north america-1-第79章

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cation。　　Of　their　political　arrangements；　as　I　mean　before　long　to　rush　into　that　perilous　subject；　I　will　say　nothing　here。　　But　no　political　convulsions；　should　such　ariseno　revolution　in　the　Constitution；　should　such　be　necessarywill　have　any　wide　effect　on　the　social　position　of　the　people　to　their　serious　detriment。　　They　have　the　great　qualities　of　the　Anglo…Saxon　raceindustry；　intelligence；　and　self…confidence；　and　if　these　qualities　will　no　longer　suffice　to　keep　such　a　people　on　their　legs；　the　world　must　be　coming　to　an　end。　I　have　said　that　it　is　not　a　common　thing　to　meet　an　American　who　belongs　to　no　denomination　of　Christian　worship。　　This　I　think　is　so　but　I　would　not　wish　to　be　taken　as　saying　that　religion；　on　that　account；　stands　on　a　satisfactory　footing　in　the　States。　　Of　all　subjects　of　discussion；　this　is　the　most　difficult。　　It　is　one　as　to　which　most　of　us　feel　that　to　some　extent　we　must　trust　to　our　prejudices　rather　than　our　judgments。　　It　is　a　matter　on　which　we　do　not　dare　to　rely　implicitly　on　our　own　reasoning　faculties；　and　therefore　throw　ourselves　on　the　opinions　of　those　whom　we　believe　to　have　been　better　men　and　deeper　thinkers　than　ourselves。　For　myself；　I　love　the　name　of　State　and　Church；　and　believe　that　much　of　our　English　well…being　has　depended　on　it。　　I　have　made　up　my　mind　to　think　that　union　good；　and　am　not　to　be　turned　away　from　that　conviction。　　Nevertheless　I　am　not　prepared　to　argue　the　matter。　　One　does　not　always　carry　one's　proof　at　one's　finger　ends。　But　I　feel　very　strongly　that　much　of　that　which　is　evil　in　the　structure　of　American　politics　is　owing　to　the　absence　of　any　national　religion；　and　that　something　also　of　social　evil　has　sprung　from　the　same　cause。　　It　is　not　that　men　do　not　say　their　prayers。　　For　aught　I　know；　they　may　do　so　as　frequently　and　as　fervently；　or　more　frequently　and　more　fervently；　than　we　do；　but　there　is　a　rowdiness；　if　I　may　be　allowed　to　use　such　a　word；　in　their　manner　of　doing　so　which　robs　religion　of　that　reverence　which　is；　if　not　its　essence；　at　any　rate　its　chief　protection。　　It　is　a　part　of　their　system　that　religion　shall　be　perfectly　free；　and　that　no　man　shall　be　in　any　way　constrained　in　that　matter。　Consequently；　the　question　of　a　man's　religion　is　regarded　in　a　free…and…easy　way。　　It　is　well；　for　instance；　that　a　young　lad　should　go　somewhere　on　a　Sunday；　but　a　sermon　is　a　sermon；　and　it　does　not　much　concern　the　lad's　father　whether　his　son　hear　the　discourse　of　a　freethinker　in　the　music…hall；　or　the　eloquent　but　lengthy　outpouring　of　a　preacher　in　a　Methodist　chapel。　　Everybody　is　bound　to　have　a　religion；　but　it　does　not　much　matter　what　it　is。　The　difficulty　in　which　the　first　fathers　of　the　Revolution　found　themselves　on　this　question　is　shown　by　the　constitutions　of　the　different　States。　　There　can　be　no　doubt　that　the　inhabitants　of　the　New　England　States　were；　as　things　went；　a　strictly　religious　community。　　They　had　no　idea　of　throwing　over　the　worship　of　God；　as　the　French　had　attempted　to　do　at　their　revolution。　　They　intended　that　the　new　nation　should　be　pre…eminently　composed　of　a　God…fearing　people；　but　they　intended　also　that　they　should　be　a　people　free　in　everythingfree　to　choose　their　own　forms　of　worship。　　They　intended　that　the　nation　should　be　a　Protestant　people；　but　they　intended　also　that　no　man's　conscience　should　be　coerced　in　the　matter　of　his　own　religion。　　It　was　hard　to　reconcile　these　two　things；　and　to　explain　to　the　citizens　that　it　behooved　them　to　worship　Godeven　under　penalties　for　omission；　but　that　it　was　at　the　same　time　open　to　them　to　select　any　form　of　worship　that　they　pleased；　however　that　form　might　differ　from　the　practices　of　the　majority。　　In　Connecticut　it　is　declared　that　it　is　the　duty　of　all　men　to　worship　the　Supreme　Being；　the　Creator　and　Preserver　of　the　universe；　but　that　it　is　their　right　to　render　that　worship　in　the　mode　most　consistent　with　the　dictates　of　their　consciences。　　And　then；　a　few　lines　further　down；　the　article　skips　the　great　difficulty　in　a　manner　somewhat　disingenuous；　and　declares　that　each　and　every　society　of　Christians　in　the　State　shall　have　and　enjoy　the　same　and　equal　privileges。　　But　it　does　not　say　whether　a　Jew　shall　be　divested　of　those　privileges；　or；　if　he　be　divested；　how　that　treatment　of　him　is　to　be　reconciled　with　the　assurance　that　it　is　every　man's　right　to　worship　the　Supreme　Being　in　the　mode　most　consistent　with　the　dictates　of　his　own　conscience。　In　Rhode　Island　they　were　more　honest。　　