InfluenceOfMannersUponTheMaintenanceOfTheDemocraticRepublicInTheUnitedStatesIhavepreviouslyremarkedthatthemannersofthepeoplemaybeconsideredasoneofthegeneralcausestowhichthemaintenanceofademocraticrepublicintheUnitedStatesisattributable。Ihereusedthewordmannerswiththemeaningwhichtheancientsattachedtothewordmores，forIapplyitnotonlytomannersintheirpropersenseofwhatconstitutesthecharacterofsocialintercourse，butIextendittothevariousnotionsandopinionscurrentamongmen，andtothemassofthoseideaswhichconstitutetheircharacterofmind。Icomprise，therefore，underthistermthewholemoralandintellectualconditionofapeople。MyintentionisnottodrawapictureofAmericanmanners，butsimplytopointoutsuchfeaturesofthemasarefavorabletothemaintenanceofpoliticalinstitutions。
ReligionConsideredAsAPoliticalInstitution，WhichPowerfullyContributesToTheMaintenanceOfTheDemocraticRepublicAmongstTheAmericansNorthAmericapeopledbymenwhoprofessedademocraticandrepublicanChristianity—ArrivaloftheCatholics—ForwhatreasontheCatholicsformthemostdemocraticandthemostrepublicanclassatthepresenttime。
Everyreligionistobefoundinjuxtapositiontoapoliticalopinionwhichisconnectedwithitbyaffinity。Ifthehumanmindbelefttofollowitsownbent，itwillregulatethetemporalandspiritualinstitutionsofsocietyupononeuniformprinciple;andmanwillendeavor，ifImayusetheexpression，toharmonizethestateinwhichhelivesuponearthwiththestatewhichhebelievestoawaithiminheaven。ThegreatestpartofBritishAmericawaspeopledbymenwho，afterhavingshakenofftheauthorityofthePope，acknowledgednootherreligioussupremacy;theybroughtwiththemintotheNewWorldaformofChristianitywhichIcannotbetterdescribethanbystylingitademocraticandrepublicanreligion。Thissectcontributedpowerfullytotheestablishmentofademocracyandarepublic，andfromtheearliestsettlementoftheemigrantspoliticsandreligioncontractedanalliancewhichhasneverbeendissolved。
AboutfiftyyearsagoIrelandbegantopouraCatholicpopulationintotheUnitedStates;ontheotherhand，theCatholicsofAmericamadeproselytes，andatthepresentmomentmorethanamillionofChristiansprofessingthetruthsoftheChurchofRomearetobemetwithintheUnion。*dTheCatholicsarefaithfultotheobservancesoftheirreligion;theyareferventandzealousinthesupportandbeliefoftheirdoctrines。
NeverthelesstheyconstitutethemostrepublicanandthemostdemocraticclassofcitizenswhichexistsintheUnitedStates;