democracy in america-1-第58章

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　their　own　ends；　and　prepare　it　for　their　own　descendants。

The　English　aristocracy　is　perhaps　the　most　liberal　which　ever　existed；　and　no　body　of　men　has　ever；　uninterruptedly；　furnished　so　many　honorable　and　enlightened　individuals　to　the　government　of　a　country。　　It　cannot；　however；　escape　observation　that　in　the　legislation　of　England　the　good　of　the　poor　has　been　sacrificed　to　the　advantage　of　the　rich；　and　the　rights　of　the　majority　to　the　privileges　of　the　few。　　The　consequence　is；　that　England；　at　the　present　day；　combines　the　extremes　of　fortune　in　the　bosom　of　her　society；　and　her　perils　and　calamities　are　almost　equal　to　her　power　and　her　renown。　*a

＇Footnote　a：　＇The　legislation　of　England　for　the　forty　years　is　certainly　not　fairly　open　to　this　criticism；　which　was　written　before　the　Reform　Bill　of　1832；　and　accordingly　Great　Britain　has　thus　far　escaped　and　surmounted　the　perils　and　calamities　to　which　she　seemed　to　be　exposed。＇＇

In　the　United　States；　where　the　public　officers　have　no　interests　to　promote　connected　with　their　caste；　the　general　and　constant　influence　of　the　Government　is　beneficial；　although　the　individuals　who　conduct　it　are　frequently　unskilful　and　sometimes　contemptible。　　There　is　indeed　a　secret　tendency　in　democratic　institutions　to　render　the　exertions　of　the　citizens　subservient　to　the　prosperity　of　the　community；　notwithstanding　their　private　vices　and　mistakes；　whilst　in　aristocratic　institutions　there　is　a　secret　propensity　which；　notwithstanding　the　talents　and　the　virtues　of　those　who　conduct　the　government；　leads　them　to　contribute　to　the　evils　which　oppress　their　fellow…creatures。　　In　aristocratic　governments　public　men　may　frequently　do　injuries　which　they　do　not　intend；　and　in　democratic　states　they　produce　advantages　which　they　never　thought　of。

Public　Spirit　In　The　United　States

Patriotism　of　instinct　…　Patriotism　of　reflection　…　Their　different　characteristics　…　Nations　ought　to　strive　to　acquire　the　second　when　the　first　has　disappeared　…　Efforts　of　the　Americans　to　it　…　Interest　of　the　individual　intimately　connected　with　that　of　the　country。

There　is　one　sort　of　patriotic　attachment　which　principally　arises　from　that　instinctive；　disinterested；　and　undefinable　feeling　which　connects　the　affections　of　man　with　his　birthplace。　　This　natural　fondness　is　united　to　a　taste　for　ancient　customs；　and　to　a　reverence　for　ancestral　traditions　of　the　past；　those　who　cherish　it　love　their　country　as　they　love　the　mansions　of　their　fathers。　　They　enjoy　the　tranquillity　which　it　affords　them；　they　cling　to　the　peaceful　habits　which　they　have　contracted　within　its　bosom；　they　are　attached　to　the　reminiscences　which　it　awakens；　and　they　are　even　pleased　by　the　state　of　obedience　in　which　they　are　placed。　　This　patriotism　is　sometimes　stimulated　by　religious　enthusiasm；　and　then　it　is　capable　of　making　the　most　prodigious　efforts。　　It　is　in　itself　a　kind　of　religion；　it　does　not　reason；　but　it　acts　from　the　impulse　of　faith　and　of　sentiment。　　By　some　nations　the　monarch　has　been　regarded　as　a　personification　of　the　country；　and　the　fervor　of　patriotism　being　converted　into　the　fervor　of　loyalty；　they　took　a　sympathetic　pride　in　his　conquests；　and　gloried　in　his　power。　　At　one　time；　under　the　ancient　monarchy；　the　French　felt　a　sort　of　satisfaction　in　the　sense　of　their　dependence　upon　the　arbitrary　pleasure　of　their　king；　and　they　were　wont　to　say　with　pride；　〃We　are　the　subjects　of　the　most　powerful　king　in　the　world。〃