It　is　there　declared　that　every　man　shall　be　free　to　worship　God　according　to　the　dictates　of　his　own　conscience；　and　to　profess　and　by　argument　to　maintain　his　opinion　in　matters　of　religion；　and　that　the　same　shall　in　no　wise　diminish；　enlarge；　or　affect　his　civil　capacity。　　Here　it　is　simply　presumed　that　every　man　will　worship　a　God；　and　no　allusion　is　made　even　to　Christianity。　In　Massachusetts　they　are　again　hardly　honest。　　〃It　is　the　right；〃　says　the　constitution；　〃as　well　as　the　duty　of　all　men　in　society　publicly　and　at　stated　seasons　to　worship　the　supreme　Being；　the　Great　Creator　and　Preserver　of　the　universe。〃　　And　then　it　goes　on　to　say　that　every　man　may　do　so　in　what　form　he　pleases；　but　further　down　it　declares　that　〃every　denomination　of　Christians；　demeaning　themselves　peaceably　and　as　good　subjects　of　the　commonwealth；　shall　be　equally　under　the　protection　of　the　law。〃　But　what　about　those　who　are　not　Christians？　　In　New　Hampshire　it　is　exactly　the　same。　　It　is　enacted　that　〃every　individual　has　a　natural　and　unalienable　right　to　worship　God　according　to　the　dictates　of　his　own　conscience　and　reason。〃　　And　that　〃every　denomination　of　Christians；　demeaning　themselves　quietly　and　as　good　citizens　of　the　State；　shall　be　equally　under　the　protection　of　the　law。〃　　From　all　which　it　is；　I　think；　manifest　that　the　men　who　framed　these　documents；　desirous　above　all　things　of　cutting　themselves　and　their　people　loose　from　every　kind　of　trammel；　still　felt　the　necessity　of　enforcing　religionof　making　it；　to　a　certain　extent；　a　matter　of　State　duty。　　In　the　first　constitution　of　North　Carolina　it　is　enjoined　〃that　no　person　who　shall　deny　the　being　of　God；　or　the　truth　of　the　Protestant　religion；　shall　be　capable　of　holding　any　office　or　place　of　trust　or　profit。〃　　But　this　was　altered　in　the　year　1836；　and　the　words　〃Christian　religion〃　were　substituted　for　〃Protestant　religion。〃　In　New　England　the　Congregationalists　are；　I　think；　the　dominant　sect。　　In　Massachusetts；　and　I　believe　in　the　other　New　England　States；　a　man　is　presumed　to　be　a　Congregationalist　if　he　do　not　declare　himself　to　be　anything　else；　as　with　us　the　Church　of　England　counts　all　who　do　not　specially　have　themselves　counted　elsewhere。　　The　Congregationalist；　as　far　as　I　can　learn；　is　very　near　to　a　Presbyterian。　　In　New　England　I　think　the　Unitarians　would　rank　next　in　number；　but　a　Unitarian　in　America　is　not　the　same　as　a　Unitarian　with　us。　　Here；　if　I　understand　the　nature　of　his　creed；　a　Unitarian　does　not　recognize　the　divinity　of　our　Saviour。　　In　America　he　does　do　so；　but　throws　over　the　doctrine　of　the　Trinity。　　The　Protestant　Episcopalians　muster　strong　in　all　the　great　cities；　and　I　fancy　that　they　would　be　regarded　as　taking　the　lead　of　the　other　religious　denominations　in　New　York。　　Their　tendency　is　to　high…church　doctrines。　　I　wish　they　had　not　found　it　necessary　to　alter　the　forms　of　our　prayer…book　in　so　many　little　matters；　as　to　which　there　was　no　national　expediency　for　such　changes。　　But　it　was　probably　thought　necessary　that　a　new　people　should　show　their　independence　in　all　things。　　The　Roman　Catholics　have　a　very　strong　partyas　a　matter　of　courseseeing　how　great　has　been　the　emigration　from　Ireland；　but　here；　as　in　Irelandand　as　indeed　is　the　case　all　the　world　overthe　Roman　Catholics　are　the　hewers　of　wood　and　drawers　of　water。　　The　Germans；　who　have　latterly　flocked　into　the　States　in　such　swarms　that　they　have　almost　Germanized　certain　States；　have；　of　course；　their　own　churches。　　In　every　town　there　are　places　of　worship　for　Baptists；　Presbyterians；　Methodists；　Anabaptists；　and　every　denomination　of　Christianity；　and　the　meeting…houses　prepared　for　these　sects　are　not；　as　with　us；　hideous　buildings；　contrived　to　inspire　disgust　by　the　enormity　of　their　ugliness；　nor　are　they　called　Salem；　Ebenezer；　and　Sion；　nor　do　the　ministers　within　them　look　in　any　way　like　the　Deputy…Shepherd。　　The　churches　belonging　to　those　sects　are　often　handsome。　　This　is　especially　the　case　in　New　York；　and　the　pastors　are　not　unfrequently　among　the　best　educated　and　most　agreeable　men　whom　the　traveler　will　meet。　　They　are　for　the　most　part　well　paid；　and　are　enabled　by　their　outward　position　to　hold　that　place　in　the　world's　ranks　which　should　always　belong　to　a　clergyman。　　I　have　not　been　able　to　obtain　information　from　which　I　can　state　with　anything　like　correctness　what　may　be　the　average　income　of　ministers　of　the　Gospel　in　the　Northern　States；　but　that　it　is　much　higher　than　the　average　income　of　our　parish　clergymen；　admits；　I　think；　of　no　doubt。　　The　stipends　of　clergymen　in　the　American　towns　are　higher　than　those　paid　in　the　country。　　The　opposite　to　this；　I　thin