ASTRONOMY IN AMERICA. 
363 
due to the fact that having first proved the justice of my views, 
I had not been afraid to maintain them publicly against the 
powers that were until the proper course was adopted. 
One other point remains to be noticed — the influence, namely, 
of religious scruples upon scientific progress and research in 
America. Here I must admit that I was somewhat disappointed. 
I expected to find America a long way in advance of England. 
But with some noteworthy exceptions, especially in the west, 
America seems to me to be behind England in this respect. It 
is only here and there in England — in the Boeotian corners, so 
to speak, of this country — that the community opposes itself 
to advanced scientific ideas to the same extent as in some of 
the leading cities of the United States. This is partly due to 
two opposite influences — the Puritan element of the American 
population on the one hand, and the Roman Catholic element 
on the other. Progress, however, is being steadily made in this 
as in other matters. Indeed, it has been rather because America 
began later to bestir itself in the encouragement of free search 
after truth, that she is at present behind England in this respect. 
Judging from experience in other matters, she will move rapidly 
now her progress has begun, and will soon occupy the position 
to be expected from the natural freedom and independence of 
the American mind. It need hardly be said, that in America as 
in Europe, such contest as arises from time to time between 
religion and science has its origin entirely from the side of 
religion. There, as here, religion (so-called) attacks and de- 
nounces discoveries inconsistent with the views which the ortho- 
dox had been accustomed to advocate ; and there, as here, when 
there is no longer any choice, the orthodox quietly accept these 
discoveries as established facts, expressing a naive astonishment 
that they should ever have been thought in the least degree in- 
consistent with received opinions. 
