Although in a democracy the highest stations and preferments are open to
all, more directly than they may be under any other form of government,
still these prizes are but few and insufficient, compared with the
number of total blanks which must be drawn by the ambitious multitude.
It is, indeed, a stimulus to ambition (and a matter of justice, when all
men are pronounced equal), that they all should have an equal chance of
raising themselves by their talents and perseverance; but, when so many
competitors are permitted to enter the field, few can arrive at the
goal, and the mass are doomed to disappointment. However fair,
therefore, it may be to admit all to the competition, certain it is that
the competition cannot add to the happiness of a people, when we
consider the feelings of bitterness and ill-will naturally engendered
among the disappointed multitude.
In monarchical and aristocratical institutions, the middling and lower
classes, whose chances of advancement are so small that they seldom lift
their eyes or thoughts above their own sphere, are therefore much
happier, and it may be added, much more virtuous than those who struggle
continually for preferment in the tumultuous sea of democracy. Wealth
can give some importance, but wealth in a democracy gives an importance
which is so common to many that it loses much of its value; and when it
has been acquired, it is not sufficient for the restless ambition of the
American temperament, which will always spurn wealth for power. The
effects, therefore, of a democracy are, first to raise an inordinate
ambition among the people, and then to cramp the very ambition which it
has raised; and, as I may comment upon hereafter, it appears as if this
ambition of the people, _individually_ checked by the nature of their
institutions, becomes, as it were, concentrated and collected into a
focus in upholding and contemplating the success and increase of power
in the federal government. Thus has been produced a species of
demoralising reaction; the disappointed _units_ to a certain degree
satisfying themselves with any advance in the power and importance of
the whole Union, wholly regardless of the means by which such increase
may have been obtained.
But this unsatisfied ambition has found another vent in the formation of
many powerful religious and other associations. In a country where
there will ever be an attempt of the people to tyrannise over everybody
and everything, power they will have; and if they cannot obtain it in
the various departments of the States Governments, they will have it in
opposition to the Government; for all these societies and associations
connect themselves directly with politics. [See Note 1.] It is of
little consequence by what description of tie "these sticks in the
fable" are bound up together; once bound together, they are, not to be
broken. In America religion severs the community, but these societies
are the bonds which to a certain degree reunite it.
To enumerate the whole of these societies actually existing, or which
have been in existence, would be difficult. The following are the most
prominent:--
_List of Benevolent Societies, with their Receipts in the Year 1834_.
+====================================================+============+
Y YDolls Cts. Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
YAmerican Board of Commissioners for Foreign MissionsY 155,002 24Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
YAmerican Baptist Board of Foreign Missions Y 63,000 00Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
YWestern Foreign Mission Society Y Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
Yat Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Y 16,296 46Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
YMethodist Episcopal Missionary Society Y 35,700 15Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
YProtestant Episcopal Foreign Y Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
Yand Domestic Missionary Society Y 26,007 97Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
YAmerican Home Missionary Society Y 78,911 24Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
YBaptist Home Missionary Society Y 11,448 28Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
YBoard of Missions of the Y Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
YReformed Dutch Church (Domestic) Y 5,572 97Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
YBoard of Missions of the General Assembly of the Y Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
YPresbyterian Church (Domestic) estimated Y 40,000 00Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
YAmerican Education Society Y 57,122 20Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
YBoard of Education of the General Assembly of the Y Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
YPresbyterian churches Y 38,000 00Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
YNorthern Baptist Education Society Y 4,681 11Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
YBoard of Education of the Reformed Dutch Church Y 1,270 20Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
YAmerican Bible Society Y 88,600 82Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
YAmerican Sunday School Union Y 136,855 58Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
YGeneral Protestant Episcopal Sunday School Union Y 6,641 00Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
YBaptist General Tract Society Y 6,126 97Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
YAmerican Tract Society Y 66,485 83Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
YAmerican Colonisation Society Y 48,939 17Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
YPrison Discipline Society Y 2,364 00Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
YAmerican Seamen's Friend Society Y 16,064 00Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
YAmerican Temperance Society Y 5,871 12Y
+----------------------------------------------------+------------+
Y Y8,910,961 31Y
+====================================================+============+
Many of these societies had not been established more than ten years at
the date given; they must have increased very much since that period.
