democracy in america-1-第59章

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　which　surround　him；　he　is　instinctively　led　to　turn　everything　which　he　can　lay　his　hands　upon　to　his　own　purposes；　he　has　no　notion　of　the　property　of　others；　but　as　he　gradually　learns　the　value　of　things；　and　begins　to　perceive　that　he　may　in　his　turn　be　deprived　of　his　possessions；　he　becomes　more　circumspect；　and　he　observes　those　rights　in　others　which　he　wishes　to　have　respected　in　himself。　The　principle　which　the　child　derives　from　the　possession　of　his　toys　is　taught　to　the　man　by　the　objects　which　he　may　call　his　own。　　In　America　those　complaints　against　property　in　general　which　are　so　frequent　in　Europe　are　never　heard；　because　in　America　there　are　no　paupers；　and　as　everyone　has　property　of　his　own　to　defend；　everyone　recognizes　the　principle　upon　which　he　holds　it。

The　same　thing　occurs　in　the　political　world。　　In　America　the　lowest　classes　have　conceived　a　very　high　notion　of　political　rights；　because　they　exercise　those　rights；　and　they　refrain　from　attacking　those　of　other　people；　in　order　to　ensure　their　own　from　attack。　　Whilst　in　Europe　the　same　classes　sometimes　recalcitrate　even　against　the　supreme　power；　the　American　submits　without　a　murmur　to　the　authority　of　the　pettiest　magistrate。

This　truth　is　exemplified　by　the　most　trivial　details　of　national　peculiarities。　　In　France　very　few　pleasures　are　exclusively　reserved　for　the　higher　classes；　the　poor　are　admitted　wherever　the　rich　are　received；　and　they　consequently　behave　with　propriety；　and　respect　whatever　contributes　to　the　enjoyments　in　which　they　themselves　participate。　　In　England；　where　wealth　has　a　monopoly　of　amusement　as　well　as　of　power；　complaints　are　made　that　whenever　the　poor　happen　to　steal　into　the　enclosures　which　are　reserved　for　the　pleasures　of　the　rich；　they　commit　acts　of　wanton　mischief：　can　this　be　wondered　at；　since　care　has　been　taken　that　they　should　have　nothing　to　lose？　*b

＇Footnote　b：　＇This；　too；　has　been　amended　by　much　larger　provisions　for　the　amusements　of　the　people　in　public　parks；　gardens；　museums；　etc。；　and　the　conduct　of　the　people　in　these　places　of　amusement　has　improved　in　the　same　proportion。＇＇

The　government　of　democracy　brings　the　notion　of　political　rights　to　the　level　of　the　humblest　citizens；　just　as　the　dissemination　of　wealth　brings　the　notion　of　property　within　the　reach　of　all　the　members　of　the　community；　and　I　confess　that；　to　my　mind；　this　is　one　of　its　greatest　advantages。　　I　do　not　assert　that　it　is　easy　to　teach　men　to　exercise　political　rights；　but　I　maintain　that；　when　it　is　possible；　the　effects　which　result　from　it　are　highly　important；　and　I　add　that；　if　there　ever　was　a　time　at　which　such　an　attempt　ought　to　be　made；　that　time　is　our　own。　　It　is　clear　that　the　influence　of　religious　belief　is　shaken；　and　that　the　notion　of　divine　rights　is　declining；　it　is　evident　that　public　morality　is　vitiated；　and　the　notion　of　moral　rights　is　also　disappearing：　these　are　general　symptoms　of　the　substitution　of　argument　for　faith；　and　of　calculation　for　the　impulses　of　sentiment。　　If；　in　the　midst　of　this　general　disruption；　you　do　not　succeed　in　connecting　the　notion　of　rights　with　that　of　personal　interest；　which　is　the　only　immutable　point　in　the　human　heart；　what　means　will　you　have　of　governing　the　world　except　by　fear？　　When　I　am　told　that；　since　the　laws　are　weak　and　the　populace　is　wild；　since　passions　are　excited　and　the　authority　of　virtue　is　paralyzed；　no　measures　must　be　taken　to　increase　the　rights　of　the　democracy；　I　reply；　that　it　is　for　these　very　reasons　that　some　measures　of　the　kind　must　be　taken；　and　I　am　persuaded　that　governments　are　still　more　interested　in　taking　them　than　society　at　large；　because　governments　are　liable　to　be　destroyed　and　society　cannot　perish。

