democracy in america-1-第72章

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ain　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；　and　the　evil　of　fluctuating　desires。　　Agitated　by　the　tumultuous　passions　which　frequently　disturb　his　dwelling；　the　European　is　galled　by　the　obedience　which　the　legislative　powers　of　the　State　exact。　　But　when　the　American　retires　from　the　turmoil　of　public　life　to　the　bosom　of　his　family；　he　finds　in　it　the　image　of　order　and　of　peace。　　There　his　pleasures　are　simple　and　natural；　his　joys　are　innocent　and　calm；　and　as　he　finds　that　an　orderly　life　is　the　surest　path　to　happiness；　he　accustoms　himself　without　difficulty　to　moderate　his　opinions　as　well　as　his　tastes。　　Whilst　the　European　endeavors　to　forget　his　domestic　troubles　by　agitating　society；　the　American　derives　from　his　own　home　that　love　of　order　which　he　afterwards　carries　with　him　into　public　affairs。

In　the　United　States　the　influence　of　religion　is　not　confined　to　the　manners；　but　it　extends　to　the　intelligence　of　the　people。　　Amongst　the　Anglo…Americans；　there　are　some　who　profess　the　doctrines　of　Christianity　from　a　sincere　belief　in　them；　and　others　who　do　the　same　because　they　are　afraid　to　be　suspected　of　unbelief。　　Christianity；　therefore；　reigns　without　any　obstacle；　by　universal　consent；　the　consequence　is；　as　I　have　before　observed；　that　every　principle　of　the　moral　world　is　fixed　and　determinate；　although　the　political　world　is　abandoned　to　the　debates　and　the　experiments　of　men。　　Thus　the　human　mind　is　never　left　to　wander　across　a　boundless　field；　and；　whatever　may　be　its　pretensions；　it　is　checked　from　time　to　time　by　barriers　which　it　cannot　surmount。　　Before　it　can　perpetrate　innovation；　certain　primal　and　immutable　principles　are　laid　down；　and　the　boldest　conceptions　of　human　device　are　subjected　to　certain　forms　which　retard　and　stop　their　completion。

The　imagination　of　the　Americans；　even　in　its　greatest　flights；　is　circumspect　and　undecided；　its　impulses　are　checked；　and　its　works　unfinished。　These　habits　of　restraint　recur　in　political　society；　and　are　singularly　favorable　both　to　the　tranquillity　of　the　people　and　to　the　durability　of　the　institutions　it　has　established。　　Nature　and　circumstances　concurred　to　make　the　inhabitants　of　the　United　States　bold　men；　as　is　sufficiently　attested　by　the　enterprising　spirit　with　which　they　seek　for　fortune。　　If　the　mind　of　the　Americans　were　free　from　all　trammels；　they　would　very　shortly　become　the　most　daring　innovators　and　the　most　implacable　disputants　in　the　world。　　But　the　revolutionists　of　America　are　obliged　to　profess　an　ostensible　respect　for　Christian　morality　and　equity；　which　does　not　easily　permit　them　to　violate　the　laws　that　oppose　their　designs；　nor　would　they　find　it　easy　to　surmount　the　scruples　of　their　partisans；　even　if　they　were　able　to　get　over　their　own。　Hitherto　no　one　in　the　United　States　has　dared　to　advance　the　maxim；　that　everything　is　permissible　with　a　view　to　the　interests　of　society；　an　impious　adage　which　seems　to　have　been　invented　in　an　age　of　freedom　to　shelter　all　the　tyrants　of　future　ages。　Thus　whilst　the　law　permits　the　Americans　to　do　what　they　please；　religion　prevents　them　from　conceiving；　and　forbids　them　to　commit；　what　is　rash　or　unjust。

Religion　in　America　takes　no　direct　part　in　the　government　of　society；　but　it　must　nevertheless　be　regarded　as　the　foremost　of　the　political　institutions　of　that　country；　for　if　it　does　not　impart　a　taste　for　freedom；　it　facilitates　the　use　of　free　institutions。　　Indeed；　it　is　in　this　same　point　of　view　that　the　inhabitants　of　the　United　States　themselves　look　upon　religious　belief。　　I　do　not　know　whether　all　the　Americans　have　a　sincere　faith　in　their　religion；　for　who　can　search　the　human　heart？　but　I　am　certain　that　they　hold　it　to　be　indispensable　to　the　maintenance　of　republican　institutions。　　This　opinion　is　not　peculiar　to　a　class　of　citizens　or　to　a　party；　but　it　belongs　to　the　whole　nation；　and　to　every　rank　of　society。

In　the　United　States；　if　a　political　character　attacks　a　sect；　this　may　not　prevent　even　the　partisans　of　that　very　sect　from　supporting　him；　but　if　he　attacks　all　the　sects　together；　everyone　abandons　him；　and　he　remains　alone。

