democracy in america-1-第74章

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d　their　reach；　where　could　it　abide　in　the　ebb　and　flow　of　human　opinions？　where　would　that　respect　which　belongs　to　it　be　paid；　amidst　the　struggles　of　faction？　and　what　would　become　of　its　immortality；　in　the　midst　of　perpetual　decay？　The　American　clergy　were　the　first　to　perceive　this　truth；　and　to　act　in　conformity　with　it。　　They　saw　that　they　must　renounce　their　religious　influence；　if　they　were　to　strive　for　political　power；　and　they　chose　to　give　up　the　support　of　the　State；　rather　than　to　share　its　vicissitudes。

In　America；　religion　is　perhaps　less　powerful　than　it　has　been　at　certain　periods　in　the　history　of　certain　peoples；　but　its　influence　is　more　lasting。　It　restricts　itself　to　its　own　resources；　but　of　those　none　can　deprive　it：　its　circle　is　limited　to　certain　principles；　but　those　principles　are　entirely　its　own；　and　under　its　undisputed　control。

On　every　side　in　Europe　we　hear　voices　complaining　of　the　absence　of　religious　faith；　and　inquiring　the　means　of　restoring　to　religion　some　remnant　of　its　pristine　authority。　　It　seems　to　me　that　we　must　first　attentively　consider　what　ought　to　be　the　natural　state　of　men　with　regard　to　religion　at　the　present　time；　and　when　we　know　what　we　have　to　hope　and　to　fear；　we　may　discern　the　end　to　which　our　efforts　ought　to　be　directed。

The　two　great　dangers　which　threaten　the　existence　of　religions　are　schism　and　indifference。　　In　ages　of　fervent　devotion；　men　sometimes　abandon　their　religion；　but　they　only　shake　it　off　in　order　to　adopt　another。　　Their　faith　changes　the　objects　to　which　it　is　directed；　but　it　suffers　no　decline。　The　old　religion　then　excites　enthusiastic　attachment　or　bitter　enmity　in　either　party；　some　leave　it　with　anger；　others　cling　to　it　with　increased　devotedness；　and　although　persuasions　differ；　irreligion　is　unknown。　　Such；　however；　is　not　the　case　when　a　religious　belief　is　secretly　undermined　by　doctrines　which　may　be　termed　negative；　since　they　deny　the　truth　of　one　religion　without　affirming　that　of　any　other。　　Progidious　revolutions　then　take　place　in　the　human　mind；　without　the　apparent　co…operation　of　the　passions　of　man；　and　almost　without　his　knowledge。　　Men　lose　the　objects　of　their　fondest　hopes；　as　if　through　forgetfulness。　　They　are　carried　away　by　an　imperceptible　current　which　they　have　not　the　courage　to　stem；　but　which　they　follow　with　regret；　since　it　bears　them　from　a　faith　they　love；　to　a　scepticism　that　plunges　them　into　despair。　

In　ages　which　answer　to　this　description；　men　desert　their　religious　opinions　from　lukewarmness　rather　than　from　dislike；　they　do　not　reject　them；　but　the　sentiments　by　which　they　were　once　fostered　disappear。　　But　if　the　unbeliever　does　not　admit　religion　to　be　true；　he　still　considers　it　useful。　Regarding　religious　institutions　in　a　human　point　of　view；　he　acknowledges　their　influence　upon　manners　and　legislation。　　He　admits　that　they　may　serve　to　make　men　live　in　peace　with　one　another；　and　to　prepare　them　gently　for　the　hour　of　death。　　He　regrets　the　faith　which　he　has　lost；　and　as　he　is　deprived　of　a　treasure　which　he　has　learned　to　estimate　at　its　full　value；　he　scruples　to　take　it　from　those　who　still　possess　it。

On　the　other　hand；　those　who　continue　to　believe　are　not　afraid　openly　to　avow　their　faith。　　They　look　upon　those　who　do　not　share　their　persuasion　as　more　worthy　of　pity　than　of　opposition；　and　they　are　aware　that　to　acquire　the　esteem　of　the　unbelieving；　they　are　not　obliged　to　follow　their　example。　They　are　hostile　to　no　one　in　the　world；　and　as　they　do　not　consider　the　society　in　which　they　live　as　an　arena　in　which　religion　is　bound　to　face　its　thousand　deadly　foes；　they　love　their　contemporaries；　whilst　they　condemn　their　weaknesses　and　lament　their　errors。