I　am　not；　however；　inclined　to　exaggerate　the　example　which　America　furnishes。　　In　those　States　the　people　are　invested　with　political　rights　at　a　time　when　they　could　scarcely　be　abused；　for　the　citizens　were　few　in　number　and　simple　in　their　manners。　　As　they　have　increased；　the　Americans　have　not　augmented　the　power　of　the　democracy；　but　they　have；　if　I　may　use　the　expression；　extended　its　dominions。　It　cannot　be　doubted　that　the　moment　at　which　political　rights　are　granted　to　a　people　that　had　before　been　without　them　is　a　very　critical；　though　it　be　a　necessary　one。　　A　child　may　kill　before　he　is　aware　of　the　value　of　life；　and　he　may　deprive　another　person　of　his　property　before　he　is　aware　that　his　own　may　be　taken　away　from　him。　　The　lower　orders；　when　first　they　are　invested　with　political　rights；　stand；　in　relation　to　those　rights；　in　the　same　position　as　the　child　does　to　the　whole　of　nature；　and　the　celebrated　adage　may　then　be　applied　to　them；　Homo　puer　robustus。　　This　truth　may　even　be　perceived　in　America。　　The　States　in　which　the　citizens　have　enjoyed　their　rights　longest　are　those　in　which　they　make　the　best　use　of　them。

It　cannot　be　repeated　too　often　that　nothing　is　more　fertile　in　prodigies　than　the　art　of　being　free；　but　there　is　nothing　more　arduous　than　the　apprenticeship　of　liberty。　　Such　is　not　the　case　with　despotic　institutions：　despotism　often　promises　to　make　amends　for　a　thousand　previous　ills；　it　supports　the　right；　it　protects　the　oppressed；　and　it　maintains　public　order。　The　nation　is　lulled　by　the　temporary　prosperity　which　accrues　to　it；　until　it　is　roused　to　a　sense　of　its　own　misery。　　Liberty；　on　the　contrary；　is　generally　established　in　the　midst　of　agitation；　it　is　perfected　by　civil　discord；　and　its　benefits　cannot　be　appreciated　until　it　is　already　old。


Chapter　XIV：　Advantages　American　Society　Derive　From　Democracy　…　Part　II

Respect　For　The　Law　In　The　United　States

Respect　of　the　Americans　for　the　law　…　Parental　affection　which　they　entertain　for　it　…　Personal　interest　of　everyone　to　increase　the　authority　of　the　law。

It　is　not　always　feasible　to　consult　the　whole　people；　either　directly　or　indirectly；　in　the　formation　of　the　law；　but　it　cannot　be　denied　that；　when　such　a　measure　is　possible　the　authority　of　the　law　is　very　much　augmented。　This　popular　origin；　which　impairs　the　excellence　and　the　wisdom　of　legislation；　contributes　prodigiously　to　increase　its　power。　　There　is　an　amazing　strength　in　the　expression　of　the　determination　of　a　whole　people；　and　when　it　declares　itself　the　imagination　of　those　who　are　most　inclined　to　contest　it　is　overawed　by　its　authority。　　The　truth　of　this　fact　is　very　well　known　by　parties；　and　they　consequently　strive　to　make　out　a　majority　whenever　they　can。　　If　they　have　not　the　greater　number　of　voters　on　their　side；　they　assert　that　the　true　majority　abstained　from　voting；　and　if　they　are　foiled　even　there；　they　have　recourse　to　the　body　of　those　persons　who　had　no　votes　to　give。　

In　the　United　States；　except　slaves；　servants；　and　paupers　in　the　receipt　of　relief　from　the　townships；　there　is　no　class　of　persons　who　do　not　exercise　the　elective　franchise；　and　who　do　not　indirectly　contribute　to　make　the　laws。　Those　who　design　to　attack　the　laws　must　consequently　either　modify　the　opinion　of　the　nation　or　trample　upon　its　decision。

A　second　reason；　which　is　still　more　weighty；　may　be　further　adduced；　in　the　United　States　everyone　is　personally　interested　in　enforcing　the　obedience　of　the　whole　community　to　the　law；　for　as　the　minority　may　shortly　rally　the　majority　to　its　principles；　it　is　interested　in　professing　that　respect　for　the　decrees　of　the　legislator　which　it　may　soon　have　occasion　to　claim　for　its　own。　　However　irksome　an　enactment　may　be；　the　citizen　of　the　United　States　complies　with　it；　not　only　because　it　is　the　work　of　the　majority；　but　because　it　originates　in　his　own　authority；　and　he　regards　it　as　a　contract　to　which　he　is　himself　a　party。

