north america-1-第101章

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　men　should　eat　and　drink；　and　read　and　write；　and　say　their　prayers？　　Does　not　that　include　everything；　providing　that　they　eat　and　drink　enough；　read　and　write　without　restraint；　and　say　their　prayers　without　hypocrisy？　　When　we　talk　of　the　advances　of　civilization；　do　we　mean　anything　but　this；　that　men　who　now　eat　and　drink　badly　shall　eat　and　drink　well；　and　that　those　who　cannot　read　and　write　now　shall　learn　to　do　sothe　prayers　following；　as　prayers　will　follow　upon　such　learning？　　Civilization　does　not　consist　in　the　eschewing　of　garlic　or　the　keeping　clean　of　a　man's　finger…nails。　　It　may　lead　to　such　delicacies；　and　probably　will　do　so。　　But　the　man　who　thinks　that　civilization　cannot　exist　without　them　imagines　that　the　church　cannot　stand　without　the　spire。　　In　the　States　of　America　men　do　eat　and　drink；　and　do　read　and　write。　But　as　to　saying　their　prayers？　　That；　as　far　as　I　can　see；　has　come　also；　though　perhaps　not　in　a　manner　altogether　satisfactory；　or　to　a　degree　which　should　be　held　to　be　sufficient。　　Englishmen　of　strong　religious　feeling　will　often　be　startled　in　America　by　the　freedom　with　which　religious　subjects　are　discussed；　and　the　ease　with　which　the　matter　is　treated；　but　he　will　very　rarely　be　shocked　by　that　utter　absence　of　all　knowledge　on　the　subjectthat　total　darkness　which　is　still　so　common　among　the　lower　orders　in　our　own　country。　　It　is　not　a　common　thing　to　meet　an　American　who　belongs　to　no　denomination　of　Christian　worship；　and　who　cannot　tell　you　why　he　belongs　to　that　which　he　has　chosen。　〃But；〃　it　will　be　said；　〃all　the　intelligence　and　education　of　this　people　have　not　saved　them　from　falling　out　among　themselves　and　their　friends；　and　running　into　troubles　by　which　they　will　be　ruined。　　Their　political　arrangements　have　been　so　bad　that；　in　spite　of　all　their　reading　and　writing；　they　must　go　to　the　wall。〃　I　venture　to　express　an　opinion　that　they　will　by　no　means　go　to　the　wall；　and　that　they　will　be　saved　from　such　a　destiny；　if　in　no　other　way；　then　by　their　education。　　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　o