democracy in america-1-第61章

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artificial　means　…　How　this　has　been　done　…　Pledged　delegates　…　Moral　power　of　the　majority　…　Opinion　as　to　its　infallibility　…　Respect　for　its　rights；　how　augmented　in　the　United　States。

Unlimited　Power　Of　The　Majority　In　The　United　States；　And　Its　Consequences

The　very　essence　of　democratic　government　consists　in　the　absolute　sovereignty　of　the　majority；　for　there　is　nothing　in　democratic　States　which　is　capable　of　resisting　it。　　Most　of　the　American　Constitutions　have　sought　to　increase　this　natural　strength　of　the　majority　by　artificial　means。　*a

＇Footnote　a：　We　observed；　in　examining　the　Federal　Constitution；　that　the　efforts　of　the　legislators　of　the　Union　had　been　diametrically　opposed　to　the　present　tendency。　　The　consequence　has　been　that　the　Federal　Government　is　more　independent　in　its　sphere　than　that　of　the　States。　　But　the　Federal　Government　scarcely　ever　interferes　in　any　but　external　affairs；　and　the　governments　of　the　State　are　in　the　governments　of　the　States　are　in　reality　the　authorities　which　direct　society　in　America。＇

The　legislature　is；　of　all　political　institutions；　the　one　which　is　most　easily　swayed　by　the　wishes　of　the　majority。　　The　Americans　determined　that　the　members　of　the　legislature　should　be　elected　by　the　people　immediately；　and　for　a　very　brief　term；　in　order　to　subject　them；　not　only　to　the　general　convictions；　but　even　to　the　daily　passion；　of　their　constituents。　　The　members　of　both　houses　are　taken　from　the　same　class　in　society；　and　are　nominated　in　the　same　manner；　so　that　the　modifications　of　the　legislative　bodies　are　almost　as　rapid　and　quite　as　irresistible　as　those　of　a　single　assembly。　　It　is　to　a　legislature　thus　constituted　that　almost　all　the　authority　of　the　government　has　been　entrusted。

But　whilst　the　law　increased　the　strength　of　those　authorities　which　of　themselves　were　strong；　it　enfeebled　more　and　more　those　which　were　naturally　weak。　　It　deprived　the　representatives　of　the　executive　of　all　stability　and　independence；　and　by　subjecting　them　completely　to　the　caprices　of　the　legislature；　it　robbed　them　of　the　slender　influence　which　the　nature　of　a　democratic　government　might　have　allowed　them　to　retain。　　In　several　States　the　judicial　power　was　also　submitted　to　the　elective　discretion　of　the　majority；　and　in　all　of　them　its　existence　was　made　to　depend　on　the　pleasure　of　the　legislative　authority；　since　the　representatives　were　empowered　annually　to　regulate　the　stipend　of　the　judges。

Custom；　however；　has　done　even　more　than　law。　　A　proceeding　which　will　in　the　end　set　all　the　guarantees　of　representative　government　at　naught　is　becoming　more　and　more　general　in　the　United　States；　it　frequently　happens　that　the　electors；　who　choose　a　delegate；　point　out　a　certain　line　of　conduct　to　him；　and　impose　upon　him　a　certain　number　of　positive　obligations　which　he　is　pledged　to　fulfil。　　With　the　exception　of　the　tumult；　this　comes　to　the　same　thing　as　if　the　majority　of　the　populace　held　its　deliberations　in　the　market…place。

Several　other　circumstances　concur　in　rendering　the　power　of　the　majority　in　America　not　only　preponderant；　but　irresistible。　　The　moral　authority　of　the　majority　is　partly　based　upon　the　notion　that　there　is　more　intelligence　and　more　wisdom　in　a　great　number　of　men　collected　together　than　in　a　single　individual；　and　that　the　quantity　of　legislators　is　more　important　than　their　quality。　　The　theory　of　equality　is　in　fact　applied　to　the　intellect　of　man：　and　human　pride　is　thus　assailed　in　its　last　retreat　by　a　doctrine　which　the　minority　hesitate　to　admit；　and　in　which　they　very　slowly　concur。　　Like　all　other　powers；　and　perhaps　more　than　all　other　powers；　the　authority　of　the　many　requires　the　sanction　of　time；　at　first　it　enforces　obedience　by　constraint；　but　its　laws　are　not　respected　until　they　have　long　been　maintained。