As　those　who　do　not　believe；　conceal　their　incredulity；　and　as　those　who　believe；　display　their　faith；　public　opinion　pronounces　itself　in　favor　of　religion：　love；　support；　and　honor　are　bestowed　upon　it；　and　it　is　only　by　searching　the　human　soul　that　we　can　detect　the　wounds　which　it　has　received。　The　mass　of　mankind；　who　are　never　without　the　feeling　of　religion；　do　not　perceive　anything　at　variance　with　the　established　faith。　　The　instinctive　desire　of　a　future　life　brings　the　crowd　about　the　altar；　and　opens　the　hearts　of　men　to　the　precepts　and　consolations　of　religion。　

But　this　picture　is　not　applicable　to　us：　for　there　are　men　amongst　us　who　have　ceased　to　believe　in　Christianity；　without　adopting　any　other　religion；　others　who　are　in　the　perplexities　of　doubt；　and　who　already　affect　not　to　believe；　and　others；　again；　who　are　afraid　to　avow　that　Christian　faith　which　they　still　cherish　in　secret。

Amidst　these　lukewarm　partisans　and　ardent　antagonists　a　small　number　of　believers　exist；　who　are　ready　to　brave　all　obstacles　and　to　scorn　all　dangers　in　defence　of　their　faith。　　They　have　done　violence　to　human　weakness；　in　order　to　rise　superior　to　public　opinion。　　Excited　by　the　effort　they　have　made；　they　scarcely　knew　where　to　stop；　and　as　they　know　that　the　first　use　which　the　French　made　of　independence　was　to　attack　religion；　they　look　upon　their　contemporaries　with　dread；　and　they　recoil　in　alarm　from　the　liberty　which　their　fellow…citizens　are　seeking　to　obtain。　　As　unbelief　appears　to　them　to　be　a　novelty；　they　comprise　all　that　is　new　in　one　indiscriminate　animosity。　　They　are　at　war　with　their　age　and　country；　and　they　look　upon　every　opinion　which　is　put　forth　there　as　the　necessary　enemy　of　the　faith。

Such　is　not　the　natural　state　of　men　with　regard　to　religion　at　the　present　day；　and　some　extraordinary　or　incidental　cause　must　be　at　work　in　France　to　prevent　the　human　mind　from　following　its　original　propensities　and　to　drive　it　beyond　the　limits　at　which　it　ought　naturally　to　stop。　　I　am　intimately　convinced　that　this　extraordinary　and　incidental　cause　is　the　close　connection　of　politics　and　religion。　　The　unbelievers　of　Europe　attack　the　Christians　as　their　political　opponents；　rather　than　as　their　religious　adversaries；　they　hate　the　Christian　religion　as　the　opinion　of　a　party；　much　more　than　as　an　error　of　belief；　and　they　reject　the　clergy　less　because　they　are　the　representatives　of　the　Divinity　than　because　they　are　the　allies　of　authority。

In　Europe；　Christianity　has　been　intimately　united　to　the　powers　of　the　earth。　　Those　powers　are　now　in　decay；　and　it　is；　as　it　were；　buried　under　their　ruins。　　The　living　body　of　religion　has　been　bound　down　to　the　dead　corpse　of　superannuated　polity：　cut　but　the　bonds　which　restrain　it；　and　that　which　is　alive　will　rise　once　more。　　I　know　not　what　could　restore　the　Christian　Church　of　Europe　to　the　energy　of　its　earlier　days；　that　power　belongs　to　God　alone；　but　it　may　be　the　effect　of　human　policy　to　leave　the　faith　in　the　full　exercise　of　the　strength　which　it　still　retains。


How　The　Instruction；　The　Habits；　And　The　Practical　Experience　Of　The　Americans　Promote　The　Success　Of　Their　Democratic　Institutions　


What　is　to　be　understood　by　the　instruction　of　the　American　people　…　The　human　mind　more　superficially　instructed　in　the　United　States　than　in　Europe　…　No　one　completely　uninstructed　…　Reason　of　this　…　Rapidity　with　which　opinions　are　diffused　even　in　the　uncultivated　States　of　the　West　…　Practical　experience　more　serviceable　to　the　Americans　than　book…learning。

I　have　but　little　to　add　to　what　I　have　already　said　concerning　the　influence　which　the　instruction　and　the　habits　of　the　Americans　exercise　upon　the　maintenance　of　their　political　institutions。