Of course many of them are very useful, and very well conducted. There
are many others: New England Non-resistance Society, Sabbath Observance
Society, etcetera; in fact, the Americans are society mad. I do not
intend to speak with the least disrespect of the societies, but the zeal
or fanaticism, if I may use the term, with which many, if not all, of
them are carried on, is too remarkable a feature in the American
character to be passed over without comment. Many of these societies
have done much good, particularly the religious societies; but many
others, from being pushed too far, have done great mischief, and have
very much assisted to demoralise the community. I remember once hearing
a story of an ostler who confessed to a Catholic priest; he enumerated a
long catalogue of enormities peculiar to his profession, and when he had
finished, the priest inquired of him "whether he had ever greased
horses' teeth to prevent their eating their corn?" this peculiar offence
not having been mentioned in his confession. The ostler declared that
he never had, absolution was given, and he departed. About six months
afterwards, the ostler went again to unload his conscience; the former
crimes and peccadilloes were enumerated, but added to them were several
acknowledgments of having at various times "_greased horses' teeth_" to
prevent their eating their corn. "Ho-ho!" cried the priest, "why, if I
recollect aright, according to your former confession you had never been
guilty of this practice. How comes it that you have added this crime to
your many others?" "May it please you, Father," replied the ostler, "I
had _never heard of it_, until you told me."
Now this story is very _apropos_ to the conduct pursued by many of these
societies in America: they must display to the public their statistics
of immorality and vice; they must prove their usefulness by informing
those who were quite ignorant, and therefore innocent, that there are
crimes of which they had no idea; and thus, in their fanatic wish to
improve, they demoralise. Such have been the consequences among this
excitable yet well-meaning people. The author of "A voice from America"
observes:--
It has been thought suitable to call the attention of mothers and
daughters over the wide country to the condition and evils of brothels
and of common prostitution, in towns and cities; to send out agents--
young men--to preach on the subject; and to organise subsidiary
societies after the fashion of all reforms. The annual report of "The
New York Female Moral Reform Society" for 1838, (a very decent name
certainly for the object), announces 361 auxiliaries and 20,000 members,
with 16,500 subscribers (all females!) to the "_Advocate of Moral
Reform_," a semi-monthly paper, published by the parent society, devoted
to the text of the seventh commandment, and to the facts and results
growing out of its violation. "This same class of reformers have
heretofore been accustomed to strike off prints of the most
unmentionable scenes of these houses of pollution in their naked forms,
and in the very acts of crime, for public display, that the public might
know what they are: in other words, as may be imagined, to make sport
for the initiated, to tempt the appetites and passions of the young, who
otherwise would have known little or nothing about it, into the same
vortex of ruin, and to cause the decent and virtuous to turn away with
emotions of ineffable regret."
I cannot help inquiring, how is it, if the Americans are, as they
assert, both orally and in their printed public documents, a _very moral
nation_, that they find it necessary to resort to all these societies
for the improvement of their brother citizens; and how is it that their
reports are full of such unexampled atrocities, as are printed and
circulated in evidence of the necessity of their stemming the current of
vice! The Americans were constantly twitting me about the occasional
cases of adultery and divorce which appear in our newspapers, assuring
me at the same time, that there was hardly ever such a thing heard of in
their own moral community. Now, it appears that this subject has not
only been taken up by the clergy, (for Dr Dwight, late president of
Yale College, preached a sermon on the seventh commandment, which an
American author asserts "was heard with pain and confusion of face, and
which never can be read in a promiscuous circle without exciting the
same feelings;") but by one of their societies also; and, although they
have not assumed the name of the _Patent Anti-Adultery Society_, they
are positively doing the work of such a one, and the details are entered
into in promiscuous assemblies without the least reservation.
