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the progress of Bible societies and Sunday schools, and the abolition of slavery. The moravians are increasing and flourishing greatly; the methodists likewise spread very wide, and have been of considerable use in society, by the zeal with which they have propagated their opinions, and enforced the principles of morality amongst their votaries. But the camp meetings which are held by this sect and some others, though designed for the best purposes, have often a very contrary tendency; particularly in the southern states, where they are much frequented by the profane and dissolute. One of these meetings exactly resembles, (though upon a much larger scale,) the "holy fair," so well described by an admired Scotch poet; at which "grace" is not the only commodity to be purchased. There are many Roman catholics throughout the United States, but in Maryland they are by far the most numerous religious sect, and still retain the liberal principles of lord Baltimore, a Catholic nobleman, by whom that country was first settled in 1663, and who provided for the free exercise of all other religious opinions in the colony. This large and respectable body of Christians is daily augmenting by European emigration; but they seldom make proselytes from other sects.

In the United States every one follows, pretty much according to his own inclination, his religious opinions, and pursues with undivided eagerness his temporal concerns. This apparent apathy perhaps arises partly from the universal equality of all religious denominations. No form of worship is prescribed, no religious ordinances are established by law; whence, every individual is left at liberty to follow his own will; to neglect or cultivate religion as he sees fit. Almost all the ardour of the passing moment is employed in acquiring wealth, and promoting the success of some political party. Hence result a general calmness and composure in the American community, with regard to the personal feelings and universal diffusion of religion. As there is no national church established, neither is there any lay-patronage, nor system of tythes. The people call and support their minister; few churches having sufficient funds to dispense with the necessity of contribution by the congregation. The law enforces the contract between the pastor and his flock, and requires the people to pay the stipulated salary so long as the clergymen preaches and performs his parochial duty, according to the agreement between him and his parishioners. In Massachusetts, Vermont, New-Hampshire, and Connecticut, the law requires each town to provide, by taxa

tion, for the support of religious worship; but leaves it optional with every individual to choose his own sect. The general government has no power to interfere with and regulate the religion of the Union; and in general the states have not legislated farther than to incorporate, with certain restrictions, such religious bodies as have applied for charters. In consequence of this entire indifference on the part of the state governments, full one-third of the whole United States' population are destitute of all religious ordinances, and a much greater proportion in the southern and western districts.

Among the more regular attenders on divine worship all the different sects seem to co-exist in a calm, unruffled atmosphere. It is not very uncommon for the father, mother, and children of the same family, each to follow without opposition, their respective modes of worship. Hence, no leader of any religious persuasion can induce his followers to labour in aggrandizing that sect; as he might, under the same circumstances, induce a similar body in Europe to co-operate with him. The great diversity of religious opinion does not appear to produce any contradiction or discordance in other matters; whence, if there happens to arrive in the United States, an ambitious and bigoted sectary from Europe, eager to procure a triumph to his own particular tenets, by inflaming the passions of men; so far from finding, as in some other countries, multitudes disposed to enlist under his banners, and ready to second his violence, his very existence is scarcely perceived by his nearest neighbours:-His individual enthusiasm is neither attractive, nor interesting, nor contagious; he inspires neither love, nor hatred, nor curiosity; but is suffered to die away into nothing beneath the frozen pole of universal indifference.

The American clergy of all denominations are in general decorous in their exterior deportment, and faithful in the discharge of their pulpit and parochial duties; and notwithstanding so large a portion of the population is altogether without religious ordinances, yet of late, religion has been unquestionably gaining ground. That coldblooded compound of irreligion, irony, selfishness, and sarcasm, formerly so prevalent, is by no means common at present; which is a strong proof of the existence of a great mass of real piety in the country. Another convincing proof of the increase of religion, is the rapid spread of Sunday schools, and of missionary and Bible societies. Three years have not elapsed since their first institution in America, and they have already considerably.

diminished the ignorance, poverty, and vice of the larger cities. Many of the most respectable families, both ladies and gentlemen, gratuitously engage in the labour of teaching the Sunday scholars, black and white, old and young. Their exertions have caused the Sabbath to be respected by the poor, the idle, and the profligate; and have quickened the growth of piety, order, industry, and cleanliness, amidst the habitations of filth, indolence, confusion, and iniquity.

Nor have the people of the United States, in proportion to their number and means, fallen short of their Christian brethren in Europe in well-directed efforts to disseminate the sacred Scriptures. In almost every state of the Union, north, east, west, and south, and in many separate districts of some of the states, have Bible societies started up, under the direction of zeal and wisdom. The American Bible Society, a national institution, established so recently as in May, 1816, has already (August, 1818) above 150 auxiliary branches; besides which there are several independent associations for the distribution of Bibles and Common Prayer-books. The Missionary Societies are established for the purpose of converting the Indians, and also to supply with pious instruction the many thousands of their own people who are altogether destitute of religious ordinances. The labours of these societies have been singularly beneficial, and are daily and hourly augmenting in usefulness.

