democracy in america-1-第76章

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ever；　no　nations　upon　the　face　of　the　earth　more　miserable　than　those　of　South　America。

Thus；　not　only　are　physical　causes　inadequate　to　produce　results　analogous　to　those　which　occur　in　North　America；　but　they　are　unable　to　raise　the　population　of　South　America　above　the　level　of　European　States；　where　they　act　in　a　contrary　direction。　　Physical　causes　do　not；　therefore；　affect　the　destiny　of　nations　so　much　as　has　been　supposed。

I　have　met　with　men　in　New　England　who　were　on　the　point　of　leaving　a　country；　where　they　might　have　remained　in　easy　circumstances；　to　go　to　seek　their　fortune　in　the　wilds。　　Not　far　from　that　district　I　found　a　French　population　in　Canada；　which　was　closely　crowded　on　a　narrow　territory；　although　the　same　wilds　were　at　hand；　and　whilst　the　emigrant　from　the　United　States　purchased　an　extensive　estate　with　the　earnings　of　a　short　term　of　labor；　the　Canadian　paid　as　much　for　land　as　he　would　have　done　in　France。　Nature　offers　the　solitudes　of　the　New　World　to　Europeans；　but　they　are　not　always　acquainted　with　the　means　of　turning　her　gifts　to　account。　　Other　peoples　of　America　have　the　same　physical　conditions　of　prosperity　as　the　Anglo…Americans；　but　without　their　laws　and　their　manners；　and　these　peoples　are　wretched。　　The　laws　and　manners　of　the　Anglo…Americans　are　therefore　that　efficient　cause　of　their　greatness　which　is　the　object　of　my　inquiry。　

I　am　far　from　supposing　that　the　American　laws　are　preeminently　good　in　themselves；　I　do　not　hold　them　to　be　applicable　to　all　democratic　peoples；　and　several　of　them　seem　to　be　dangerous；　even　in　the　United　States。　Nevertheless；　it　cannot　be　denied　that　the　American　legislation；　taken　collectively；　is　extremely　well　adapted　to　the　genius　of　the　people　and　the　nature　of　the　country　which　it　is　intended　to　govern。　　The　American　laws　are　therefore　good；　and　to　them　must　be　attributed　a　large　portion　of　the　success　which　attends　the　government　of　democracy　in　America：　but　I　do　not　believe　them　to　be　the　principal　cause　of　that　success；　and　if　they　seem　to　me　to　have　more　influence　upon　the　social　happiness　of　the　Americans　than　the　nature　of　the　country；　on　the　other　hand　there　is　reason　to　believe　that　their　effect　is　still　inferior　to　that　produced　by　the　manners　of　the　people。

The　Federal　laws　undoubtedly　constitute　the　most　important　part　of　the　legislation　of　the　United　States。　　Mexico；　which　is　not　less　fortunately　situated　than　the　Anglo…American　Union；　has　adopted　the　same　laws；　but　is　unable　to　accustom　itself　to　the　government　of　democracy。　　Some　other　cause　is　therefore　at　work；　independently　of　those　physical　circumstances　and　peculiar　laws　which　enable　the　democracy　to　rule　in　the　United　States。

Another　still　more　striking　proof　may　be　adduced。　　Almost　all　the　inhabitants　of　the　territory　of　the　Union　are　the　descendants　of　a　common　stock；　they　speak　the　same　language；　they　worship　God　in　the　same　manner；　they　are　affected　by　the　same　physical　causes；　and　they　obey　the　same　laws。　Whence；　then；　do　their　characteristic　differences　arise？　　Why；　in　the　Eastern　States　of　the　Union；　does　the　republican　government　display　vigor　and　regularity；　and　proceed　with　mature　deliberation？　　Whence　does　it　derive　the　wisdom　and　the　durability　which　mark　its　acts；　whilst　in　the　Western　States；　on　the　contrary；　society　seems　to　be　ruled　by　the　powers　of　chance？　　There；　public　business　is　conducted　with　an　irregularity　and　a　passionate　and　feverish　excitement；　which　does　not　announce　a　long　or　sure　duration。

I　am　no　longer　comparing　the　Anglo…American　States　to　foreign　nations；　but　I　am　contrasting　them　with　each　other；　and　endeavoring　to　discover　why　they　are　so　unlike。　　The　arguments　which　are　derived　from　the　nature　of　the　country　and　the　difference　of　legislation　are　here　all　set　aside。　　Recourse　must　be　had　to　some　other　cause；　and　what　other　cause　can　there　be　except　the　manners　of　the　people？

