by　the　nature　of　their　tenets　to　adopt　democratic　and　republican　principles；　at　least　they　are　not　necessarily　opposed　to　them；　and　their　social　position；　as　well　as　their　limited　number；　obliges　them　to　adopt　these　opinions。　　Most　of　the　Catholics　are　poor；　and　they　have　no　chance　of　taking　a　part　in　the　government　unless　it　be　open　to　all　the　citizens。　　They　constitute　a　minority；　and　all　rights　must　be　respected　in　order　to　insure　to　them　the　free　exercise　of　their　own　privileges。　　These　two　causes　induce　them；　unconsciously；　to　adopt　political　doctrines；　which　they　would　perhaps　support　with　less　zeal　if　they　were　rich　and　preponderant。

The　Catholic　clergy　of　the　United　States　has　never　attempted　to　oppose　this　political　tendency；　but　it　seeks　rather　to　justify　its　results。　　The　priests　in　America　have　divided　the　intellectual　world　into　two　parts：　in　the　one　they　place　the　doctrines　of　revealed　religion；　which　command　their　assent；　in　the　other　they　leave　those　truths　which　they　believe　to　have　been　freely　left　open　to　the　researches　of　political　inquiry。　　Thus　the　Catholics　of　the　United　States　are　at　the　same　time　the　most　faithful　believers　and　the　most　zealous　citizens。

It　may　be　asserted　that　in　the　United　States　no　religious　doctrine　displays　the　slightest　hostility　to　democratic　and　republican　institutions。　The　clergy　of　all　the　different　sects　hold　the　same　language；　their　opinions　are　consonant　to　the　laws；　and　the　human　intellect　flows　onwards　in　one　sole　current。

I　happened　to　be　staying　in　one　of　the　largest　towns　in　the　Union；　when　I　was　invited　to　attend　a　public　meeting　which　had　been　called　for　the　purpose　of　assisting　the　Poles；　and　of　sending　them　supplies　of　arms　and　money。　　I　found　two　or　three　thousand　persons　collected　in　a　vast　hall　which　had　been　prepared　to　receive　them。　　In　a　short　time　a　priest　in　his　ecclesiastical　robes　advanced　to　the　front　of　the　hustings：　the　spectators　rose；　and　stood　uncovered；　whilst　he　spoke　in　the　following　terms：　…

〃Almighty　God！　　the　God　of　Armies！　　Thou　who　didst　strengthen　the　hearts　and　guide　the　arms　of　our　fathers　when　they　were　fighting　for　the　sacred　rights　of　national　independence；　Thou　who　didst　make　them　triumph　over　a　hateful　oppression；　and　hast　granted　to　our　people　the　benefits　of　liberty　and　peace；　Turn；　O　Lord；　a　favorable　eye　upon　the　other　hemisphere；　pitifully　look　down　upon　that　heroic　nation　which　is　even　now　struggling　as　we　did　in　the　former　time；　and　for　the　same　rights　which　we　defended　with　our　blood。　Thou；　who　didst　create　Man　in　the　likeness　of　the　same　image；　let　not　tyranny　mar　Thy　work；　and　establish　inequality　upon　the　earth。　　Almighty　God！　　do　Thou　watch　over　the　destiny　of　the　Poles；　and　render　them　worthy　to　be　free。　May　Thy　wisdom　direct　their　councils；　and　may　Thy　strength　sustain　their　arms！　Shed　forth　Thy　terror　over　their　enemies；　scatter　the　powers　which　take　counsel　against　them；　and　vouchsafe　that　the　injustice　which　the　world　has　witnessed　for　fifty　years；　be　not　consummated　in　our　time。　　O　Lord；　who　holdest　alike　the　hearts　of　nations　and　of　men　in　Thy　powerful　hand；　raise　up　allies　to　the　sacred　cause　of　right；　arouse　the　French　nation　from　the　apathy　in　which　its　rulers　retain　it；　that　it　go　forth　again　to　fight　for　the　liberties　of　the　world。　

〃Lord；　turn　not　Thou　Thy　face　from　us；　and　grant　that　we　may　always　be　the　most　religious　as　well　as　the　freest　people　of　the　earth。　　Almighty　God；　hear　our　supplications　this　day。　　Save　the　Poles；　we　beseech　Thee；　in　the　name　of　Thy　well…beloved　Son；　our　Lord　Jesus　Christ；　who　died　upon　the　cross　for　the　salvation　of　men。　　Amen。〃

