238        THE  PRESENT CRISIS  WILL  REGENERATE
through external diversities, we have seen that fun-
damental conformity is real, and all earnest appeal
to Christian truths agitates this country, so divided
in appearance, from one end to the other. National
life is here a reality. I do not think that Socialism,
which excuses us from believing ourselves, which
places our soul under responsible administration,
and preserves us, it is said, from the baleful dis-
ruptions engendered by individualism, succeeds as
well in destroying selfishness and in diffusing ideas
of devotion and duty. When democracy becomes
socialistic, (and it never has been able to become so
in the United States,) it grinds down and reduces
souls to such a degree that nothing is left but a fine
dust, a sort of intellectual and moral powder which,
it is true, is an obstacle to nothing, but which
creates nothing either. To build an edifice, stones
are needed, sand will not suffice.
Christian individualism makes the stones, and
the democratic party has just perceived it. In a
country where independence of soul has acclimated
independence in all its forms, men may indeed bow
the head sometimes to democracy allied to slavery ;
but this debasement has a limit, and the time is
coming when they will raise their heads. Strong
beliefs are a strong rampart, the slaves of truth are