democracy in america-1-第64章

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　distinguished　characters；　wheresoever　they　may　be　found。　　It　seems；　at　first　sight；　as　if　all　the　minds　of　the　Americans　were　formed　upon　one　model；　so　accurately　do　they　correspond　in　their　manner　of　judging。　　A　stranger　does；　indeed；　sometimes　meet　with　Americans　who　dissent　from　these　rigorous　formularies；　with　men　who　deplore　the　defects　of　the　laws；　the　mutability　and　the　ignorance　of　democracy；　who　even　go　so　far　as　to　observe　the　evil　tendencies　which　impair　the　national　character；　and　to　point　out　such　remedies　as　it　might　be　possible　to　apply；　but　no　one　is　there　to　hear　these　things　besides　yourself；　and　you；　to　whom　these　secret　reflections　are　confided；　are　a　stranger　and　a　bird　of　passage。　　They　are　very　ready　to　communicate　truths　which　are　useless　to　you；　but　they　continue　to　hold　a　different　language　in　public。

If　ever　these　lines　are　read　in　America；　I　am　well　assured　of　two　things：　in　the　first　place；　that　all　who　peruse　them　will　raise　their　voices　to　condemn　me；　and　in　the　second　place；　that　very　many　of　them　will　acquit　me　at　the　bottom　of　their　conscience。

I　have　heard　of　patriotism　in　the　United　States；　and　it　is　a　virtue　which　may　be　found　among　the　people；　but　never　among　the　leaders　of　the　people。　This　may　be　explained　by　analogy；　despotism　debases　the　oppressed　much　more　than　the　oppressor：　in　absolute　monarchies　the　king　has　often　great　virtues；　but　the　courtiers　are　invariably　servile。　　It　is　true　that　the　American　courtiers　do　not　say　〃Sire；〃　or　〃Your　Majesty〃　…　a　distinction　without　a　difference。　　They　are　forever　talking　of　the　natural　intelligence　of　the　populace　they　serve；　they　do　not　debate　the　question　as　to　which　of　the　virtues　of　their　master　is　pre…eminently　worthy　of　admiration；　for　they　assure　him　that　he　possesses　all　the　virtues　under　heaven　without　having　acquired　them；　or　without　caring　to　acquire　them；　they　do　not　give　him　their　daughters　and　their　wives　to　be　raised　at　his　pleasure　to　the　rank　of　his　concubines；　but；　by　sacrificing　their　opinions；　they　prostitute　themselves。　Moralists　and　philosophers　in　America　are　not　obliged　to　conceal　their　opinions　under　the　veil　of　allegory；　but；　before　they　venture　upon　a　harsh　truth；　they　say；　〃We　are　aware　that　the　people　which　we　are　addressing　is　too　superior　to　all　the　weaknesses　of　human　nature　to　lose　the　command　of　its　temper　for　an　instant；　and　we　should　not　hold　this　language　if　we　were　not　speaking　to　men　whom　their　virtues　and　their　intelligence　render　more　worthy　of　freedom　than　all　the　rest　of　the　world。〃　It　would　have　been　impossible　for　the　sycophants　of　Louis　XIV　to　flatter　more　dexterously。　　For　my　part；　I　am　persuaded　that　in　all　governments；　whatever　their　nature　may　be；　servility　will　cower　to　force；　and　adulation　will　cling　to　power。　　The　only　means　of　preventing　men　from　degrading　themselves　is　to　invest　no　one　with　that　unlimited　authority　which　is　the　surest　method　of　debasing　them。

The　Greatest　Dangers　Of　The　American　Republics　Proceed　From　The　Unlimited　Power　Of　The　Majority

Democratic　republics　liable　to　perish　from　a　misuse　of　their　power；　and　not　by　impotence　…　The　Governments　of　the　American　republics　are　more　centralized　and　more　energetic　than　those　of　the　monarchies　of　Europe　…　Dangers　resulting　from　this　…　Opinions　of　Hamilton　and　Jefferson　upon　this　point。

