democracy in america-1-第15章

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this　moment；　after　a　lapse　of　a　little　more　than　sixty　years；　the　aspect　of　society　is　totally　altered；　the　families　of　the　great　landed　proprietors　are　almost　all　commingled　with　the　general　mass。　In　the　State　of　New　York；　which　formerly　contained　many　of　these；　there　are　but　two　who　still　keep　their　heads　above　the　stream；　and　they　must　shortly　disappear。　　The　sons　of　these　opulent　citizens　are　become　merchants；　lawyers；　or　physicians。　　Most　of　them　have　lapsed　into　obscurity。　　The　last　trace　of　hereditary　ranks　and　distinctions　is　destroyed　…　the　law　of　partition　has　reduced　all　to　one　level。　＇Footnote　d：　See　Appendix；　G。＇

I　do　not　mean　that　there　is　any　deficiency　of　wealthy　individuals　in　the　United　States；　I　know　of　no　country；　indeed；　where　the　love　of　money　has　taken　stronger　hold　on　the　affections　of　men；　and　where　the　profounder　contempt　is　expressed　for　the　theory　of　the　permanent　equality　of　property。　But　wealth　circulates　with　inconceivable　rapidity；　and　experience　shows　that　it　is　rare　to　find　two　succeeding　generations　in　the　full　enjoyment　of　it。　

This　picture；　which　may　perhaps　be　thought　to　be　overcharged；　still　gives　a　very　imperfect　idea　of　what　is　taking　place　in　the　new　States　of　the　West　and　South…west。　　At　the　end　of　the　last　century　a　few　bold　adventurers　began　to　penetrate　into　the　valleys　of　the　Mississippi；　and　the　mass　of　the　population　very　soon　began　to　move　in　that　direction：　communities　unheard　of　till　then　were　seen　to　emerge　from　the　wilds：　States　whose　names　were　not　in　existence　a　few　years　before　claimed　their　place　in　the　American　Union；　and　in　the　Western　settlements　we　may　behold　democracy　arrived　at　its　utmost　extreme。　In　these　States；　founded　off…hand；　and；　as　it　were；　by　chance；　the　inhabitants　are　but　of　yesterday。　　Scarcely　known　to　one　another；　the　nearest　neighbors　are　ignorant　of　each　other's　history。　　In　this　part　of　the　American　continent；　therefore；　the　population　has　not　experienced　the　influence　of　great　names　and　great　wealth；　nor　even　that　of　the　natural　aristocracy　of　knowledge　and　virtue。　　None　are　there　to　wield　that　respectable　power　which　men　willingly　grant　to　the　remembrance　of　a　life　spent　in　doing　good　before　their　eyes。　　The　new　States　of　the　West　are　already　inhabited；　but　society　has　no　existence　among　them。　*e

＇Footnote　e：　This　may　have　been　true　in　1832；　but　is　not　so　in　1874；　when　great　cities　like　Chicago　and　San　Francisco　have　sprung　up　in　the　Western　States。　　But　as　yet　the　Western　States　exert　no　powerful　influence　on　American　society。　　…　Translator's　Note。＇　

It　is　not　only　the　fortunes　of　men　which　are　equal　in　America；　even　their　requirements　partake　in　some　degree　of　the　same　uniformity。　　I　do　not　believe　that　there　is　a　country　in　the　world　where；　in　proportion　to　the　population；　there　are　so　few　uninstructed　and　at　the　same　time　so　few　learned　individuals。　Primary　instruction　is　within　the　reach　of　everybody；　superior　instruction　is　scarcely　to　be　obtained　by　any。　　This　is　not　surprising；　it　is　in　fact　the　necessary　consequence　of　what　we　have　advanced　above。　　Almost　all　the　Americans　are　in　easy　circumstances；　and　can　therefore　obtain　the　first　elements　of　human　knowledge。

In　America　there　are　comparatively　few　who　are　rich　enough　to　live　without　a　profession。　　Every　profession　requires　an　apprenticeship；　which　limits　the　time　of　instruction　to　the　early　years　of　life。　　At　fifteen　they　enter　upon　their　calling；　and　thus　their　education　ends　at　the　age　when　ours　begins。　　Whatever　is　done　afterwards　is　with　a　view　to　some　special　and　lucrative　object；　a　science　is　taken　up　as　a　matter　of　business；　and　the　only　branch　of　it　which　is　attended　to　is　such　as　admits　of　an　immediate　practical　application。　　In　America　most　of　the　rich　men　were　formerly　poor；　most　of　those　who　now　enjoy　leisure　were　absorbed　in　business　during　their　youth；　the　consequence　of　which　is；　that　when　they　might　have　had　a　taste　for　study　they　had　no　time　for　it；　and　when　time　is　at　their　disposal　they　have　no　longer　the　inclination。　

