of our settled intention, though suggested by statesmanship, only represents the reality. In a word, our career of conquest and power has not been inspired, in any direct sense, by Christianity, the principles of which rather point, if anything, another way.
If we look at home, the reason for this absence of religious motive in our national action is apparent. We have been far too much torn within by divergent conceptions of our religion ever to have been animated by the enthusiasm of a national propaganda. With us the Reformers assailed the Canonists, the Sects assailed the Reformers, and the Congregationalists assailed the Sects in turn; then the Deists of the eighteenth century devoured the Sectaries, and finally, Agnosticism devoured the Deists. What a Niagara of warring opinions! What an apocalyptic fall from the Fathers to the philosophers! The sign in which some have conquered became with us rather a sign of intestinal discord and even civil strife.
Thus religion has not created in our case, as in the case of some other peoples, an intense inner union, a fiery coherence, issuing in an unquenchable animosity against others, lighting a fierce blaze in the precincts of other commonwealths, and often finding vent in war. We have erred, no doubt, if this has been due to our coldness and indifference; we have done well, if this has been due to a reluctance to light autos-da-fé for our enemies, or to become the inquisitors of mankind.