The author before mentioned says:
"The common feeling on the subject has been declared false delicacy;
and, in order to break ground against its sway, females have been forced
into the van of this enterprise; and persuaded to act as agents, not
only among their own sex, but in circumstances where they must
necessarily agitate the subject with men,--not wives with husbands,
which would be bad enough, but _young and single women_ with _young and
single men_! And we have been credibly informed, that attempts have
been made to form associations among _wives_ to regulate the privileges,
and so attain the end of temperance, in the _conjugal relation_. The
next step, of course, will be teetotalism in this particular; and, as a
consequence, the extinction of the human race, unless peradventure the
failure of the main enterprise of the _Moral Reform Society_ should keep
it up by a progeny not to be honoured." ("A Voice from America.")
Let it be remembered that this is not a statement of my own, but it is
an _American_ who makes the assertion, which I could prove to be true,
might I publish what I must not.
From the infirmity of our natures, and our proneness to evil, there is
nothing so corrupting as the statistics of vice. Can young females
remain pure in their ideas, who read with indifference details of the
grossest nature? Can the youth of a nation remain uncontaminated, who
are continually poring over pages describing sensuality; and will they
not, in their desire of "something new," as the Prophet says, run into
the very vices of the existence of which they were before unconscious!
It is this dangerous running into extremes which has occasioned so many
of these societies to have been productive of much evil. A Boston
editor remarks: "The tendency of the leaders of the moral and benevolent
reforms of the day to run into fanaticism, threatens to destroy the
really beneficial effects of all associations for these objects. The
spirit of propagandism, when it becomes over zealous, is next of kin to
the spirit of persecution. The benevolent associations of the day are
on the brink of a danger that will be fatal to their farther usefulness
if not checked."
Of the Abolition Society and its tendency, I have already spoken in the
chapter on slavery. I must not, however, pass over another which at
present is rapidly extending its sway over the whole Union, and it is
difficult to say whether it does most harm or most good--I refer to the
Temperance Society.
The Rev Mr Reid says:
"In the short space of its existence, upwards of seven thousand
Temperance Societies have been formed, embracing more than one million
two hundred and fifty thousand members. More than three thousand
distilleries have been stopped, and more than seven thousand persons who
dealt in spirits have declined the trade. Upwards of one thousand
vessels have abandoned their use. And, most marvellous of all! it is
said that above ten thousand drunkards have been reclaimed from
intoxication." And he adds--"I really know of no one circumstance in
the history of this people, or of any people, so exhilarating as this.
It discovers that power of self-government, which is the leading element
of all national greatness, in an unexampled degree. Now here is a
remarkable instance of a traveller taking for granted that what is
reported to him is the truth." The worthy clergyman, himself, evidently
without guile, fully believed a statement which was absurd, from the
simple fact, that only one side of the balance sheet had been presented.