America　has　hitherto　produced　very　few　writers　of　distinction；　it　possesses　no　great　historians；　and　not　a　single　eminent　poet。　　The　inhabitants　of　that　country　look　upon　what　are　properly　styled　literary　pursuits　with　a　kind　of　disapprobation；　and　there　are　towns　of　very　second…rate　importance　in　Europe　in　which　more　literary　works　are　annually　published　than　in　the　twenty…four　States　of　the　Union　put　together。　　The　spirit　of　the　Americans　is　averse　to　general　ideas；　and　it　does　not　seek　theoretical　discoveries。　Neither　politics　nor　manufactures　direct　them　to　these　occupations；　and　although　new　laws　are　perpetually　enacted　in　the　United　States；　no　great　writers　have　hitherto　inquired　into　the　general　principles　of　their　legislation。　　The　Americans　have　lawyers　and　commentators；　but　no　jurists；　*h　and　they　furnish　examples　rather　than　lessons　to　the　world。　　The　same　observation　applies　to　the　mechanical　arts。　　In　America；　the　inventions　of　Europe　are　adopted　with　sagacity；　they　are　perfected；　and　adapted　with　admirable　skill　to　the　wants　of　the　country。　Manufactures　exist；　but　the　science　of　manufacture　is　not　cultivated；　and　they　have　good　workmen；　but　very　few　inventors。　　Fulton　was　obliged　to　proffer　his　services　to　foreign　nations　for　a　long　time　before　he　was　able　to　devote　them　to　his　own　country。


＇Footnote　h：　＇This　cannot　be　said　with　truth　of　the　country　of　Kent；　Story；　and　Wheaton。＇＇

The　observer　who　is　desirous　of　forming　an　opinion　on　the　state　of　instruction　amongst　the　Anglo…Americans　must　consider　the　same　object　from　two　different　points　of　view。　　If　he　only　singles　out　the　learned；　he　will　be　astonished　to　find　how　rare　they　are；　but　if　he　counts　the　ignorant；　the　American　people　will　appear　to　be　the　most　enlightened　community　in　the　world。　The　whole　population；　as　I　observed　in　another　place；　is　situated　between　these　two　extremes。　　In　New　England；　every　citizen　receives　the　elementary　notions　of　human　knowledge；　he　is　moreover　taught　the　doctrines　and　the　evidences　of　his　religion；　the　history　of　his　country；　and　the　leading　features　of　its　Constitution。　　In　the　States　of　Connecticut　and　Massachusetts；　it　is　extremely　rare　to　find　a　man　imperfectly　acquainted　with　all　these　things；　and　a　person　wholly　ignorant　of　them　is　a　sort　of　phenomenon。

When　I　compare　the　Greek　and　Roman　republics　with　these　American　States；　the　manuscript　libraries　of　the　former；　and　their　rude　population；　with　the　innumerable　journals　and　the　enlightened　people　of　the　latter；　when　I　remember　all　the　attempts　which　are　made　to　judge　the　modern　republics　by　the　assistance　of　those　of　antiquity；　and　to　infer　what　will　happen　in　our　time　from　what　took　place　two　thousand　years　ago；　I　am　tempted　to　burn　my　books；　in　order　to　apply　none　but　novel　ideas　to　so　novel　a　condition　of　society。

What　I　have　said　of　New　England　must　not；　however；　be　applied　indistinctly　to　the　whole　Union；　as　we　advance　towards　the　West　or　the　South；　the　instruction　of　the　people　diminishes。　　In　the　States　which　are　adjacent　to　the　Gulf　of　Mexico；　a　certain　number　of　individuals　may　be　found；　as　in　our　own　countries；　who　are　devoid　of　the　rudiments　of　instruction。　　But　there　is　not　a　single　district　in　the　United　States　sunk　in　complete　ignorance；　and　for　a　very　simple　reason：　the　peoples　of　Europe　started　from　the　darkness　of　a　barbarous　condition；　to　advance　toward　the　light　of　civilization；　their　progress　has　been　unequal；　some　of　them　have　improved　apace；　whilst　others　have　loitered　in　their　course；　and　some　have　stopped；　and　are　still　sleeping　upon　the　way。　*i　

＇Footnote　i：　＇In　the　Northern　States　the　number　of　persons　destitute　of　instruction　is　inconsiderable；　the　largest　number　being　241；152　in　th