Governments　usually　fall　a　sacrifice　to　impotence　or　to　tyranny。　　In　the　former　case　their　power　escapes　from　them；　it　is　wrested　from　their　grasp　in　the　latter。　　Many　observers；　who　have　witnessed　the　anarchy　of　democratic　States；　have　imagined　that　the　government　of　those　States　was　naturally　weak　and　impotent。　　The　truth　is；　that　when　once　hostilities　are　begun　between　parties；　the　government　loses　its　control　over　society。　　But　I　do　not　think　that　a　democratic　power　is　naturally　without　force　or　without　resources：　say；　rather；　that　it　is　almost　always　by　the　abuse　of　its　force　and　the　misemployment　of　its　resources　that　a　democratic　government　fails。　　Anarchy　is　almost　always　produced　by　its　tyranny　or　its　mistakes；　but　not　by　its　want　of　strength。

It　is　important　not　to　confound　stability　with　force；　or　the　greatness　of　a　thing　with　its　duration。　　In　democratic　republics；　the　power　which　directs　*e　society　is　not　stable；　for　it　often　changes　hands　and　assumes　a　new　direction。　　But　whichever　way　it　turns；　its　force　is　almost　irresistible。　The　Governments　of　the　American　republics　appear　to　me　to　be　as　much　centralized　as　those　of　the　absolute　monarchies　of　Europe；　and　more　energetic　than　they　are。　　I　do　not；　therefore；　imagine　that　they　will　perish　from　weakness。　*f

＇Footnote　e：　This　power　may　be　centred　in　an　assembly；　in　which　case　it　will　be　strong　without　being　stable；　or　it　may　be　centred　in　an　individual；　in　which　case　it　will　be　less　strong；　but　more　stable。＇

＇Footnote　f：　I　presume　that　it　is　scarcely　necessary　to　remind　the　reader　here；　as　well　as　throughout　the　remainder　of　this　chapter；　that　I　am　speaking；　not　of　the　Federal　Government；　but　of　the　several　governments　of　each　State；　which　the　majority　controls　at　its　pleasure。＇

If　ever　the　free　institutions　of　America　are　destroyed；　that　event　may　be　attributed　to　the　unlimited　authority　of　the　majority；　which　may　at　some　future　time　urge　the　minorities　to　desperation；　and　oblige　them　to　have　recourse　to　physical　force。　　Anarchy　will　then　be　the　result；　but　it　will　have　been　brought　about　by　despotism。

Mr。　Hamilton　expresses　the　same　opinion　in　the　〃Federalist；〃　No。　51。　〃It　is　of　great　importance　in　a　republic　not　only　to　guard　the　society　against　the　oppression　of　its　rulers；　but　to　guard　one　part　of　the　society　against　the　injustice　of　the　other　part。　　Justice　is　the　end　of　government。　It　is　the　end　of　civil　society。　　It　ever　has　been；　and　ever　will　be；　pursued　until　it　be　obtained；　or　until　liberty　be　lost　in　the　pursuit。　　In　a　society；　under　the　forms　of　which　the　stronger　faction　can　readily　unite　and　oppress　the　weaker；　anarchy　may　as　truly　be　said　to　reign　as　in　a　state　of　nature；　where　the　weaker　individual　is　not　secured　against　the　violence　of　the　stronger：　and　as　in　the　latter　state　even　the　stronger　individuals　are　prompted　by　the　uncertainty　of　their　condition　to　submit　to　a　government　which　may　protect　the　weak　as　well　as　themselves；　so　in　the　former　state　will　the　more　powerful　factions　be　gradually　induced　by　a　like　motive　to　wish　for　a　government　which　will　protect　all　parties；　the　weaker　as　well　as　the　more　powerful。　　It　can　be　little　doubted　that；　if　the　State　of　Rhode　Island　was　separated　from　the　Confederacy　and　left　to　itself；　the　insecurity　of　right　under　the　popular　form　of　government　within　such　narrow　limits　would　be　displayed　by　such　reiterated　oppressions　of　the　factious　majorities；　that　some　power　altogether　independent　of　the　people　would　soon　be　called　for　by　the　voice　of　the　very　factions　whose　misrule　had　proved　the　necessity　of　it。〃　

Jefferson　has　also　thus　expressed　himself　in　a　letter　to　Madison：　*g　〃The　executive　power　in　our　Government　is　not　the　only；　perhaps　not　even　the　principal；　object　of　my　solicitude。　　The　tyranny　of　the　Legislature　is　really　the　danger　most　to　be　feared；　and　will　continue　to　be　so　for　many　years　to　come。　　The　tyranny　of　the　executive　power　will　come　in　its　turn；　but　at　a　more　distant　period。〃　I　am　glad　to　cite　the　opinion　of　Jefferson　upon　this　subject　rather　than　that　of　another；　because　I　consider　him　to　be　the　most　powerful　advocate　democracy　has　ever　sent　forth。

