CHAPTER XI.

PROPENSITIES.

Blood-Birth-United States-Foreigners-Religion - Pagans -Christians-The sober and frantic-But few honest-Bear the whole load of society-The rest complain-Lazy-Rude-Cheat-Corporations-Hypocrisy Church-Revolutions-Illuminations-Office-Taverns-Gaming-Fire companies-Lynching-Mobs-Riots-Hatred-Extract-Legislative votes-Banks-Bankrupts-Orders-Labor-Extracts-Debt

ors-Cheating-Forgery--Fraud-Embezzlement-Judges--Office hunters-Property--Character-Rabble-True distinctions-St. Augustine's church-Depravity-Motives-Changes.

IT has already been stated that education will not change or purify the natural depravities of the human heart, and that 3 they are inherent and radical, and secretly constitute the permanent and invincible propensities of our nature.

No evidence has been so conclusive of these facts as the total failure of the extraordinary facilities and encouragement furnished by the United States for the moral and mental improvement of the millions of emigrants to this country. Fortunately for Europe, and unfortunately for us, they are of the worst class. This is acknowledged by all respectable foreigners. Their offspring, whatever may have been their opportunities for improvement, constantly betray the bad blood and degraded breed of their ancestors.

When these inherent elements of human nature are irritated or provoked, they dart out like an adder, in defiance of all the cautions and constraints of education, which will no more restrain or destroy them than a mountain piled upon a diamond will extinguish its inherent powers of brightness. A strong evidence of these general facts, and also of the truth of religion, is, that religion or conscience is a primary and overruling impulse; that it is most quick and lively with the wicked: and that it involuntarily starts up with, and rebukes all sinful emotions of the heart. It is the natural impulse of sin confronted by the pricks

of conscience. This conflict is, of course, more frequent and pungent with the bad than the good.

Hence so much hypocrisy and so many agonies in times of peril, and at death by the wicked.

Every human being acknowledges some sort of religion, some Supreme Cause, and, however hardened, secretly dreads the horrors of hereafter. The pagans make fervent devotions; infidels believe in an overruling spirit; and atheists acknowledge a Divine essence.

They all crouch before the inward and secret rebukes of the conscience. It may be baffled and defied, but it cannot be extinguished.

The forms and outward professions employed by men to demonstrate the sincerity of their faith and worship, are as various as their natures, and range from the silent spirit meditation of the Quaker, up to the furious ranting of the fanatic. Perhaps a quiet and solemn communion with the soul is a stronger proof of true religion than vanity, ostentation, or penance, and castigation or boisterous vociferations of praise and worship.

RELIGION.

"If religion were a thing altogether external, then all the appliances and means of operation which are set in motion would be of some avail. If it consisted wholly in going to meeting, in preaching or praying, or any sort of excitement, commonly so called, why then it would be well to multiply services without number. But I fear that the tendency of such things is, in general, to abstract the attention of mankind from its essential character, its vital principles and habits, and fix it on a substitute, which is comparatively of little value.

"After not a short experience, I am strongly convinced that all extraordinary means of promoting religion, vulgarly called, are useless; that the tendency of extraordinary professions is to make men hypocrites: and, that anything external, beyond the regular observance of the Lord's Day and the services, and punctual support of religious instruction and worship, is of doubtful expediency."-(REV. HENRY COLMAN's European Life and Manners, vol. i., pages 150 and 151.)

Yet, all pretensions and professions of religion should be treated with respect, and never made an object of derision. They evidence at least an effort to do right; and while persons

are thus occupied, pure and conservative inspirations are more likely to be produced than when engaged in open sin.

These mental exercises are often entertained too by persons who are imbued with a solemn sense of religious fervor, and who are grievously disturbed by some besetting sin, against the power of which in this way they wrestle, and struggle, and help to make resistance, and in which efforts they find most sympathy and comfort, amidst the active and refreshing excitements of public worship. A proper medium upon this subject should therefore be maintained.

It too often happens that such persons have not accorded to them sufficient credit for their good intentions; and, indeed, the world, by way of excuse for its aversion to sacred things, is prone to entertain feelings and language of uncharitableness towards everything which concerns religion.

Great allowances are to be made too for differences of opinion; temperament, education, associations, and habits. And if, in the main, there is evidence of an inclination to lead a religious life, there can be no excuse for withholding a cordial and true respect for it.

There is true religion. in heaven. We should defy Heaven.

There are saints on earth as well as beware how we insult them, lest we fare how we insul beena.

