第25章

InfluenceOfMannersUponTheMaintenanceOfTheDemocraticRepublicInTheUnitedStatesIhavepreviouslyremarkedthatthemannersofthepeoplemaybeconsideredasoneofthegeneralcausestowhichthemaintenanceofademocraticrepublicintheUnitedStatesisattributable。Ihereusedthewordmannerswiththemeaningwhichtheancientsattachedtothewordmores，forIapplyitnotonlytomannersintheirpropersenseofwhatconstitutesthecharacterofsocialintercourse，butIextendittothevariousnotionsandopinionscurrentamongmen，andtothemassofthoseideaswhichconstitutetheircharacterofmind。Icomprise，therefore，underthistermthewholemoralandintellectualconditionofapeople。MyintentionisnottodrawapictureofAmericanmanners，butsimplytopointoutsuchfeaturesofthemasarefavorabletothemaintenanceofpoliticalinstitutions。

ReligionConsideredAsAPoliticalInstitution，WhichPowerfullyContributesToTheMaintenanceOfTheDemocraticRepublicAmongstTheAmericansNorthAmericapeopledbymenwhoprofessedademocraticandrepublicanChristianity—ArrivaloftheCatholics—ForwhatreasontheCatholicsformthemostdemocraticandthemostrepublicanclassatthepresenttime。

Everyreligionistobefoundinjuxtapositiontoapoliticalopinionwhichisconnectedwithitbyaffinity。Ifthehumanmindbelefttofollowitsownbent，itwillregulatethetemporalandspiritualinstitutionsofsocietyupononeuniformprinciple;andmanwillendeavor，ifImayusetheexpression，toharmonizethestateinwhichhelivesuponearthwiththestatewhichhebelievestoawaithiminheaven。ThegreatestpartofBritishAmericawaspeopledbymenwho，afterhavingshakenofftheauthorityofthePope，acknowledgednootherreligioussupremacy;theybroughtwiththemintotheNewWorldaformofChristianitywhichIcannotbetterdescribethanbystylingitademocraticandrepublicanreligion。Thissectcontributedpowerfullytotheestablishmentofademocracyandarepublic，andfromtheearliestsettlementoftheemigrantspoliticsandreligioncontractedanalliancewhichhasneverbeendissolved。

AboutfiftyyearsagoIrelandbegantopouraCatholicpopulationintotheUnitedStates;ontheotherhand，theCatholicsofAmericamadeproselytes，andatthepresentmomentmorethanamillionofChristiansprofessingthetruthsoftheChurchofRomearetobemetwithintheUnion。*dTheCatholicsarefaithfultotheobservancesoftheirreligion;theyareferventandzealousinthesupportandbeliefoftheirdoctrines。

NeverthelesstheyconstitutethemostrepublicanandthemostdemocraticclassofcitizenswhichexistsintheUnitedStates;

andalthoughthisfactmaysurprisetheobserveratfirst，thecausesbywhichitisoccasionedmayeasilybediscovereduponreflection。

[Footnoted:[ItisdifficulttoascertainwithaccuracytheamountoftheRomanCatholicpopulationoftheUnitedStates，butin1868anablewriterinthe"EdinburghReview"（vol。cxxvii。p。

521）affirmedthatthewholeCatholicpopulationoftheUnitedStateswasthenabout4，000，000，dividedinto43dioceses，with3，795churches，underthecareof45bishopsand2，317clergymen。

ButthisrapidincreaseismainlysupportedbyimmigrationfromtheCatholiccountriesofEurope。]]

IthinkthattheCatholicreligionhaserroneouslybeenlookeduponasthenaturalenemyofdemocracy。AmongstthevarioussectsofChristians，Catholicismseemstome，onthecontrary，tobeoneofthosewhicharemostfavorabletotheequalityofconditions。IntheCatholicChurch，thereligiouscommunityiscomposedofonlytwoelements，thepriestandthepeople。Thepriestalonerisesabovetherankofhisflock，andallbelowhimareequal。

