第 2 节
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公主站记 更新:2021-04-30 17:05 字数:9320
surviving secession but in counting a State that has seceded as still a State in the Union; with the right to be counted as one of the United States in amending the Constitution。 Such State goes out of the Union; but comes under it。
I have endeavored throughout to refer my particular political views; to their general principles; and to show that the general principles asserted have their origin and ground in the great; universal; and unchanging principles of the universe itself。 Hence; I have labored to show the scientific relations of political to theological principles; the xiii。 real principles of all science; as of all reality。 An atheist; I have said; may be a politician; but if there were no God; there could be no politics。 This may offend the sciolists of the age; but I must follow science where it leads; and cannot be arrested by those who mistake their darkness for light。
I write throughout as a Christian; because I am a Christian; as a Catholic; because all Christian principles; nay; all real principles are catholic; and there is nothing sectarian either in nature or revelation。 I am a Catholic by God's grace and great goodness; and must write as I am。 I could not write otherwise if I would; and would not if I could。 I have not obtruded my religion; and have referred to it only where my argument demanded it; but I have had neither the weakness nor the bad taste to seek to conceal or disguise it。 I could never have written my book without the knowledge I have; as a Catholic; of Catholic theology; and my acquaintance; slight as it is; with the great fathers and doctors of the church; the great masters of all that is solid or permanent in modern thought; either with Catholics or non…Catholics。
Moreover; though I write for all Americans; without distinction of sect or party; I have had more especially in view the people of my own xiv religious communion。 It is no discredit to a man in the United States at the present day to be a firm; sincere; and devout Catholic。 The old sectarian prejudice may remain with a few; 〃whose eyes;〃 as Emerson says; 〃are in their hind…head; not in their fore…head;〃 but the American people are not at heart sectarian; and the nothingarianism so prevalent among them only marks their state of transition from sectarian opinions to positive Catholic faith。 At any rate; it can no longer be denied that Catholics are an integral; living; and growing element in the American population; quite too numerous; too wealthy; and too influential to be ignored。 They have played too conspicuous a part in the late troubles of the country; and poured out too freely and too much of their richest and noblest blood in defence of the unity of the nation and the integrity of its domain; for that。 Catholics henceforth must be treated as standing; in all respects; on a footing of equality with any other class of American citizens; and their views of political science; or of any other science; be counted of equal importance; and listened to with equal attention。
I have no fears that my book will be neglected because avowedly by a Catholic author; and from a Catholic publishing house。 They xv who are not Catholics will read it; and it will enter into the current of American literature; if it is one they must read in order to be up with the living and growing thought of the age。 If it is not a book of that sort; it is not worth reading by any one。
Furthermore; I am ambitious; even in my old age; and I wish to exert an influence on the future of my country; for which I have made; or; rather; my family have made; some sacrifices; and which I tenderly love。 Now; I believe that he who can exert the most influence on our Catholic population; especially in giving tone and direction to our Catholic youth; will exert the most influence in forming the character and shaping the future destiny of the American Republic。 Ambition and patriotism alike; as well as my own Catholic faith and sympathies; induce me to address myself primarily to Catholics。 I quarrel with none of the sects; I honor virtue wherever I see it; and accept truth wherever I find it; but; in my belief; no sect is destined to a long life; or a permanent possession。 I engage in no controversy with any one not of my religion; for; if the positive; affirmative truth is brought out and placed in a clear light before the public; whatever is sectarian in any of the sects will disappear as the morning mists before the rising sun。
xvi I expect the most intelligent and satisfactory appreciation of my book from the thinking and educated classes among Catholics; but I speak to my countrymen at large。 I could not personally serve my country in the field: my habits as well as my infirmities prevented; to say nothing of my age; but I have endeavored in this humble work to add my contribution; small though it may be; to political science; and to discharge; as far as I am able; my debt of loyalty and patriotism。 I would the book were more of a book; more worthy of my countrymen; and a more weighty proof of the love I beat them; and with which I have written it。 All I can say is; that it is an honest book; a sincere book; and contains my best thoughts on the subjects treated。 If well received; I shall be grateful; if neglected; I shall endeavor to practise resignation; as I have so often done。
O。 A。 BROWNSON。
ELIZABETH; N。 J。; September 16; 1865。
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
The ancients summed up the whole of human wisdom in the maxim; Know Thyself; and certainly there is for an individual no more important as there is no more difficult knowledge; than knowledge of himself; whence he comes; whither he goes; what he is; what he is for; what he can do; what he ought to do; and what are his means of doing it。
Nations are only individuals on a larger scale。 They have a life; an individuality; a reason; a conscience; and instincts of their own; and have the same general laws of development and growth; and; perhaps; of decay; as the individual man。 Equally important; and no less difficult than for the individual; is it for a nation to know itself; understand its own existence; its own powers and faculties; rights and duties; constitution; instincts; tendencies; and 2 destiny。 A nation has a spiritual as well as a material; a moral as well as a physical existence; and is subjected to internal as well as external conditions of health and virtue; greatness and grandeur; which it must in some measure understand and observe; or become weak and infirm; stunted in its growth; and end in premature decay and death。
Among nations; no one has more need of full knowledge of itself than the United States; and no one has hitherto had less。 It has hardly had a distinct consciousness of its own national existence; and has lived the irreflective life of the child; with no severe trial; till the recent rebellion; to throw it back on itself and compel it to reflect on its own constitution; its own separate existence; individuality; tendencies; and end。 The defection of the slaveholding States; and the fearful struggle that has followed for national unity and integrity; have brought it at once to a distinct recognition of itself; and forced it to pass from thoughtless; careless; heedless; reckless adolescence to grave and reflecting manhood。 The nation has been suddenly compelled to study itself; and henceforth must act from reflection; understanding; science; statesmanship; not from instinct; impulse; passion; or caprice; knowing well what 3 it does; and wherefore it does it。 The change which four years of civil war have wrought in the nation is great; and is sure to give it the seriousness; the gravity; the dignity; the manliness it has heretofore lacked。
Though the nation has been brought to a consciousness of its own existence; it has not; even yet; attained to a full and clear understanding of its own national constitution。 Its vision is still obscured by the floating mists of its earlier morning; and its judgment rendered indistinct and indecisive by the wild theories and fancies of its childhood。 The national mind has been quickened; the national heart has been opened; the national disposition prepared; but there remains the important work of dissipating the mists that still linger; of brushing away these wild theories and fancies; and of enabling it to form a clear and intelligent judgment of itself; and a true and just appreciation of its own constitution tendencies;and destiny; or; in other words; of enabling the nation to understand its own idea; and the means of its actualization in space and time。
Every living nation has an idea given it by Providence to realize; and whose realization is its special work; mission; or destiny。 Every nation is; in some sense; a chosen people of 4 God。 The Jews were the chosen people of God; through whom the primitive traditions were to be preserved in their purity and