The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-11-26 00:00:00

OF MAN

" I need not to ramble over earth and sky to discover a
wondrous object woven of contrasts, of greatness and little-
ness infinite, of intense gloom and of amazing brightness—
capable at once of exciting pity, admiration, terror, con•
tempt. I find that object in myself. Man springs out of
nothing, crosses time, and disappears for ever in the bosom
of God : he is seen but for a moment, staggering on the
verge of the two abysses, and there he is lost."

AMERICAN RESTLESSNESS

" In certain remote corners of the old world you may still
sometimes stumble upon a small district which seems to have
been forgotten amidst the general tumult, and to have re-
mained stationary whilst every thing around it was in motion.
The inhabitants are for the most part extremely ignorant and
poor; they take no part in the business of the country, and
they are frequently oppressed by the government ; yet their
countenances are generally placid, and their spirits light.
" In America I saw the freest and most enlightened men,
placed in the happiest circumstances which the, world affords ;
it seemed to me as if a cloud habitually hung upon their
brow, and I thought them serious and almost sad even in
their pleasures.

" The chief reason of this contrast is that the former do
not think of the ills they endure ;—the latter are for ever
brooding over advantages they do not possess. It is strange
to see with what feverish ardour the Americans pursue their
own welfare ; and to watch the vague dread that constantly
torments them lest they should not have chosen the shortest
path which may lead to it.

• " A native of the United States clings to this world's goods
as if he were certain never to die ; and he is so hasty at
grasping at all within his reach that one would suppose he
was constantly afraid of not living long enough to enjoy
them. He clutches every thing, he holds nothing fast, but
soon loosens his grasp to procure fresh gratifications.
" In the United States a man builds a house to spend his
latter days in it, and he sells it before the roof is on ; he
plants a garden, and lets it just as the trees are coming into
bearing ; he brings a field into tillage, and leaves other men
to gather the grapes ; he embraces a profession, and gives it
up ; he settles in a place, which he soon afterwards leaves,
to carry his changeable longings elsewhere. If his private
affairs leave him any leisure, he instantly plunges into the
vortex of politics, and if at the end of a year of unremitting
labour he finds he has a few day's vacation, his eager curi-
osity whirls him over the vast extent of the United States,
and he will travel fifteen hundred miles in a few days to
shake off his happiness. Death at length overtakes him, but
it is before he is beware of his bootless chace of that com-
plete felicity which is for ever on the wing.
"At first sight there is something surprising in this
strange unrest of so many happy men, restless in the midst
of abundance. The spectacle itself is, however, as old as
the world ; the novelty is to see a whole people furnish an.
exemplificationof:it," _ _

I\l.-de. Tocquisille is a Roman Catholic, and his prejudices
in favour of his church are apparent in his chapter " on the
progress of Roman Catholicism in the United States." Of
his statement concerning its spread in that country we ac-
knowledge ourselves sceptical ; it is in these words :--
" America is the most democratic country in the world, and
it is at the same time (according to reports worthy of belief)
the country in which the Roman Catholic religion makes
most progress,"

Wehave a theory to explain this phenomena, of course—
for the Frenchman has a theory for everything—his passion
for " general ideas" would scarcely leave him at fault upon
so interesting a subject :
" The men of our days," he says, " are naturally little
disposed to believe; but as soon as they have any religion
they find in themselves immediately a latent propensity
which urges them unconsciously towards Catholicism. Many
of the doctrines and the practises of the Romish Church
astonish them ; but they feel a secret admiration for its dis-
cipline, and its great unity attracts them. If Catholicism
could at length withdraw iiself from the political animosities
to which it has given rise, I have hardly any doubt but that
the same spirit of the age, which appears to be so opposed to
it, would become so favourable as to admit of its great and
sudden advancement. Our posterity will tend more and
more to a single division into two parts, some relinquishing
Christianity entirely, and others returning to the bosom of
the Church of Rome."

We cannot be surprised at M. de Toequeville entertaining
the idea expressed in the last sentence, seeing that so many
of his countrymen have failed to distinguish any intermediate
step between Romanism and utter infidelity. If he be a sin-
cere Roman Catholic, we must conclude that he has not been
able to discover that resting place for himself, and therefore
it is natural that be should conclude that none such in reality
exists. And yet had M. de Tocqueville considered in all its
bearings that power of an unfettered Christianity which he
seems to have very well observed in some, it might be hoped
that he would have formed a different opinion. Religion,
though not that of Romanism, is, he admits, no inactive
principle in the United States. He dreams a picture on the
subject. which is lively and interesting.
" In the United States, on the seventh dayofs evesuspendedevery week,
see
the solemn
the trading and workingdeep e nationsa m
all noises cease ; a tranquillity, yrather
calm of meditation succeeds the turmoil of the week, and the
soul resumes possession arid contemplation of itself. Ever
member of the community, accompanied by children,'
goes to church, when he listens to s strange language which
would seem unsuited to his ear. On his return home, he
does not turn to the ledgers of his calling, but he opens the
book of Holy Scr pture ; there he meets with sublime or
affecting descriptions of the greatness and goodness of the
Creator, of the infinite magnificence of the handiwork of
God, of the lofty destinies of
In, of his duties„ and of his
*
immortal privileges. * * have endeavoured to point
out in another part of his work the causes to which the main-
tenance of the political institutions of the Americans is at-
tributable, and religion appeared to be the most prominent
among them. lam now treating of the Americans in an in-
dividual capacity, and I again observe that religion is hot less
useful to each citizen than to the whole state.'
M. de Toequeville therefore has observed the power of the
Christian religion unfettered by the chains of the Popedom—
the energy which it diffuses through all orders of the state.
and the prosperity, generally speaking, which results from it.
He has noted these phenomena at length himself—and yet
strange to say, he is notwithstanding of opinion that a great
portion of the world will eventually go back to a religion
which is practically refuted by never being attended by such
temporal advantages—which converts man, born with a coun-
tenance to look upward, into a slave, and which, wherever it
has prevailed in Europe, or in the world, has been evidently
marked by providential displeasure ! M. de Torquevillt
would do well, we think, to reconsider his opinion.

It is untrue that Lord Melbourne, like the Roman dictator
—his office ended—has taken to the plough, or, emulative of
Diocletian, has embarked in the cultivation of cabbages. He
had certainly made progress in the study of nursery affairs,
but au untimely frost set in, and nipped his experiments in,
the bud. We believe, on good authority, that in connexion
o ith several of his late colleagues,, he has turned his attention
to the causes of blight and raildcw.—Jobn

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