There　is　no　class；　then；　in　America；　in　which　the　taste　for　intellectual　pleasures　is　transmitted　with　hereditary　fortune　and　leisure；　and　by　which　the　labors　of　the　intellect　are　held　in　honor。　　Accordingly　there　is　an　equal　want　of　the　desire　and　the　power　of　application　to　these　objects。

A　middle　standard　is　fixed　in　America　for　human　knowledge。　　All　approach　as　near　to　it　as　they　can；　some　as　they　rise；　others　as　they　descend。　　Of　course；　an　immense　multitude　of　persons　are　to　be　found　who　entertain　the　same　number　of　ideas　on　religion；　history；　science；　political　economy；　legislation；　and　government。　　The　gifts　of　intellect　proceed　directly　from　God；　and　man　cannot　prevent　their　unequal　distribution。　　But　in　consequence　of　the　state　of　things　which　we　have　here　represented　it　happens　that；　although　the　capacities　of　men　are　widely　different；　as　the　Creator　has　doubtless　intended　they　should　be；　they　are　submitted　to　the　same　method　of　treatment。

In　America　the　aristocratic　element　has　always　been　feeble　from　its　birth；　and　if　at　the　present　day　it　is　not　actually　destroyed；　it　is　at　any　rate　so　completely　disabled　that　we　can　scarcely　assign　to　it　any　degree　of　influence　in　the　course　of　affairs。　　The　democratic　principle；　on　the　contrary；　has　gained　so　much　strength　by　time；　by　events；　and　by　legislation；　as　to　have　become　not　only　predominant　but　all…powerful。　　There　is　no　family　or　corporate　authority；　and　it　is　rare　to　find　even　the　influence　of　individual　character　enjoy　any　durability。

America；　then；　exhibits　in　her　social　state　a　most　extraordinary　phenomenon。　　Men　are　there　seen　on　a　greater　equality　in　point　of　fortune　and　intellect；　or；　in　other　words；　more　equal　in　their　strength；　than　in　any　other　country　of　the　world；　or　in　any　age　of　which　history　has　preserved　the　remembrance。

Political　Consequences　Of　The　Social　Condition　Of　The　Anglo…　Americans

The　political　consequences　of　such　a　social　condition　as　this　are　easily　deducible。　　It　is　impossible　to　believe　that　equality　will　not　eventually　find　its　way　into　the　political　world　as　it　does　everywhere　else。　　To　conceive　of　men　remaining　forever　unequal　upon　one　single　point；　yet　equal　on　all　others；　is　impossible；　they　must　come　in　the　end　to　be　equal　upon　all。　Now　I　know　of　only　two　methods　of　establishing　equality　in　the　political　world；　every　citizen　must　be　put　in　possession　of　his　rights；　or　rights　must　be　granted　to　no　one。　　For　nations　which　are　arrived　at　the　same　stage　of　social　existence　as　the　Anglo…Americans；　it　is　therefore　very　difficult　to　discover　a　medium　between　the　sovereignty　of　all　and　the　absolute　power　of　one　man：　and　it　would　be　vain　to　deny　that　the　social　condition　which　I　have　been　describing　is　equally　liable　to　each　of　these　consequences。

There　is；　in　fact；　a　manly　and　lawful　passion　for　equality　which　excites　men　to　wish　all　to　be　powerful　and　honored。　　This　passion　tends　to　elevate　the　humble　to　the　rank　of　the　great；　but　there　exists　also　in　the　human　heart　a　depraved　taste　for　equality；　which　impels　the　weak　to　attempt　to　lower　the　powerful　to　their　own　level；　and　reduces　men　to　prefer　equality　in　slavery　to　inequality　with　freedom。　　Not　that　those　nations　whose　social　condition　is　democratic　naturally　despise　liberty；　on　the　contrary；　they　have　an　instinctive　love　of　it。　　But　liberty　is　not　the　chief　and　constant　object　of　their　desires；　equality　is　their　idol：　they　make　rapid　and　sudden　efforts　to　obtain　liberty；　and　if　they　miss　their　aim　resign　themselves　to　their　disappointment；　but　nothing　can　satisfy　them　except　equality；　and　rather　than　lose　it　they　resolve　to　perish。