The morals, manners, and character of every country. are founded upon its religious and social institutions, which in the United States are framed in the fulness of individual liberty; leaving every one to think, speak, and act according to his own inclination and views, provided his conduct does not tend to injure his neighbours. Great mistakes may be committed by judging of the American character from what is to be seen in the seaports. The commercial cities of America are like those of other countries, and principle is often sacrificed at the shrine of commerce. To view the character of the American people fairly, we must go into the interior, and there the first remark will probably be, that the inhabitants have a high spirit of independence, and will brook no superiority. Every man is conscious of his own political importance, and will suffer none to treat him with disrespect: nor is this disposition confined to one rank; it pervades the whole, and is probably the best security for the liberties of the country. It has been sometimes remarked, that this disposition may encourage rudeness; but there is no truth

in this observation. As the people will bend to no superiority, so they really affect none; and it is certainly a stranger's own fault if he does not enjoy happiness among them.

It is very common for many selfish and short-sighted people in Britain to set up their own country as the model of all perfection, and to doubt the existence of equal advantages any where else; and to no country has this doubt been more extended than to the United States of America. It is really surprizing to see, that notwithstanding the great intercourse between the two countries, there should be so much ignorance, or rather misinformation, in Great Britain respecting America. Any unprejudiced observer must be obliged to acknowledge, that the American people possess a polish of manners, and speak a style of language, which must be the result of education, at least equal to what exists in Britain. And this does not appear to be confined to large towns, but to extend over the whole of the United States.

The habits and manners of the United States are considerably influenced by the eager appetite for the acquisition of wealth, which is necessarily the great absorbing passion of all new and thinly-settled countries;-and also by the perpetual proneness to mingle in the party-politics of the day, which is the natural consequence of popular and democratic institutions. Of course these pursuits prevail most in the large cities, because they afford the greatest facilities of commercial enterprize, and the busiest scene of political exertion. In America, as well as in England, politics is a very popular subject, and the question between the parties is not generally understood. It appears to have arisen about the time when the federal constitution was adopted; which having occasioned many animated debates, both public and private, those who supported it were called federalists, and those who opposed it anti-federalists: and though it has now received the sanction of the whole community, yet the party distinction still subsists under the names of federalists and democrats. Both parties, however, profess republicanism, and are styled federal republicans, and democratic republicans; but the political difference between them is entirely distimet from that existing between whig and tory in Britain; where the question is whether the power of government shall be vested in the people or in the crown.-In America it is whether it shall be confided to this or that set of men. The trading spirit is diffused all over the Union: farmers, mechanics, soldiers, seamen, lawyers, legislators,

physicians, nay, sometimes even the clergy indulge in mercantile speculations; even politics themselves give way to the universal desire of amassing money. The peculiar circumstances of the republic have conspired to foster thé growth of this commercial disposition. During twenty-five years, while war impoverished and wasted Europe, commerce enriched the United States with a rapidity, and to an extent unexampled in the history of nations. Since the peace of 1815, indeed, the diminution of their foreign trade, and the amazing number of insolvencies, ought to teach them to moderate their inordinate desire for wealth, and that extravagance of expenditure far surpassing the rate of living among the corresponding classes in Europe. The great body of the American people being of English origin, they resemble their parent country in a very striking degree; modified indeed by the diversities of government, soil, climate, and condition of society. Being, however, all under the influences of the same language, religion, laws, and policy, the several states which compose the Union present substantially the same character, with only a few shades of local variety. All the state governments are elective and popular, the full sovereignty residing in the people, who therefore feel a sense of personal importance and elevation unknown to the mass of population in any other country. To which add their general intelligence, abundance, enterprize, and spirit, and we see a people at least equal to those of any other nation in physical, intellectual, and moral capacity and power.

In the New England states, property is more equally divided than in any other civilized country. There are but few overgrown capitalists, and still fewer plunged into the depths of indigence. Those states are alike free from the insolence of wealth on one hand, and the servility of pauperism on the other. They exhibit a more perfect equality in means, morals, manners, and character than has ever elsewhere been found. With the exception of Rhode-Island, they all support religion by law; their numerous parish priests, all chosen by the people themselves, moderately paid, and in general well informed and pious, are continually employed on the sabbaths, and during the week days, in the instruction and amendment of their respective congregations: elementary schools are established in every township, and perhaps not a native of New-England is to be found who cannot read, write, and cast accounts. They live universally in villages or moderately-sized towns, and carry on their commercial, manufacturing, and agricultural operations by the voluntary

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