democracy in america-1-第102章

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　destroy　the　laws　which　form　the　basis　of　the　republic；　it　would　be　necessary　to　abolish　all　the　laws　at　once。　　At　the　present　day　it　would　be　even　more　difficult　for　a　party　to　succeed　in　founding　a　monarchy　in　the　United　States　than　for　a　set　of　men　to　proclaim　that　France　should　henceforward　be　a　republic。　　Royalty　would　not　find　a　system　of　legislation　prepared　for　it　beforehand；　and　a　monarchy　would　then　exist；　really　surrounded　by　republican　institutions。　　The　monarchical　principle　would　likewise　have　great　difficulty　in　penetrating　into　the　manners　of　the　Americans。　

In　the　United　States；　the　sovereignty　of　the　people　is　not　an　isolated　doctrine　bearing　no　relation　to　the　prevailing　manners　and　ideas　of　the　people：　it　may；　on　the　contrary；　be　regarded　as　the　last　link　of　a　chain　of　opinions　which　binds　the　whole　Anglo…　American　world。　　That　Providence　has　given　to　every　human　being　the　degree　of　reason　necessary　to　direct　himself　in　the　affairs　which　interest　him　exclusively　…　such　is　the　grand　maxim　upon　which　civil　and　political　society　rests　in　the　United　States。　　The　father　of　a　family　applies　it　to　his　children；　the　master　to　his　servants；　the　township　to　its　officers；　the　province　to　its　townships；　the　State　to　its　provinces；　the　Union　to　the　States；　and　when　extended　to　the　nation；　it　becomes　the　doctrine　of　the　sovereignty　of　the　people。　

Thus；　in　the　United　States；　the　fundamental　principle　of　the　republic　is　the　same　which　governs　the　greater　part　of　human　actions；　republican　notions　insinuate　themselves　into　all　the　ideas；　opinions；　and　habits　of　the　Americans；　whilst　they　are　formerly　recognized　by　the　legislation：　and　before　this　legislation　can　be　altered　the　whole　community　must　undergo　very　serious　changes。　　In　the　United　States；　even　the　religion　of　most　of　the　citizens　is　republican；　since　it　submits　the　truths　of　the　other　world　to　private　judgment：　as　in　politics　the　care　of　its　temporal　interests　is　abandoned　to　the　good　sense　of　the　people。　　Thus　every　man　is　allowed　freely　to　take　that　road　which　he　thinks　will　lead　him　to　heaven；　just　as　the　law　permits　every　citizen　to　have　the　right　of　choosing　his　government。

It　is　evident　that　nothing　but　a　long　series　of　events；　all　having　the　same　tendency；　can　substitute　for　this　combination　of　laws；　opinions；　and　manners；　a　mass　of　opposite　opinions；　manners；　and　laws。

If　republican　principles　are　to　perish　in　America；　they　can　only　yield　after　a　laborious　social　process；　often　interrupted；　and　as　often　resumed；　they　will　have　many　apparent　revivals；　and　will　not　become　totally　extinct　until　an　entirely　new　people　shall　have　succeeded　to　that　which　now　exists。　Now；　it　must　be　admitted　that　there　is　no　symptom　or　presage　of　the　approach　of　such　a　revolution。　　There　is　nothing　more　striking　to　a　person　newly　arrived　in　the　United　States；　than　the　kind　of　tumultuous　agitation　in　which　he　finds　political　society。　　The　laws　are　incessantly　changing；　and　at　first　sight　it　seems　impossible　that　a　people　so　variable　in　its　desires　should　avoid　adopting；　within　a　short　space　of　time；　a　completely　new　form　of　government。　　Such　apprehensions　are；　however；　premature；　the　instability　which　affects　political　institutions　is　of　two　kinds；　which　ought　not　to　be　confounded：　the　first；　which　modifies　secondary　laws；　is　not　incompatible　with　a　very　settled　state　of　society；　the　other　shakes　the　very　foundations　of　the　Constitution；　and　attacks　the　fundamental　principles　of　legislation；　this　species　of　instability　is　always　followed　by　troubles　and　revolutions；　and　the　nation　which　suffers　under　it　is　in　a　state　of　violent　transition。