On　the　other　hand；　in　a　State　where　the　citizens　are　nearly　on　an　equality；　it　becomes　difficult　for　them　to　preserve　their　independence　against　the　aggressions　of　power。　　No　one　among　them　being　strong　enough　to　engage　in　the　struggle　with　advantage；　nothing　but　a　general　combination　can　protect　their　liberty。　　And　such　a　union　is　not　always　to　be　found。

From　the　same　social　position；　then；　nations　may　derive　one　or　the　other　of　two　great　political　results；　these　results　are　extremely　different　from　each　other；　but　they　may　both　proceed　from　the　same　cause。

The　Anglo…Americans　are　the　first　nations　who；　having　been　exposed　to　this　formidable　alternative；　have　been　happy　enough　to　escape　the　dominion　of　absolute　power。　　They　have　been　allowed　by　their　circumstances；　their　origin；　their　intelligence；　and　especially　by　their　moral　feeling；　to　establish　and　maintain　the　sovereignty　of　the　people。


Chapter　IV：　The　Principle　Of　The　Sovereignty　Of　The　People　In　America

Chapter　Summary

It　predominates　over　the　whole　of　society　in　America　…　Application　made　of　this　principle　by　the　Americans　even　before　their　Revolution　…　Development　given　to　it　by　that　Revolution　…　Gradual　and　irresistible　extension　of　the　elective　qualification。

The　Principle　Of　The　Sovereignty　Of　The　People　In　America

Whenever　the　political　laws　of　the　United　States　are　to　be　discussed；　it　is　with　the　doctrine　of　the　sovereignty　of　the　people　that　we　must　begin。　The　principle　of　the　sovereignty　of　the　people；　which　is　to　be　found；　more　or　less；　at　the　bottom　of　almost　all　human　institutions；　generally　remains　concealed　from　view。　　It　is　obeyed　without　being　recognized；　or　if　for　a　moment　it　be　brought　to　light；　it　is　hastily　cast　back　into　the　gloom　of　the　sanctuary。　　〃The　will　of　the　nation〃　is　one　of　those　expressions　which　have　been　most　profusely　abused　by　the　wily　and　the　despotic　of　every　age。　　To　the　eyes　of　some　it　has　been　represented　by　the　venal　suffrages　of　a　few　of　the　satellites　of　power；　to　others　by　the　votes　of　a　timid　or　an　interested　minority；　and　some　have　even　discovered　it　in　the　silence　of　a　people；　on　the　supposition　that　the　fact　of　submission　established　the　right　of　command。

In　America　the　principle　of　the　sovereignty　of　the　people　is　not　either　barren　or　concealed；　as　it　is　with　some　other　nations；　it　is　recognized　by　the　customs　and　proclaimed　by　the　laws；　it　spreads　freely；　and　arrives　without　impediment　at　its　most　remote　consequences。　　If　there　be　a　country　in　the　world　where　the　doctrine　of　the　sovereignty　of　the　people　can　be　fairly　appreciated；　where　it　can　be　studied　in　its　application　to　the　affairs　of　society；　and　where　its　dangers　and　its　advantages　may　be　foreseen；　that　country　is　assuredly　America。

I　have　already　observed　that；　from　their　origin；　the　sovereignty　of　the　people　was　the　fundamental　principle　of　the　greater　number　of　British　colonies　in　America。　　It　was　far；　however；　from　then　exercising　as　much　influence　on　the　government　of　society　as　it　now　does。　　Two　obstacles；　the　one　external；　the　other　internal；　checked　its　invasive　progress。　　It　could　not　ostensibly　disclose　itself　in　the　laws　of　colonies　which　were　still　constrained　to　obey　the　mother…country：　it　was　therefore　obliged　to　spread　secretly；　and　to　gain　ground　in　the　provincial　assemblies；　and　especially　in　the　townships。

American　society　was　not　yet　prepared　to　adopt　it　with　all　its　consequences。　　The　intelligence　of　New　England；　and　the　wealth　of　the　country　to　the　south　of　the　Hudson　（as　I　have　shown　in　the　preceding　chapter）；　long　exercised　a　sort　of　arist