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，withoutevenexceptingthosewhodo...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：
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