Religion should be largely and generously encouraged. There is so much wickedness, and the evil which comes from it so extensive, that the bare appearance of good is refreshing and delightful; and, perhaps, the time may come when we shall learn, to our great sorrow and bitter anguish, that the derision of religion and its followers, by reason of their nonconformity to our notions of good taste and sincerity, is blasphemy; much more should we be careful not to incur the terrible denunciation which has recorded in letters of wrath that, "The fool hoth said in his heart, there is no God." If it was not for the righteous, the fate of Sodom might again fall upon the earth.×

The honest portions of society sustain a heavy task, and are exposed to perpetual alarm and peril.

Their numbers in proportion to the whole are few; and the entire fabric of support and order rests on them.

It is their productive labor that maintains, and their example and authority that restrain, the whole mass.

They find subsistence for the millions of helpless and wicked who contribute nothing by mind or means for the public weal,

Trunk undoastedly

but, on the contrary, embarrass and disturb society by treachery and fraud.

They profess the virtues, and practice all the vices of man. They contribute nothing to the common stock; and constantly derange and disturb the public peace.

Every man, who enjoys the advantage of a comfortable home, a good character, and the means of independence, becomes an object of envy, jealousy, and hatred, by those who are lazy and to wicked, and whose predominating purpose is to bring everything down to their own level.

These are the rank and dangerous aristocrats of the United States; they are the men who have no respect for the feelings, the characters, or the rights of others.

They insult virtue, deride talents and learning.

They get up plots for frauds and gambling, in lotteries, corporations, monopolies, politics, and elections; they make the riots and fires, and fill the prisons.

Their predominating spirit is for evil, and the natural inclination of man's passions incites, and the example of the world encourages to wickedness.

IT IS CALLED HUMAN DEPRAVITY.

Some are inherent and irreclaimably depraved, restrained by nothing but interest and cowardice; some have glimmerings of moral light, but never obtain settled views of propriety; some are not favored with virtuous resolutions till they are too old for the temptations of sin, and still fewer are upon principle and choice independently pure.

It requires self-government and firmness in virtue, a large share of mental vigor and divine assistance, seldom, if ever, attained under the age of fifty years, for rigid honesty.

The propensities also involve inclination for rudeness and severity of deportment, a sort of haughty insolence of manner and speech where there is no interest to consult; and a readiness to cringe and fawn if any advantage is to be gained by it.

The instances are very rare of men or women whose discrimination and charity, self-esteem and judgment, are sufficiently strong to maintain a steady course of complaisant and dignified. deportment towards every one they meet.

This is a perfection of character which exclusively belongs to strength of intellect and lofty independence; it cannot be imitated; it has no condescension or familiarity; it is mild, firm, elevated, and benevolent, and more strongly foreshadows

the undefinable image of the Almighty in man than any other attribute of the human character.

There is too little kindness in the natural impulses of grownup men; they are apt to be envious, jealous, suspicious, sly, and selfish; always very much pleased with themselves, but not kind or obliging to each other; they are haughty and dogmatical to their cotemporaries and equals; love to talk incessantly of themselves; boasting, contradicting, blustering, abusing, and fighting; their compacts and associations are generally formed to maintain and carry out these propensities; hence they form fishing, boating, free and easy clubs, and fire companies; meet each other at billiard and gaming rooms, under the pretext of sociable and harmless intercourse, but really to obtain encouragement for the indulgence of their brutal propensities; and from the force of associations, to swell the power of conflict in party strife, or to obtain encouragement and countenance for coarse, obscene, and profane conversation, drunkenness, and gluttony.

They prefer to spend their time amidst the spit and smoke, the disgusting, degrading, and promiscuous gatherings at barrooms, oyster-cellars, and other rum-holes; about fire-plugs, engine-houses, and brothels; leaving at home anxious fathers, pious mothers, sisters, wives, and innocent children; and return to them debauched, polluted, and debased; obliging their friends and families to suffer these coarse and unmitigated wrongs in mournful silence.

The rush made into the degrading employment of dram-selling can only be accounted for in a preference for noise, filth, bad company, and gambling, certainly not for idleness and want of larger capital, for many other occupations suit even laziness and short means.

There is no more rent, capital, or labor required for an apothecary, tin, crockery, tailor, hat or shoe shop, and numerous other similar in-door and light employments, than for a groggery. In all these there are peace, order, and respectability, with a chance to improve and rise, if there is a wish for it; with the other there are noise, filth, brutality, and open or secret gambling. No grog-seller ever obtained the respect of virtuous persons.

Their constant employment and associations are with drunkards. There is no room or opportunities afforded for mental and moral improvement; no such man or his family can ever rise, however civil and harmless. There is a dead weight upon them.

Whenever, therefore, a man is seen in this business, or any low employment as a matter of choice, he should be marked as