OndoctrinalpointstheCatholicfaithplacesallhumancapacitiesuponthesamelevel;itsubjectsthewiseandignorant，themanofgeniusandthevulgarcrowd，tothedetailsofthesamecreed;itimposesthesameobservancesupontherichandneedy，itinflictsthesameausteritiesuponthestrongandtheweak，itlistenstonocompromisewithmortalman，but，reducingallthehumanracetothesamestandard，itconfoundsallthedistinctionsofsocietyatthefootofthesamealtar，evenastheyareconfoundedinthesightofGod。IfCatholicismpredisposesthefaithfultoobedience，itcertainlydoesnotpreparethemforinequality;butthecontrarymaybesaidofProtestantism，whichgenerallytendstomakemenindependent，morethantorenderthemequal。

Catholicismislikeanabsolutemonarchy;ifthesovereignberemoved，alltheotherclassesofsocietyaremoreequalthantheyareinrepublics。IthasnotunfrequentlyoccurredthattheCatholicpriesthaslefttheserviceofthealtartomixwiththegoverningpowersofsociety，andtotakehisplaceamongstthecivilgradationsofmen。Thisreligiousinfluencehassometimesbeenusedtosecuretheinterestsofthatpoliticalstateofthingstowhichhebelonged。AtothertimesCatholicshavetakenthesideofaristocracyfromaspiritofreligion。

Butnosooneristhepriesthoodentirelyseparatedfromthegovernment，asisthecaseintheUnitedStates，thanisfoundthatnoclassofmenaremorenaturallydisposedthantheCatholicstotransfusethedoctrineoftheequalityofconditionsintothepoliticalworld。If，then，theCatholiccitizensoftheUnitedStatesarenotforciblyledbythenatureoftheirtenetstoadoptdemocraticandrepublicanprinciples，atleasttheyarenotnecessarilyopposedtothem;andtheirsocialposition，aswellastheirlimitednumber，obligesthemtoadopttheseopinions。MostoftheCatholicsarepoor，andtheyhavenochanceoftakingapartinthegovernmentunlessitbeopentoallthecitizens。Theyconstituteaminority，andallrightsmustberespectedinordertoinsuretothemthefreeexerciseoftheirownprivileges。Thesetwocausesinducethem，unconsciously，toadoptpoliticaldoctrines，whichtheywouldperhapssupportwithlesszealiftheywererichandpreponderant。

TheCatholicclergyoftheUnitedStateshasneverattemptedtoopposethispoliticaltendency，butitseeksrathertojustifyitsresults。ThepriestsinAmericahavedividedtheintellectualworldintotwoparts:intheonetheyplacethedoctrinesofrevealedreligion，whichcommandtheirassent;intheothertheyleavethosetruthswhichtheybelievetohavebeenfreelyleftopentotheresearchesofpoliticalinquiry。ThustheCatholicsoftheUnitedStatesareatthesametimethemostfaithfulbelieversandthemostzealouscitizens。

ItmaybeassertedthatintheUnitedStatesnoreligiousdoctrinedisplaystheslightesthostilitytodemocraticandrepublicaninstitutions。Theclergyofallthedifferentsectsholdthesamelanguage，theiropinionsareconsonanttothelaws，andthehumanintellectflowsonwardsinonesolecurrent。

IhappenedtobestayinginoneofthelargesttownsintheUnion，whenIwasinvitedtoattendapublicmeetingwhichhadbeencalledforthepurposeofassistingthePoles，andofsendingthemsuppliesofarmsandmoney。Ifoundtwoorthreethousandpersonscollectedinavasthallwhichhadbeenpreparedtoreceivethem。Inashorttimeapriestinhisecclesiasticalrobesadvancedtothefrontofthehustings:thespectatorsrose，andstooduncovered，whilsthespokeinthefollowingterms:—

"AlmightyGod！theGodofArmies！Thouwhodidststrengthentheheartsandguidethearmsofourfatherswhentheywerefightingforthesacredrightsofnationalindependence;