That 7,000 Temperance Societies have been formed is true. That 3,000
distilleries have stopped from principle may also be true; but the
Temperance Society reports take no notice of the many which have been
_set up in their stead_ by those who felt no compunction at selling
spirits. Equally true it may be that 7,030 dealers in spirits have
ceased to sell them; but if they have declined the trade, _others have
taken it up_. That the crews of many vessels have abandoned the use of
spirituous liquors is also the fact, and that is the greatest benefit
which has resulted from the efforts of the Temperance Society; but I
believe the number to be greatly magnified. That 10,000 drunkards have
been reclaimed--that is, that they have signed papers and taken the
oath--may be true; but how many have fallen away from their good
resolutions, and become more intemperate than before, is not recorded;
nor how many who, previously careless of liquor, have, out of pure
opposition, and in defiance of the Society, actually become drunkards,
is also unknown. In this Society, as in the Abolition Society, they
have canvassed for legislative enactments, and have succeeded in
obtaining them. The legislature of Massachusetts, which state is the
stronghold of the society, passed an act last year by which it
prohibited the selling of spirits in a smaller quantity than fifteen
gallons, intending thereby to do away with the means of dram-drinking,
at the groceries, as they are termed; a clause, however, permitted
apothecaries to retail smaller quantities, and the consequence was that
all the grog-shops commenced taking out apothecaries' licences. That
being stopped, the _striped pig_ was resorted to: that is to say, a man
charged people the value of a glass of liquor to see a _striped pig_,
which peculiarity was exhibited as a sight, and, when in the house, the
visitors were offered a glass of spirits for nothing. But this act of
the legislature has given great offence, and the state of Massachusetts
is now divided into two very strange political parties, to wit, the
_topers_ and the _teetotalers_. It is asserted that, in the political
contest which is to take place, the topers will be victorious; and if
so, it will be satisfactorily proved that, in the very enlightened and
moral state of Massachusetts the pattern of the Union, there are more
intemperate than sober men.
In this dispute between sobriety and inebriety the clergy have not been
idle: some denouncing alcohol from the pulpit; some, on the other hand
denouncing the Temperance Societies as not being Christians. Among the
latter the Bishop of Vermont has led the van. In one of his works, "The
Primitive Church," he asserts that:--
"The Temperance Society is not based upon religious, but worldly
principles.
"That it opposes vice and attempts to establish virtue in a manner which
is not in accordance with the word of God," etcetera, etcetera.
His argument is briefly this:--The Scriptures forbid drunkenness. If
the people will not do right in obedience to the word of God, but only
from the fear of public opinion, they show more respect to man than God.
The counter argument is:--The Bible prohibits many other crimes, such as
murder, theft, etcetera; but if there were not punishments for these
offences agreed upon by society, the fear of God would not prevent these
crimes from being committed.
That in the United States public opinion has more influence than
religion I believe to be the case; and that in all countries present
punishment is more to be considered than future is, I fear, equally
true. But I do not pretend to decide the question, which has occasioned
great animosities, and on some occasions, I am informed, the dismissal
of clergymen from their churches.
The teetotalers have carried their tenets to a length which threatens to
invade the rites of the church, for a portion of them, calling
themselves the Total Abstinence Society, will not use any wine which has
alcohol in it, in taking the sacrament, and as there is no wine without
a portion of alcohol; they have invented a harmless mixture which they
call wine. Unfortunately, many of these Temperance Societies in their
zeal, will admit of no medium party--you must either abstain altogether,
or be put down as a toper.
It is astonishing how obstinate some people are, and how great is the
diversity of opinion. I have heard many anecdotes relative to this
question. A man who indulged freely was recommended to join the
society. "Now," said the minister, "you must allow that there is
nothing so good, so valuable to man as water. What is the first thing
you call for in sickness but water? What else can cool your parched
tongue like water? What did the rich man ask for when in fiery
torments? What does the wretch ask for when on the rack? You cannot
always drink spirits, but water you can. Water costs nothing; and you
save your money. Water never intoxicates, or prevents you from going to
your work. There is nothing like water. Come now, Peter, let me hear
your opinion."
"Well, then, sir, I think water is very good, very excellent indeed--for
navigation."
An old Dutchman, who kept an inn at Hoboken, had long resisted the
attacks of the Temperance Societies, until one night he happened to get
so very drunk, that he actually signed the paper and took the oath. The
next morning he was made acquainted with what he had unconsciously done,
and, much to the surprise of his friends, he replied, "Well, if I have
signed and have sworn, as you tell me I have, I must keep to my word;"
and from that hour the old fellow abstained altogether from his
favourite schnapps. But the leaving off a habit which had become
necessary had the usual result. The old man took to his bed, and at
last became seriously ill. A medical man was called in, and when he was
informed of what had occurred, perceived the necessity of some stimulus,
and ordered that his patient should take one ounce of French brandy
every day.