＇Footnote　g：　March　15；　1789。＇


Chapter　XVI：　Causes　Mitigating　Tyranny　In　The　United　States　…　Part　I

Chapter　Summary

The　national　majority　does　not　pretend　to　conduct　all　business　…　Is　obliged　to　employ　the　town　and　county　magistrates　to　execute　its　supreme　decisions。

I　have　already　pointed　out　the　distinction　which　is　to　be　made　between　a　centralized　government　and　a　centralized　administration。　　The　former　exists　in　America；　but　the　latter　is　nearly　unknown　there。　　If　the　directing　power　of　the　American　communities　had　both　these　instruments　of　government　at　its　disposal；　and　united　the　habit　of　executing　its　own　commands　to　the　right　of　commanding；　if；　after　having　established　the　general　principles　of　government；　it　descended　to　the　details　of　public　business；　and　if；　having　regulated　the　great　interests　of　the　country；　it　could　penetrate　into　the　privacy　of　individual　interests；　freedom　would　soon　be　banished　from　the　New　World。

But　in　the　United　States　the　majority；　which　so　frequently　displays　the　tastes　and　the　propensities　of　a　despot；　is　still　destitute　of　the　more　perfect　instruments　of　tyranny。　　In　the　American　republics　the　activity　of　the　central　Government　has　never　as　yet　been　extended　beyond　a　limited　number　of　objects　sufficiently　prominent　to　call　forth　its　attention。　　The　secondary　affairs　of　society　have　never　been　regulated　by　its　authority；　and　nothing　has　hitherto　betrayed　its　desire　of　interfering　in　them。　　The　majority　is　become　more　and　more　absolute；　but　it　has　not　increased　the　prerogatives　of　the　central　government；　those　great　prerogatives　have　been　confined　to　a　certain　sphere；　and　although　the　despotism　of　the　majority　may　be　galling　upon　one　point；　it　cannot　be　said　to　extend　to　all。　　However　the　predominant　party　in　the　nation　may　be　carried　away　by　its　passions；　however　ardent　it　may　be　in　the　pursuit　of　its　projects；　it　cannot　oblige　all　the　citizens　to　comply　with　its　desires　in　the　same　manner　and　at　the　same　time　throughout　the　country。　When　the　central　Government　which　represents　that　majority　has　issued　a　decree；　it　must　entrust　the　execution　of　its　will　to　agents；　over　whom　it　frequently　has　no　control；　and　whom　it　cannot　perpetually　direct。　The　townships；　municipal　bodies；　and　counties　may　therefore　be　looked　upon　as　concealed　break…waters；　which　check　or　part　the　tide　of　popular　excitement。　If　an　oppressive　law　were　passed；　the　liberties　of　the　people　would　still　be　protected　by　the　means　by　which　that　law　would　be　put　in　execution：　the　majority　cannot　descend　to　the　details　and　（as　I　will　venture　to　style　them）　the　puerilities　of　administrative　tyranny。　　Nor　does　the　people　entertain　that　full　consciousness　of　its　authority　which　would　prompt　it　to　interfere　in　these　matters；　it　knows　the　extent　of　its　natural　powers；　but　it　is　unacquainted　with　the　increased　resources　which　the　art　of　government　might　furnish。

This　point　deserves　attention；　for　if　a　democratic　republic　similar　to　that　of　the　United　States　were　ever　founded　in　a　country　where　the　power　of　a　single　individual　had　previously　subsisted；　and　the　effects　of　a　centralized　administration　had　sunk　deep　into　the　habits　and　the　laws　of　the　people；　I　do　not　hesitate　to　assert；　that　in　that　country　a　more　insufferable　despotism　would　prevail　than　any　which　now　exists　in　the　monarchical　States　of　Europe；　or　indeed　than　any　which　could　be　found　on　this　side　of　the　confines　of　Asia。

The　Profession　Of　The　Law　In　The　United　States　Serves　To　Counterpoise　The　Democracy

Utility　of　discriminating　the　natural　propensities　of　the　members　of　the　legal　profession　…　These　men　called　upon　to　act　a　prominent　part　in　future　society　…In　what　manner　the　peculiar　pursuits　of　lawyers　give　an　aristocratic　turn　to　their　ideas　…　Accidental　causes　whi