Experience　shows　that　these　two　kinds　of　legislative　instability　have　no　necessary　connection；　for　they　have　been　found　united　or　separate；　according　to　times　and　circumstances。　　The　first　is　common　in　the　United　States；　but　not　the　second：　the　Americans　often　change　their　laws；　but　the　foundation　of　the　Constitution　is　respected。

In　our　days　the　republican　principle　rules　in　America；　as　the　monarchical　principle　did　in　France　under　Louis　XIV。　　The　French　of　that　period　were　not　only　friends　of　the　monarchy；　but　they　thought　it　impossible　to　put　anything　in　its　place；　they　received　it　as　we　receive　the　rays　of　the　sun　and　the　return　of　the　seasons。　　Amongst　them　the　royal　power　had　neither　advocates　nor　opponents。　　In　like　manner　does　the　republican　government　exist　in　America；　without　contention　or　opposition；　without　proofs　and　arguments；　by　a　tacit　agreement；　a　sort　of　consensus　universalis。　　It　is；　however；　my　opinion　that　by　changing　their　administrative　forms　as　often　as　they　do；　the　inhabitants　of　the　United　States　compromise　the　future　stability　of　their　government。

It　may　be　apprehended　that　men；　perpetually　thwarted　in　their　designs　by　the　mutability　of　the　legislation；　will　learn　to　look　upon　republican　institutions　as　an　inconvenient　form　of　society；　the　evil　resulting　from　the　instability　of　the　secondary　enactments　might　then　raise　a　doubt　as　to　the　nature　of　the　fundamental　principles　of　the　Constitution；　and　indirectly　bring　about　a　revolution；　but　this　epoch　is　still　very　remote。

It　may；　however；　be　foreseen　even　now；　that　when　the　Americans　lose　their　republican　institutions　they　will　speedily　arrive　at　a　despotic　government；　without　a　long　interval　of　limited　monarchy。　　Montesquieu　remarked；　that　nothing　is　more　absolute　than　the　authority　of　a　prince　who　immediately　succeeds　a　republic；　since　the　powers　which　had　fearlessly　been　intrusted　to　an　elected　magistrate　are　then　transferred　to　a　hereditary　sovereign。　　This　is　true　in　general；　but　it　is　more　peculiarly　applicable　to　a　democratic　republic。　　In　the　United　States；　the　magistrates　are　not　elected　by　a　particular　class　of　citizens；　but　by　the　majority　of　the　nation；　they　are　the　immediate　representatives　of　the　passions　of　the　multitude；　and　as　they　are　wholly　dependent　upon　its　pleasure；　they　excite　neither　hatred　nor　fear：　hence；　as　I　have　already　shown；　very　little　care　has　been　taken　to　limit　their　influence；　and　they　are　left　in　possession　of　a　vast　deal　of　arbitrary　power。　This　state　of　things　has　engendered　habits　which　would　outlive　itself；　the　American　magistrate　would　retain　his　power；　but　he　would　cease　to　be　responsible　for　the　exercise　of　it；　and　it　is　impossible　to　say　what　bounds　could　then　be　set　to　tyranny。

Some　of　our　European　politicians　expect　to　see　an　aristocracy　arise　in　America；　and　they　already　predict　the　exact　period　at　which　it　will　be　able　to　assume　the　reins　of　government。　　I　have　previously　observed；　and　I　repeat　my　assertion；　that　the　present　tendency　of　American　society　appears　to　me　to　become　more　and　more　democratic。　　Nevertheless；　I　do　not　assert　that　the　Americans　will　not；　at　some　future　time；　restrict　the　circle　of　political　rights　in　their　country；　or　confiscate　those　rights　to　the　advantage　of　a　single　individual；　but　I　cannot　imagine　that　they　will　ever　bestow　the　exclusive　exercise　of　them　upon　a　privileged　class　of　citizens；　or；　in　other　words；　that　they　will　ever　found　an　aristocracy。　

An　aristocratic　body　is　composed　of　a　certain　number　of　citizens　who；　without　being　very　far　removed　from　the　mass　of　the　people；　are；　nevertheless；　permanently　stationed　above　it：　a　body　which　it　is　easy　to　touch　and　difficult　to　strike；　with　which　the　people　are　in　daily　contact；　but　with　which　they　can　never　combine。　　Nothing　can　be　imagined　more　contrary　to　nature　and　to　the　secret　propensities　of　the　human　heart　than　a　subjection　of　this　kind；　and　men　who　are　left　to　follow　their　own　bent　will　always　prefer　the　arbitrary　power　of　a　king　to　the　regular　administration　of　an　aristocracy。　　Aristocratic　institutions　cannot　subsist　without　laying　down　the　inequality　of　men　as　a　fundamental　principle；　as　a　part　and　parcel　of　the　legislation；　affecting　the　condition　of　the　human　family　as　much　as　it　affects　that　of　society；　but　these　are　things　so　repugnant　to　natural　equity　that　they　can　only　be　extorted　from　men　by　constraint。