In　the　United　States；　then；　that　numerous　and　turbulent　multitude　does　not　exist　which　always　looks　upon　the　law　as　its　natural　enemy；　and　accordingly　surveys　it　with　fear　and　with　fear　and　with　distrust。　　It　is　impossible；　on　the　other　hand；　not　to　perceive　that　all　classes　display　the　utmost　reliance　upon　the　legislation　of　their　country；　and　that　they　are　attached　to　it　by　a　kind　of　parental　affection。

I　am　wrong；　however；　in　saying　all　classes；　for　as　in　America　the　European　scale　of　authority　is　inverted；　the　wealthy　are　there　placed　in　a　position　analogous　to　that　of　the　poor　in　the　Old　World；　and　it　is　the　opulent　classes　which　frequently　look　upon　the　law　with　suspicion。　　I　have　already　observed　that　the　advantage　of　democracy　is　not；　as　has　been　sometimes　asserted；　that　it　protects　the　interests　of　the　whole　community；　but　simply　that　it　protects　those　of　the　majority。　　In　the　United　States；　where　the　poor　rule；　the　rich　have　always　some　reason　to　dread　the　abuses　of　their　power。　This　natural　anxiety　of　the　rich　may　produce　a　sullen　dissatisfaction；　but　society　is　not　disturbed　by　it；　for　the　same　reason　which　induces　the　rich　to　withhold　their　confidence　in　the　legislative　authority　makes　them　obey　its　mandates；　their　wealth；　which　prevents　them　from　making　the　law；　prevents　them　from　withstanding　it。　　Amongst　civilized　nations　revolts　are　rarely　excited；　except　by　such　persons　as　have　nothing　to　lose　by　them；　and　if　the　laws　of　a　democracy　are　not　always　worthy　of　respect；　at　least　they　always　obtain　it；　for　those　who　usually　infringe　the　laws　have　no　excuse　for　not　complying　with　the　enactments　they　have　themselves　made；　and　by　which　they　are　themselves　benefited；　whilst　the　citizens　whose　interests　might　be　promoted　by　the　infraction　of　them　are　induced；　by　their　character　and　their　stations；　to　submit　to　the　decisions　of　the　legislature；　whatever　they　may　be。　　Besides　which；　the　people　in　America　obeys　the　law　not　only　because　it　emanates　from　the　popular　authority；　but　because　that　authority　may　modify　it　in　any　points　which　may　prove　vexatory；　a　law　is　observed　because　it　is　a　self…imposed　evil　in　the　first　place；　and　an　evil　of　transient　duration　in　the　second。

Activity　Which　Pervades　All　The　Branches　Of　The　Body　Politic　In　The　United　States；　Influence　Which　It　Exercises　Upon　Society

More　difficult　to　conceive　the　political　activity　which　pervades　the　United　States　than　the　freedom　and　equality　which　reign　there　…　　The　great　activity　which　perpetually　agitates　the　legislative　bodies　is　only　an　episode　to　the　general　activity　…　Difficult　for　an　American　to　confine　himself　to　his　own　business　…　Political　agitation　extends　to　all　social　intercourse　…　Commercial　activity　of　the　Americans　partly　attributable　to　this　cause　…　Indirect　advantages　which　society　derives　from　a　democratic　government。　

On　passing　from　a　country　in　which　free　institutions　are　established　to　one　where　they　do　not　exist；　the　traveller　is　struck　by　the　change；　in　the　former　all　is　bustle　and　activity；　in　the　latter　everything　is　calm　and　motionless。　　In　the　one；　amelioration　and　progress　are　the　general　topics　of　inquiry；　in　the　other；　it　seems　as　if　the　community　only　aspired　to　repose　in　the　enjoyment　of　the　advantages　which　it　has　acquired。　　Nevertheless；　the　country　which　exerts　itself　so　strenuously　to　promote　its　welfare　is　generally　more　wealthy　and　more　prosperous　than　that　which　appears　to　be　so　contented　with　its　lot；　and　when　we　compare　them　together；　we　can　sc