"An ounce of French brandy," said the old Dutchman, looking at the
prescription. "Well, dat is goot; but how much is an ounce?" Nobody
who was present could inform him. "I know what a quart, a pint, or a
gill of brandy is," said the Dutchman, "but I never yet have had a
customer call for an ounce. Well, my son, go to the schoolmaster; he is
a learned man, and tell him I wish to know how much is one ounce."
The message was carried. The schoolmaster, occupied with his pupils,
and not liking the interruption, hastily, and without further inquiries
of the messenger, turned over his Bonnycastle, and arriving at the table
of avoirdupois weight, replied, "Tell your father that _sixteen drams_
make an _ounce_."
The boy took back the message correctly, and when the old Dutchman heard
it, his countenance brightened up. "A goot physician, a clever man--I
only have drank twelve drams a-day, and he tells me to take sixteen. I
have taken one oath when I was drunk, and I keep it; now dat I am sober
I take anoder, which is, I will be very sick for de remainder of my
days, and never throw my physic out of window."
There was a _cold water_ celebration at Boston, on which occasion the
hilarity of the evening was increased by the singing of the following
ode. Nobody will venture to assert that there is any _spirit_ in the
composition, and, judging from what I have seen of American manners and
customs, I am afraid that the sentiments of the last four lines will not
be responded to throughout the Union.
Ode.
In Eden's green retreats
A water-brook that played
Between soft, and mossy seats
Beneath a plane-tree's shade,
Whose rustling leaves
Danced o'er its brink,
Was Adam's drink,
And also Eve's.
Beside the parent spring
Of that young brook, the pair
Their morning chaunt would sing;
And Eve, to dress her hair,
Kneel on the grass
That fringed its side,
And made its tide
Her looking-glass.
And when the man of God
From Egypt led his flock,
They thirsted, and his rod
Smote the Arabian rock,
And forth a rill
Of water gushed,
And on they rushed,
And drank their fill.
Would Eden thus have smil'd
Had _wine_ to Eden come?
Would Horeb's parching wild
Have been refreshed with _rum_
And had Eve's hair
Been dressed in _gin_
Would she have been
Reflected fair?
Had Moses built a still
And dealt out to that host,
To every man his gill,
And pledged him in a toast,
How large a band
Of Israel's sons
Had laid their bones
In Canaan's land?
Sweet fields, beyond Death's flood,
Stand dressed in living green,
For, from the throne of God,
To freshen all the scene,
A river rolls,
Where all who will
May come and fill
Their crystal bowls.
If Eden's strength and bloom
_Cold water_ thus hath given--
If e'en beyond the tomb,
It is the drink of heaven--
Are not _good wells_,
And _crystal springs_,
_The very things_
For our hotels?
As I shall return to the subject of intemperance in my examination of
society, I shall conclude this chapter with an extract from Miss
Martineau, whose work is a strange compound of the false and the
true:--"My own convictions are, that associations, excellent as they are
for mechanical objects, are not fit instruments for the achievement of
moral aims; that there has been no proof that the principle of
self-restraint has been exalted and strengthened in the United States by
the Temperance movement while the already too great regard to _opinion_,
and subservience to spiritual encroachment, have been much increased;
and, therefore, great as may be the visible benefits of the institution,
it may at length appear that they have been dearly purchased."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note 1. Not long afterwards a prominent Presbyterian clergyman of
Philadelphia thought fit to preach and publish a sermon, wherein it was
set forth and conclusively proved, that on such and such contingencies
of united religious effort of the religious public, the majority of the
American people could be made _religious_; consequently they might carry
their _religious influence_ to the _polls_; consequently the religious
would be able to turn all the profane _out of office_; and consequently,
the American people would become a _Christian nation!--Voice from
America by an American Gentleman_.