The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1851-11-20
RELIGION IN TnE UNITED srA rFs


De Tocquevlle's work on Democracy !,
America, has enjoyed a very great popularity
IN France. The thirteenth edition has iiast
been published In reviewing it, nj. Cheva-
Ter, who is himself acquainted with this
country, has the following paragraph
"h is easy to show how much the success
| Oh the Democratic Republic IN the United
e.a'es IS d"e to the reiig ous feeling Of the peo:
PIE In Europe most of the disorder in soc;:
ely has lis origin in Tie domestic circle. and
not far from the nuptual couch. Freouen,|,
'he European finds it difficalt TO submit IN
the powers OF the Stale only because tumul.
'uous passions agitate his own dwelling. and
mat he is there prey to the uneasiness os
me heart or the instability of desires. In tho
United States the residence of tie citizen i
'he image OF order and of peace. North A
merlca, according to the unanimous opioion
oil all who have visited ii, is the country
where the conjugal tie is most resoec,eJ
and where coniugal happiness is the mos,
appreciated. HtI
This good state OF morals in America bos
ms origin in religious faith Religion vopld
probably be powerless to restrain man n
presence of the temptation with which ho !.
assiled by fortune but il reigns sunreme
over lhe mind of woman, and ii is woman
VINO forms public morals. As long as Amer.
leans shall preserve the severity of their mn.
raj conduct, they will preserve the Demo:
cra'ic Republic IL their morals become re-.
laxed, II they become vicious, il will be bs.
cause religion has been deprived of its an.
.nor''y. Instead of free nation, there will
be dograded mass, governed by the corr.
upt rich. Republican institutions NAV ex;st
IN name, but the name will be a deception
IL VIII be like the Roman Repulic, which
existed in name under the earsars but the
reality OF which had completely disappeared.
In the United States religion also governs the
mind, restraints it in its alterations, aid
mus becomes guarantee of the duration Of
the Republic. Everybody in the Uniied
states processes religious dogmas. The smal,
number who are not sincere Christians aftsc,
TO De SO, lest they should be suspected of
having no religion. Christianity, therefore
has an external adhesion which is uuani:
nous.
The result Of Ills is that, in the moral
world, everything is fixed, although ,be M.
litical world may appear to be entirely giv.
en- up to discussion and rash experiments
fhe human mind IN The United States has
not before it an unlimited space however
ooid 1t may he, it feels there are iusurmouu.
laoie barriers before which il must sion
Hence 1t happens that, in all classes, there is
a certain restraint either voluntary or ,ba
result OF force In this manner, men of raw.
olut'onary tendencies are constantly com.
PEELED to profess, if they do not feel, res.
pect ior Christian morality, and consequent.
ly Tor equity, which is the substance of
Christianity. If they could rise above tbei,
scruples, or if they had no scruples, thev
would still be restrained by those Of their
partizans. Thus, in the United States. there
isno person who will dare 10 put forward
the maxim that everything may be permit
ted IN the interest of the state and of society
"a tyrannical maxim, which prevailed for
our misfortune in the French Republic, and
which the second has, hitherto, noiwithstau-
ding its imperfections and its faults, inpera.
lively rejected"