Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1876-04-06
DE TocouEvrLLE ON LIBERTY

DE TocouEvILLE ON LIBERTY
We publish below some fne obser
vations from Alexis De Tocqueville'
Democracy in America, the profoundes
and most philosophical Of all tn
works that have ever been publishe,
upon free institutions:
The phenomeua which the intellec
tuai world presents are not less deplor
able. =
Jealous Christian;sqSay be foun,
amongst US, whose minds are nurturei
in the love and knowledge Of futur
life, and who readily espouse the caus,
~ human Liberty, ~ the source Of al
16oE3 emotness. Christianity, which
has declared that al men are equal il
the sight Of God, will not refuse to &C
knowledge that all citizens are equal il
the eye of the law. But, by a singu
lar copeourse Of events, religion is en-
tangled in those institutions which de.
mocracy assails, and it is not unfre.
quently brought to reject the equality
it loves, and to curse that cause Of lib.
erty as foe, which it might hallow by
its alliance.
BY the side Of these religious men !
discern others whose looks are turned
to the earth more than to heaven: they
are the partisans of liberty, not onlv a,
the source of the noblest virtues. bu,
more especially as the root of all solid
advantages; and they sincerely desire
to extend its sway, and to impart lis
blessings to mankind. 1t is natural
that they should hasten to invoke the
assistance of religion, for they must
know that liberty cannot be established
without morality, nor morality with.
out faith; but they have seen religion
in the ranks Of their adversaries, and,
they inquire no further; some of them
attack it openly, and the remainder are
afraid to defend it.
In former ages slavery has been ad-
vocated by the venal and slavish- mind.
ed, whilst the independent and the
warm. hearted were struggling without
hope to save the liberties of mankind.
But men of high and generous char.
acters are now to be met with, whose
opinions are at variance with their in
and who praise that servili-
ty which they have themselves never
known. Others, on the contrary, speak
in the name of liberty, as if they were
able to feel its ssnctity and its ma
jesty, and loudly claim for humanity
those rights which they have always
There are virtuous and dpeacefulindivid-
uals whose pure morality, quiet habits;
affiuence, and talents fit them to be the
leaders of the surrounding population;
their lore of their country is sincere,
and they are prepared to make the
greatest sacrifice TO its welfare. but
they confound the abuses of civiliza-
tion with its benefits, and the idea of
evil is inseparable in their minds from
that of novelty.
Not far FROM this class is another
party, whose object is to materialize
mankind, to hit upon what is expedi.
ent without needing what is just, to ac-
quire knowledge without faith, and
apart from virtue; assuming
the title of the champions of modern
civilization, aud placing themselves in
a station which they usurp with in
science, and from which they are driv-
en- by their own unwortLiness.
Where are we then
hA r
liberty, and the friends Of liberty at.
tack religion; the high-minded and the
noble advocate sub lection, aud the mean
est and most servile minds preach indie
pendence; honest and enlightened citi-
zens are opposed to all progress, whilst
men without patriotism and without
principles are the apostles Of civiliza-
tion and of intelligence.
Has such been the fate of the centu-
ries which have preceded our own? and
has man always inhabited world, like
the present; where nothing is linked to-
gether. where virtue is without genius,
and genius without honor: where the
love of order is confounded with taste
for oppression, aud .be holy rites o.
freedom with a contempt of law; where
the light thrown by conscience on hu-
man actions is dim, aud where nothing
seems to be any longer forbidden or
honorable or shameful, false or
true?
i cannot. however, believe that the
Creator made man to leave him in an
endless struggle with the intellectual
miseres which surround us; God des-
tines a calmer and more certain future
to the communities Of Europe; dm
unacquainted with his designs, but l
shall not cease to believe in them be-
cause / cannot fa:hom them, and / had
rather mistrust my own capacity than
his justice.