Thouwhodidstmakethemtriumphoverahatefuloppression，andhastgrantedtoourpeoplethebenefitsoflibertyandpeace;

Turn，OLord，afavorableeyeupontheotherhemisphere;

pitifullylookdownuponthatheroicnationwhichisevennowstrugglingaswedidintheformertime，andforthesamerightswhichwedefendedwithourblood。Thou，whodidstcreateManinthelikenessofthesameimage，letnottyrannymarThywork，andestablishinequalityupontheearth。AlmightyGod！doThouwatchoverthedestinyofthePoles，andrenderthemworthytobefree。MayThywisdomdirecttheircouncils，andmayThystrengthsustaintheirarms！ShedforthThyterrorovertheirenemies，scatterthepowerswhichtakecounselagainstthem;andvouchsafethattheinjusticewhichtheworldhaswitnessedforfiftyyears，benotconsummatedinourtime。OLord，whoholdestaliketheheartsofnationsandofmeninThypowerfulhand;raiseupalliestothesacredcauseofright;arousetheFrenchnationfromtheapathyinwhichitsrulersretainit，thatitgoforthagaintofightforthelibertiesoftheworld。

"Lord，turnnotThouThyfacefromus，andgrantthatwemayalwaysbethemostreligiousaswellasthefreestpeopleoftheearth。AlmightyGod，hearoursupplicationsthisday。SavethePoles，webeseechThee，inthenameofThywell—belovedSon，ourLordJesusChrist，whodieduponthecrossforthesalvationofmen。Amen。"

Thewholemeetingresponded"Amen！"withdevotion。

IndirectInfluenceOfReligiousOpinionsUponPoliticalSocietyInTheUnitedStatesChristianmoralitycommontoallsects—InfluenceofreligionuponthemannersoftheAmericans—Respectforthemarriagetie—InwhatmannerreligionconfinestheimaginationoftheAmericanswithincertainlimits，andchecksthepassionofinnovation—OpinionoftheAmericansonthepoliticalutilityofreligion—Theirexertionstoextendandsecureitspredominance。

IhavejustshownwhatthedirectinfluenceofreligionuponpoliticsisintheUnitedStates，butitsindirectinfluenceappearstometobestillmoreconsiderable，anditneverinstructstheAmericansmorefullyintheartofbeingfreethanwhenitsaysnothingoffreedom。

ThesectswhichexistintheUnitedStatesareinnumerable。

TheyalldifferinrespecttotheworshipwhichisduefrommantohisCreator，buttheyallagreeinrespecttothedutieswhichareduefrommantoman。EachsectadorestheDeityinitsownpeculiarmanner，butallthesectspreachthesamemorallawinthenameofGod。Ifitbeofthehighestimportancetoman，asanindividual，thathisreligionshouldbetrue，thecaseofsocietyisnotthesame。Societyhasnofuturelifetohopeforortofear;andprovidedthecitizensprofessareligion，thepeculiartenetsofthatreligionareofverylittleimportancetoitsinterests。Moreover，almostallthesectsoftheUnitedStatesarecomprisedwithinthegreatunityofChristianity，andChristianmoralityiseverywherethesame。

ItmaybebelievedwithoutunfairnessthatacertainnumberofAmericanspursueapeculiarformofworship，fromhabitmorethanfromconviction。IntheUnitedStatesthesovereignauthorityisreligious，andconsequentlyhypocrisymustbecommon;butthereisnocountryinthewholeworldinwhichtheChristianreligionretainsagreaterinfluenceoverthesoulsofmenthaninAmerica;andtherecanbenogreaterproofofitsutility，andofitsconformitytohumannature，thanthatitsinfluenceismostpowerfullyfeltoverthemostenlightenedandfreenationoftheearth。

IhaveremarkedthatthemembersoftheAmericanclergyingeneral，withoutevenexceptingthosewhodonotadmit