But；　like　all　instinctive　passions；　this　kind　of　patriotism　is　more　apt　to　prompt　transient　exertion　than　to　supply　the　motives　of　continuous　endeavor。　　It　may　save　the　State　in　critical　circumstances；　but　it　will　not　unfrequently　allow　the　nation　to　decline　in　the　midst　of　peace。　　Whilst　the　manners　of　a　people　are　simple　and　its　faith　unshaken；　whilst　society　is　steadily　based　upon　traditional　institutions　whose　legitimacy　has　never　been　contested；　this　instinctive　patriotism　is　wont　to　endure。

But　there　is　another　species　of　attachment　to　a　country　which　is　more　rational　than　the　one　we　have　been　describing。　　It　is　perhaps　less　generous　and　less　ardent；　but　it　is　more　fruitful　and　more　lasting；　it　is　coeval　with　the　spread　of　knowledge；　it　is　nurtured　by　the　laws；　it　grows　by　the　exercise　of　civil　rights；　and；　in　the　end；　it　is　confounded　with　the　personal　interest　of　the　citizen。　　A　man　comprehends　the　influence　which　the　prosperity　of　his　country　has　upon　his　own　welfare；　he　is　aware　that　the　laws　authorize　him　to　contribute　his　assistance　to　that　prosperity；　and　he　labors　to　promote　it　as　a　portion　of　his　interest　in　the　first　place；　and　as　a　portion　of　his　right　in　the　second。

But　epochs　sometimes　occur；　in　the　course　of　the　existence　of　a　nation；　at　which　the　ancient　customs　of　a　people　are　changed；　public　morality　destroyed；　religious　belief　disturbed；　and　the　spell　of　tradition　broken；　whilst　the　diffusion　of　knowledge　is　yet　imperfect；　and　the　civil　rights　of　the　community　are　ill　secured；　or　confined　within　very　narrow　limits。　　The　country　then　assumes　a　dim　and　dubious　shape　in　the　eyes　of　the　citizens；　they　no　longer　behold　it　in　the　soil　which　they　inhabit；　for　that　soil　is　to　them　a　dull　inanimate　clod；　nor　in　the　usages　of　their　forefathers；　which　they　have　been　taught　to　look　upon　as　a　debasing　yoke；　nor　in　religion；　for　of　that　they　doubt；　nor　in　the　laws；　which　do　not　originate　in　their　own　authority；　nor　in　the　legislator；　whom　they　fear　and　despise。　　The　country　is　lost　to　their　senses；　they　can　neither　discover　it　under　its　own　nor　under　borrowed　features；　and　they　entrench　themselves　within　the　dull　precincts　of　a　narrow　egotism。　　They　are　emancipated　from　prejudice　without　having　acknowledged　the　empire　of　reason；　they　are　neither　animated　by　the　instinctive　patriotism　of　monarchical　subjects　nor　by　the　thinking　patriotism　of　republican　citizens；　but　they　have　stopped　halfway　between　the　two；　in　the　midst　of　confusion　and　of　distress。　

In　this　predicament；　to　retreat　is　impossible；　for　a　people　cannot　restore　the　vivacity　of　its　earlier　times；　any　more　than　a　man　can　return　to　the　innocence　and　the　bloom　of　childhood；　such　things　may　be　regretted；　but　they　cannot　be　renewed。　　The　only　thing；　then；　which　remains　to　be　done　is　to　proceed；　and　to　accelerate　the　union　of　private　with　public　interests；　since　the　period　of　disinterested　patriotism　is　gone　by　forever。

I　am　certainly　very　far　from　averring　that；　in　order　to　obtain　this　result；　the　exercise　of　political　rights　should　be　immediately　granted　to　all　the　members　of　the　community。　　But　I　maintain　that　the　most　powerful；　and　perhaps　the　only；　means　of　interesting　men　in　the　welfare　of　their　country　which　we　still　possess　is　to　make　them　partakers　in　the　Government。　　At　the　present　time　civic　zeal　seems　to　me　to　be　inseparable　from　the　exercise　of　political　rights；　and　I　hold　that　the　number　of　citizens　will　be　found　to　augment　or　to　decrease　in　Europe　in　proportion　as　those　rights　are　extended。

In　the　United　States　the　inhabitants　were　thrown　but　as　yesterday　upon　the　soil　which　they　now　occupy；　and　they　brought　neither　customs　nor　traditions　with　them　there；　they　meet　each　other　for　the　first　time　with　no　previous　acquaintance；　in　short；　the　instinctive　love　of　their　country　can　scarcely　exist　in　their　minds；　but　everyone　takes　as　zealous　an　interest　in　the　affairs　of　his　township；　his　county；　and　of　the　whole　State；　as　if　they　were　his　own；　because　everyone；　in　his　sphere；　takes　an　active　part　in　the　government　of　society。