I　do　not　think　a　single　people　can　be　quoted；　since　human　society　began　to　exist；　which　has；　by　its　own　free　will　and　by　its　own　exertions；　created　an　aristocracy　within　its　own　bosom。　　All　the　aristocracies　of　the　Middle　Ages　were　founded　by　military　conquest；　the　conqueror　was　the　noble；　the　vanquished　became　the　serf。　　Inequality　was　then　imposed　by　force；　and　after　it　had　been　introduced　into　the　maners　of　the　country　it　maintained　its　own　authority；　and　was　sanctioned　by　the　legislation。　　Communities　have　existed　which　were　aristocratic　from　their　earliest　origin；　owing　to　circumstances　anterior　to　that　event；　and　which　became　more　democratic　in　each　succeeding　age。　　Such　was　the　destiny　of　the　Romans；　and　of　the　barbarians　after　them。　But　a　people；　having　taken　its　rise　in　civilization　and　democracy；　which　should　gradually　establish　an　inequality　of　conditions；　until　it　arrived　at　inviolable　privileges　and　exclusive　castes；　would　be　a　novelty　in　the　world；　and　nothing　intimates　that　America　is　likely　to　furnish　so　singular　an　example。

Reflection　On　The　Causes　Of　The　Commercial　Prosperity　Of　The　Of　The　United　States

The　Americans　destined　by　Nature　to　be　a　great　maritime　people　…　Extent　of　their　coasts　…　Depth　of　their　ports　…　Size　of　their　rivers　…　The　commercial　superiority　of　the　Anglo…Americans　less　attributable；　however；　to　physical　circumstances　than　to　moral　and　intellectual　causes　…　Reason　of　this　opinion　…Future　destiny　of　the　Anglo…Americans　as　a　commercial　nation　…　The　dissolution　of　the　Union　would　not　check　the　maritime　vigor　of　the　States　…　Reason　of　this　…　Anglo…Americans　will　naturally　supply　the　wants　of　the　inhabitants　of　South　America　…　They　will　become；　like　the　English；　the　factors　of　a　great　portion　of　the　world。

The　coast　of　the　United　States；　from　the　Bay　of　Fundy　to　the　Sabine　River　in　the　Gulf　of　Mexico；　is　more　than　two　thousand　miles　in　extent。　These　shores　form　an　unbroken　line；　and　they　are　all　subject　to　the　same　government。　　No　nation　in　the　world　possesses　vaster；　deeper；　or　more　secure　ports　for　shipping　than　the　Americans。

The　inhabitants　of　the　United　States　constitute　a　great　civilized　people；　which　fortune　has　placed　in　the　midst　of　an　uncultivated　country　at　a　distance　of　three　thousand　miles　from　the　central　point　of　civilization。　America　consequently　stands　in　daily　need　of　European　trade。　　The　Americans　will；　no　doubt；　ultimately　succeed　in　producing　or　manufacturing　at　home　most　of　the　articles　which　they　require；　but　the　two　continents　can　never　be　independent　of　each　other；　so　numerous　are　the　natural　ties　which　exist　between　their　wants；　their　ideas；　their　habits；　and　their　manners。　

The　Union　produces　peculiar　commodities　which　are　now　become　necessary　to　us；　but　which　cannot　be　cultivated；　or　can　only　be　raised　at　an　enormous　expense；　upon　the　soil　of　Europe。　　The　Americans　only　consume　a　small　portion　of　this　produce；　and　they　are　willing　to　sell　us　the　rest。　　Europe　is　therefore　the　market　of　America；　as　America　is　the　market　of　Europe；　and　maritime　commerce　is　no　less　necessary　to　enable　the　inhabitants　of　the　United　States　to　transport　their　raw　materials　to　the　ports　of　Europe；　than　it　is　to　enable　us　to　supply　them　with　our　manufactured　p