The　right　of　governing　society；　which　the　majority　supposes　itself　to　derive　from　its　superior　intelligence；　was　introduced　into　the　United　States　by　the　first　settlers；　and　this　idea；　which　would　be　sufficient　of　itself　to　create　a　free　nation；　has　now　been　amalgamated　with　the　manners　of　the　people　and　the　minor　incidents　of　social　intercourse。

The　French；　under　the　old　monarchy；　held　it　for　a　maxim　（which　is　still　a　fundamental　principle　of　the　English　Constitution）　that　the　King　could　do　no　wrong；　and　if　he　did　do　wrong；　the　blame　was　imputed　to　his　advisers。　This　notion　was　highly　favorable　to　habits　of　obedience；　and　it　enabled　the　subject　to　complain　of　the　law　without　ceasing　to　love　and　honor　the　lawgiver。　　The　Americans　entertain　the　same　opinion　with　respect　to　the　majority。

The　moral　power　of　the　majority　is　founded　upon　yet　another　principle；　which　is；　that　the　interests　of　the　many　are　to　be　preferred　to　those　of　the　few。　　It　will　readily　be　perceived　that　the　respect　here　professed　for　the　rights　of　the　majority　must　naturally　increase　or　diminish　according　to　the　state　of　parties。　　When　a　nation　is　divided　into　several　irreconcilable　factions；　the　privilege　of　the　majority　is　often　overlooked；　because　it　is　intolerable　to　comply　with　its　demands。

If　there　existed　in　America　a　class　of　citizens　whom　the　legislating　majority　sought　to　deprive　of　exclusive　privileges　which　they　had　possessed　for　ages；　and　to　bring　down　from　an　elevated　station　to　the　level　of　the　ranks　of　the　multitude；　it　is　probable　that　the　minority　would　be　less　ready　to　comply　with　its　laws。　　But　as　the　United　States　were　colonized　by　men　holding　equal　rank　amongst　themselves；　there　is　as　yet　no　natural　or　permanent　source　of　dissension　between　the　interests　of　its　different　inhabitants。

There　are　certain　communities　in　which　the　persons　who　constitute　the　minority　can　never　hope　to　draw　over　the　majority　to　their　side；　because　they　must　then　give　up　the　very　point　which　is　at　issue　between　them。　　Thus；　an　aristocracy　can　never　become　a　majority　whilst　it　retains　its　exclusive　privileges；　and　it　cannot　cede　its　privileges　without　ceasing　to　be　an　aristocracy。

In　the　United　States　political　questions　cannot　be　taken　up　in　so　general　and　absolute　a　manner；　and　all　parties　are　willing　to　recognize　the　right　of　the　majority；　because　they　all　hope　to　turn　those　rights　to　their　own　advantage　at　some　future　time。　　The　majority　therefore　in　that　country　exercises　a　prodigious　actual　authority；　and　a　moral　influence　which　is　scarcely　less　preponderant；　no　obstacles　exist　which　can　impede　or　so　much　as　retard　its　progress；　or　which　can　induce　it　to　heed　the　complaints　of　those　whom　it　crushes　upon　its　path。　　This　state　of　things　is　fatal　in　itself　and　dangerous　for　the　future。

How　The　Unlimited　Power　Of　The　Majority　Increases　In　America　The　Instability　Of　Legislation　And　Administration　Inherent　In　Democracy　The　Americans　increase　the　mutability　of　the　laws　which　is　inherent　in　democracy　by　changing　the　legislature　every　year；　and　by　investing　it　with　unbounded　authority　…　The　same　effect　is　produced　upon　the　administration　…　In　America　social　amelioration　is　conducted　more　energetically　but　less　perseveringly　than　in　Europe。　

I　have　already　spoken　of　the　natural　defects　of　democratic　institutions；　and　they　all　of　them　increase　at　the　exact　ratio　of　the　power　of　the　majority。　To　begin　with　the　most　evident　of　them　all；　the　mutability　of　the　laws　is　an　evil　inherent　in　democratic　government；　because　it　is　natural　to　democracies　to　raise　men　to　power　in　very　rapid　succession。　　But　this　evil　is　more　or　less　sensible　in　proportion　to　the　authority　and　the　means　of　action　which　the　legislature　possesses。