The　whole　meeting　responded　〃Amen！〃　with　devotion。


Indirect　Influence　Of　Religious　Opinions　Upon　Political　Society　In　The　United　States


Christian　morality　common　to　all　sects　…　Influence　of　religion　upon　the　manners　of　the　Americans　…　Respect　for　the　marriage　tie　…　In　what　manner　religion　confines　the　imagination　of　the　Americans　within　certain　limits；　and　checks　the　passion　of　innovation　…　Opinion　of　the　Americans　on　the　political　utility　of　religion　…　Their　exertions　to　extend　and　secure　its　predominance。

I　have　just　shown　what　the　direct　influence　of　religion　upon　politics　is　in　the　United　States；　but　its　indirect　influence　appears　to　me　to　be　still　more　considerable；　and　it　never　instructs　the　Americans　more　fully　in　the　art　of　being　free　than　when　it　says　nothing　of　freedom。

The　sects　which　exist　in　the　United　States　are　innumerable。　　They　all　differ　in　respect　to　the　worship　which　is　due　from　man　to　his　Creator；　but　they　all　agree　in　respect　to　the　duties　which　are　due　from　man　to　man。　　Each　sect　adores　the　Deity　in　its　own　peculiar　manner；　but　all　the　sects　preach　the　same　moral　law　in　the　name　of　God。　　If　it　be　of　the　highest　importance　to　man；　as　an　individual；　that　his　religion　should　be　true；　the　case　of　society　is　not　the　same。　　Society　has　no　future　life　to　hope　for　or　to　fear；　and　provided　the　citizens　profess　a　religion；　the　peculiar　tenets　of　that　religion　are　of　very　little　importance　to　its　interests。　　Moreover；　almost　all　the　sects　of　the　United　States　are　comprised　within　the　great　unity　of　Christianity；　and　Christian　morality　is　everywhere　the　same。


It　may　be　believed　without　unfairness　that　a　certain　number　of　Americans　pursue　a　peculiar　form　of　worship；　from　habit　more　than　from　conviction。　　In　the　United　States　the　sovereign　authority　is　religious；　and　consequently　hypocrisy　must　be　common；　but　there　is　no　country　in　the　whole　world　in　which　the　Christian　religion　retains　a　greater　influence　over　the　souls　of　men　than　in　America；　and　there　can　be　no　greater　proof　of　its　utility；　and　of　its　conformity　to　human　nature；　than　that　its　influence　is　most　powerfully　felt　over　the　most　enlightened　and　free　nation　of　the　earth。

I　have　remarked　that　the　members　of　the　American　clergy　in　general；　without　even　excepting　those　who　do　not　admit　religious　liberty；　are　all　in　favor　of　civil　freedom；　but　they　do　not　support　any　particular　political　system。　　They　keep　aloof　from　parties　and　from　public　affairs。　　In　the　United　States　religion　exercises　but　little　influence　upon　the　laws　and　upon　the　details　of　public　opinion；　but　it　directs　the　manners　of　the　community；　and　by　regulating　domestic　life　it　regulates　the　State。

I　do　not　question　that　the　great　austerity　of　manners　which　is　observable　in　the　United　States；　arises；　in　the　first　instance；　from　religious　faith。　Religion　is　often　unable　to　restrain　man　from　the　numberless　temptations　of　fortune；　nor　can　it　check　that　passion　for　gain　which　every　incident　of　his　life　contributes　to　arouse；　but　its　influence　over　the　mind　of　woman　is　supreme；　and　women　are　the　protectors　of　morals。　There　is　certainly　no　country　in　the　world　where　the　tie　of　marriage　is　so　much　respected　as　in　America；　or　where　conjugal　happiness　is　more　highly　or　worthily　appreciated。　　In　Europe　almost　all　the　disturbances　of　society　arise　from　the　irregularities　of　domestic　life。　　To　despise　the　natural　bonds　and　legitimate　pleasures　of　home；　is　to　contract　a　taste　for　excesses；　a　restlessness　of　heart；　a