If you doubt the decisive part which the Gospel fills in American
debates, look at the pains taken by parties to render public homage to
it, the Democrats as the Republicans, Mr. Buchanan as Mr. Lincoln. Then
look more closely at the Republican party, do you not find in it again
the visible traces of Puritanism? It is the ancient States, it is old
America, it is also the Young America of the farmers, of the pioneers of
the Western solitudes, the America of the clearers of the forests, the
America of the Bible and the schools. This America long since abolished
slavery, and prevented its introduction into the territories that
acknowledged its influence. In the meanest of its cabins, you will find
the Scriptures, hymn books, reports of religious societies; in the
majority of its families, domestic worship is celebrated; in its
prayer-meetings, it is not rare to see physicians, lawyers, magistrates,
marine officers, taking part publicly; its statesmen do not think
themselves dishonored by keeping a Sunday-school; the Gospel, in a word,
is a power to which no other can compare, and outside of which it would
be puerile to expect to succeed in accomplishing any thing of
importance.

Here the action of the Gospel can be plainly detected; an important
religious event preceded and paved the way for the political event which
we have witnessed: before the election of Mr. Lincoln, an awakening took
place. The American awakening, which must not be confounded with those
_revivals_, the description and sometimes the caricature of which have
been transmitted us by travellers, the awakening, which had neither
ecstasies nor convulsive sobs, and the distinctive feature of which was
a tone of simplicity and conviction, produced one of those profound
agitations of the conscience, which give rise to generous resolutions.
The financial crisis had just overthrown the fortunes of the people;