Volume Three—Chapter Eight.
Remarks—Societies and Associations.
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.
| Dolls Cts. | |
| American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions | 155,002 24 |
| American Baptist Board of Foreign Missions | 63,000 00 |
| Western Foreign Mission Society | |
| at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 16,296 46 |
| Methodist Episcopal Missionary Society | 35,700 15 |
| Protestant Episcopal Foreign | |
| and Domestic Missionary Society | 26,007 97 |
| American Home Missionary Society | 78,911 24 |
| Baptist Home Missionary Society | 11,448 28 |
| Board of Missions of the | |
| Reformed Dutch Church (Domestic) | 5,572 97 |
| Board of Missions of the General Assembly of the | |
| Presbyterian Church (Domestic) estimated | 40,000 00 |
| American Education Society | 57,122 20 |
| Board of Education of the General Assembly of the | |
| Presbyterian churches | 38,000 00 |
| Northern Baptist Education Society | 4,681 11 |
| Board of Education of the Reformed Dutch Church | 1,270 20 |
| American Bible Society | 88,600 82 |
| American Sunday School Union | 136,855 58 |
| General Protestant Episcopal Sunday School Union | 6,641 00 |
| Baptist General Tract Society | 6,126 97 |
| American Tract Society | 66,485 83 |
| American Colonisation Society | 48,939 17 |
| Prison Discipline Society | 2,364 00 |
| American Seamen's Friend Society | 16,064 00 |
| American Temperance Society | 5,871 12 |
| 8,910,961 31 |
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:—