The　lower　orders　in　the　United　States　are　alive　to　the　perception　of　the　influence　exercised　by　the　general　prosperity　upon　their　own　welfare；　and　simple　as　this　observation　is；　it　is　one　which　is　but　too　rarely　made　by　the　people。　　But　in　America　the　people　regards　this　prosperity　as　the　result　of　its　own　exertions；　the　citizen　looks　upon　the　fortune　of　the　public　as　his　private　interest；　and　he　co…operates　in　its　success；　not　so　much　from　a　sense　of　pride　or　of　duty；　as　from　what　I　shall　venture　to　term　cupidity。

It　is　unnecessary　to　study　the　institutions　and　the　history　of　the　Americans　in　order　to　discover　the　truth　of　this　remark；　for　their　manners　render　it　sufficiently　evident。　　As　the　American　participates　in　all　that　is　done　in　his　country；　he　thinks　himself　obliged　to　defend　whatever　may　be　censured；　for　it　is　not　only　his　country　which　is　attacked　upon　these　occasions；　but　it　is　himself。　　The　consequence　is；　that　his　national　pride　resorts　to　a　thousand　artifices；　and　to　all　the　petty　tricks　of　individual　vanity。　

Nothing　is　more　embarrassing　in　the　ordinary　intercourse　of　life　than　this　irritable　patriotism　of　the　Americans。　　A　stranger　may　be　very　well　inclined　to　praise　many　of　the　institutions　of　their　country；　but　he　begs　permission　to　blame　some　of　the　peculiarities　which　he　observes　…　a　permission　which　is；　however；　inexorably　refused。　　America　is　therefore　a　free　country；　in　which；　lest　anybody　should　be　hurt　by　your　remarks；　you　are　not　allowed　to　speak　freely　of　private　individuals；　or　of　the　State；　of　the　citizens　or　of　the　authorities；　of　public　or　of　private　undertakings；　or；　in　short；　of　anything　at　all；　except　it　be　of　the　climate　and　the　soil；　and　even　then　Americans　will　be　found　ready　to　defend　either　the　one　or　the　other；　as　if　they　had　been　contrived　by　the　inhabitants　of　the　country。

In　our　times　option　must　be　made　between　the　patriotism　of　all　and　the　government　of　a　few；　for　the　force　and　activity　which　the　first　confers　are　irreconcilable　with　the　guarantees　of　tranquillity　which　the　second　furnishes。

Notion　Of　Rights　In　The　United　States

No　great　people　without　a　notion　of　rights　…　How　the　notion　of　rights　can　be　given　to　people　…　Respect　of　rights　in　the　United　States　…　Whence　it　arises。

After　the　idea　of　virtue；　I　know　no　higher　principle　than　that　of　right；　or；　to　speak　more　accurately；　these　two　ideas　are　commingled　in　one。　　The　idea　of　right　is　simply　that　of　virtue　introduced　into　the　political　world。　It　is　the　idea　of　right　which　enabled　men　to　define　anarchy　and　tyranny；　and　which　taught　them　to　remain　independent　without　arrogance；　as　well　as　to　obey　without　servility。　　The　man　who　submits　to　violence　is　debased　by　his　compliance；　but　when　he　obeys　the　mandate　of　one　who　possesses　that　right　of　authority　which　he　acknowledges　in　a　fellow…creature；　he　rises　in　some　measure　above　the　person　who　delivers　the　command。　　There　are　no　great　men　without　virtue；　and　there　are　no　great　nations　…　it　may　almost　be　added　that　there　would　be　no　society　…　without　the　notion　of　rights；　for　what　is　the　condition　of　a　mass　of　rational　and　intelligent　beings　who　are　only　united　together　by　the　bond　of　force？

I　am　persuaded　that　the　only　means　which　we　possess　at　the　present　time　of　inculcating　the　notion　of　rights；　and　of　rendering　it；　as　it　were；　palpable　to　the　senses；　is　to　invest　all　the　members　of　the　community　with　the　peaceful　exercise　of　certain　rights：　this　is　very　clearly　seen　in　children；　who　are　men　without　the　strength　and　the　experience　of　manhood。　When　a　child　begins　to　move　in　the　midst　of　the　objects　which　surround　him；　he　is　instinctively　led　to　turn　everything　which　he　can　lay　his　hands　upon　to　h