In　America　the　authority　exercised　by　the　legislative　bodies　is　supreme；　nothing　prevents　them　from　accomplishing　their　wishes　with　celerity；　and　with　irresistible　power；　whilst　they　are　supplied　by　new　representatives　every　year。　　That　is　to　say；　the　circumstances　which　contribute　most　powerfully　to　democratic　instability；　and　which　admit　of　the　free　application　of　caprice　to　every　object　in　the　State；　are　here　in　full　operation。　　In　conformity　with　this　principle；　America　is；　at　the　present　day；　the　country　in　the　world　where　laws　last　the　shortest　time。　　Almost　all　the　American　constitutions　have　been　amended　within　the　course　of　thirty　years：　there　is　therefore　not　a　single　American　State　which　has　not　modified　the　principles　of　its　legislation　in　that　lapse　of　time。　　As　for　the　laws　themselves；　a　single　glance　upon　the　archives　of　the　different　States　of　the　Union　suffices　to　convince　one　that　in　America　the　activity　of　the　legislator　never　slackens。　Not　that　the　American　democracy　is　naturally　less　stable　than　any　other；　but　that　it　is　allowed　to　follow　its　capricious　propensities　in　the　formation　of　the　laws。　*b

＇Footnote　b：　The　legislative　acts　promulgated　by　the　State　of　Massachusetts　alone；　from　the　year　1780　to　the　present　time；　already　fill　three　stout　volumes；　and　it　must　not　be　forgotten　that　the　collection　to　which　I　allude　was　published　in　1823；　when　many　old　laws　which　had　fallen　into　disuse　were　omitted。　　The　State　of　Massachusetts；　which　is　not　more　populous　than　a　department　of　France；　may　be　considered　as　the　most　stable；　the　most　consistent；　and　the　most　sagacious　in　its　undertakings　of　the　whole　Union。＇　

The　omnipotence　of　the　majority；　and　the　rapid　as　well　as　absolute　manner　in　which　its　decisions　are　executed　in　the　United　States；　has　not　only　the　effect　of　rendering　the　law　unstable；　but　it　exercises　the　same　influence　upon　the　execution　of　the　law　and　the　conduct　of　the　public　administration。　As　the　majority　is　the　only　power　which　it　is　important　to　court；　all　its　projects　are　taken　up　with　the　greatest　ardor；　but　no　sooner　is　its　attention　distracted　than　all　this　ardor　ceases；　whilst　in　the　free　States　of　Europe　the　administration　is　at　once　independent　and　secure；　so　that　the　projects　of　the　legislature　are　put　into　execution；　although　its　immediate　attention　may　be　directed　to　other　objects。　

In　America　certain　ameliorations　are　undertaken　with　much　more　zeal　and　activity　than　elsewhere；　in　Europe　the　same　ends　are　promoted　by　much　less　social　effort；　more　continuously　applied。　

Some　years　ago　several　pious　individuals　undertook　to　ameliorate　the　condition　of　the　prisons。　　The　public　was　excited　by　the　statements　which　they　put　forward；　and　the　regeneration　of　criminals　became　a　very　popular　undertaking。　　New　prisons　were　built；　and　for　the　first　time　the　idea　of　reforming　as　well　as　of　punishing　the　delinquent　formed　a　part　of　prison　discipline。　　But　this　happy　alteration；　in　which　the　public　had　taken　so　hearty　an　interest；　and　which　the　exertions　of　the　citizens　had　irresistibly　accelerated；　could　not　be　completed　in　a　moment。　　Whilst　the　new　penitentiaries　were　being　erected　（and　it　was　the　pleasure　of　the　majority　that　they　should　be　terminated　with　all　possible　celerity）；　the　old　prisons　existed；　which　still　contained　a　great　number　of　offenders。　　These　jails　became　more　unwholesome　and　more　corrupt　in　proportion　as　the　new　establishments　were　beautified　and　improved；　forming　a　contrast　which　may　readily　be　understood。　　The　majority　was　so　eagerly　employed　in　founding　the　new　prisons　that　those　which　already　existed　were　forgotten；　and　as　the　general　attention　was　diverted　to　a　novel　o