Whilst　I　was　in　America；　a　witness；　who　happened　to　be　called　at　the　assizes　of　the　county　of　Chester　（State　of　New　York）；　declared　that　he　did　not　believe　in　the　existence　of　God；　or　in　the　immortality　of　the　soul。　　The　judge　refused　to　admit　his　evidence；　on　the　ground　that　the　witness　had　destroyed　beforehand　all　the　confidence　of　the　Court　in　what　he　was　about　to　say。　*e　The　newspapers　related　the　fact　without　any　further　comment。

＇Footnote　e：　The　New　York　〃Spectator〃　of　August　23；　1831；　relates　the　fact　in　the　following　terms：　…　〃The　Court　of　Common　Pleas　of　Chester　county　（New　York）　a　few　days　since　rejected　a　witness　who　declared　his　disbelief　in　the　existence　of　God。　　The　presiding　judge　remarked　that　he　had　not　before　been　aware　that　there　was　a　man　living　who　did　not　believe　in　the　existence　of　God；　that　this　belief　constituted　the　sanction　of　all　testimony　in　a　court　of　justice；　and　that　he　knew　of　no　cause　in　a　Christian　country　where　a　witness　had　been　permitted　to　testify　without　such　belief。〃＇　

The　Americans　combine　the　notions　of　Christianity　and　of　liberty　so　intimately　in　their　minds；　that　it　is　impossible　to　make　them　conceive　the　one　without　the　other；　and　with　them　this　conviction　does　not　spring　from　that　barren　traditionary　faith　which　seems　to　vegetate　in　the　soul　rather　than　to　live。

I　have　known　of　societies　formed　by　the　Americans　to　send　out　ministers　of　the　Gospel　into　the　new　Western　States　to　found　schools　and　churches　there；　lest　religion　should　be　suffered　to　die　away　in　those　remote　settlements；　and　the　rising　States　be　less　fitted　to　enjoy　free　institutions　than　the　people　from　which　they　emanated。　　I　met　with　wealthy　New　Englanders　who　abandoned　the　country　in　which　they　were　born　in　order　to　lay　the　foundations　of　Christianity　and　of　freedom　on　the　banks　of　the　Missouri；　or　in　the　prairies　of　Illinois。　　Thus　religious　zeal　is　perpetually　stimulated　in　the　United　States　by　the　duties　of　patriotism。　　These　men　do　not　act　from　an　exclusive　consideration　of　the　promises　of　a　future　life；　eternity　is　only　one　motive　of　their　devotion　to　the　cause；　and　if　you　converse　with　these　missionaries　of　Christian　civilization；　you　will　be　surprised　to　find　how　much　value　they　set　upon　the　goods　of　this　world；　and　that　you　meet　with　a　politician　where　you　expected　to　find　a　priest。　　They　will　tell　you　that　〃all　the　American　republics　are　collectively　involved　with　each　other；　if　the　republics　of　the　West　were　to　fall　into　anarchy；　or　to　be　mastered　by　a　despot；　the　republican　institutions　which　now　flourish　upon　the　shores　of　the　Atlantic　Ocean　would　be　in　great　peril。　　It　is；　therefore；　our　interest　that　the　new　States　should　be　religious；　in　order　to　maintain　our　liberties。〃

Such　are　the　opinions　of　the　Americans；　and　if　any　hold　that　the　religious　spirit　which　I　admire　is　the　very　thing　most　amiss　in　America；　and　that　the　only　element　wanting　to　the　freedom　and　happiness　of　the　human　race　is　to　believe　in　some　blind　cosmogony；　or　to　assert　with　Cabanis　the　secretion　of　thought　by　the　brain；　I　can　only　reply　that　those　who　hold　this　language　have　never　been　in　America；　and　that　they　have　never　seen　a　religious　or　a　free　nation。　　When　they　return　from　their　expedition；　we　shall　hear　what　they　have　to　say。

There　are　persons　in　France　who　look　upon　republican　institutions　as　a　temporary　means　of　power；　of　wealth；　and　distinction；　men　who　are　the　condottieri　of　liberty；　and　who　fight　for　their　own　advantage；　whatever　be　the　colors　they　wear：　it　is　not　to　these　that　I　address　myself。　　But　there　are　others　who　look　forward　to　the　republican　form　of　government　as　a　tranquil　and　lasting　state；　towards　which　modern　society　is　daily　impelled　by　the　ideas　and　manners　of　the　time；　and　who　sincerely　desire　to　prepare　men　to　be　free。　　When　these　men　attack　religious　opinions；　they　obey　the　dictates　of　their　passions　to　the　prejudice　of　their　interests。　　Despotism　may　govern　without　faith；　but　liberty　cannot。　　Religion　is　much　more　necessary