It　is　in　the　Eastern　States　that　the　Anglo…Americans　have　been　longest　accustomed　to　the　government　of　democracy；　and　that　they　have　adopted　the　habits　and　conceived　the　notions　most　favorable　to　its　maintenance。　Democracy　has　gradually　penetrated　into　their　customs；　their　opinions；　and　the　forms　of　social　intercourse；　it　is　to　be　found　in　all　the　details　of　daily　life　equally　as　in　the　laws。　　In　the　Eastern　States　the　instruction　and　practical　education　of　the　people　have　been　most　perfected；　and　religion　has　been　most　thoroughly　amalgamated　with　liberty。　　Now　these　habits；　opinions；　customs；　and　convictions　are　precisely　the　constituent　elements　of　that　which　I　have　denominated　manners。

In　the　Western　States；　on　the　contrary；　a　portion　of　the　same　advantages　is　still　wanting。　　Many　of　the　Americans　of　the　West　were　born　in　the　woods；　and　they　mix　the　ideas　and　the　customs　of　savage　life　with　the　civilization　of　their　parents。　　Their　passions　are　more　intense；　their　religious　morality　less　authoritative；　and　their　convictions　less　secure。　　The　inhabitants　exercise　no　sort　of　control　over　their　fellow…citizens；　for　they　are　scarcely　acquainted　with　each　other。　　The　nations　of　the　West　display；　to　a　certain　extent；　the　inexperience　and　the　rude　habits　of　a　people　in　its　infancy；　for　although　they　are　composed　of　old　elements；　their　assemblage　is　of　recent　date。

The　manners　of　the　Americans　of　the　United　States　are；　then；　the　real　cause　which　renders　that　people　the　only　one　of　the　American　nations　that　is　able　to　support　a　democratic　government；　and　it　is　the　influence　of　manners　which　produces　the　different　degrees　of　order　and　of　prosperity　that　may　be　distinguished　in　the　several　Anglo…American　democracies。　　Thus　the　effect　which　the　geographical　position　of　a　country　may　have　upon　the　duration　of　democratic　institutions　is　exaggerated　in　Europe。　　Too　much　importance　is　attributed　to　legislation；　too　little　to　manners。　　These　three　great　causes　serve；　no　doubt；　to　regulate　and　direct　the　American　democracy；　but　if　they　were　to　be　classed　in　their　proper　order；　I　should　say　that　the　physical　circumstances　are　less　efficient　than　the　laws；　and　the　laws　very　subordinate　to　the　manners　of　the　people。　　I　am　convinced　that　the　most　advantageous　situation　and　the　best　possible　laws　cannot　maintain　a　constitution　in　spite　of　the　manners　of　a　country；　whilst　the　latter　may　turn　the　most　unfavorable　positions　and　the　worst　laws　to　some　advantage。　　The　importance　of　manners　is　a　common　truth　to　which　study　and　experience　incessantly　direct　our　attention。　It　may　be　regarded　as　a　central　point　in　the　range　of　human　observation；　and　the　common　termination　of　all　inquiry。　　So　seriously　do　I　insist　upon　this　head；　that　if　I　have　hitherto　failed　in　making　the　reader　feel　the　important　influence　which　I　attribute　to　the　practical　experience；　the　habits；　the　opinions；　in　short；　to　the　manners　of　the　Americans；　upon　the　maintenance　of　their　institutions；　I　have　failed　in　the　principal　object　of　my　work。

Whether　Laws　And　Manners　Are　Sufficient　To　Maintain　Democratic　Institutions　In　Other　Countries　Besides　America

The　Anglo…Americans；　if　transported　into　Europe；　would　be　obliged　to　modify　their　laws　…　Distinction　to　be　made　between　democratic　institutions　and　American　institutions　…　Democratic　laws　may　be　conceived　better　than；　or　at　least　different　from；　those　which　the　American　democracy　has　adopted　…　The　example　of　America　only　proves　that　it　is　possible　to　regulate　democracy　by　the　assistance　of　manners　and　legislation。

I　have　asserted　that　the　success　of　democratic　institutions　in　the　United　States　is　more　intimately　connected　with　the　laws　themselves；　and　the　manners　of　the　people；　than　with　the　nature　of　the　country。　　But　does　it　follow　that　the　same　causes　would　of　themselves　produce　the　same　results；　if　they　were　put　into　operation　elsewhere；　and　if　the　country　is　no　adequate　substitute　for　laws　and　manners；　can　laws　and　manners　in　their　turn　prove　a　substitute　for　the　country？　　It　will　readily　be　understood　that　the　necessary　elements　of　a　reply　to　this　question　are　wanting：　other　peoples　are　to　be　found　in　the　New　World　besides　the　Anglo…　Americans；　and　as　these　people　are　affected　by　the　same　physical　circumstances　as　the　latter；　they　may　fairly　be　compared　together。　　But　there　are　no　nations　out　of　America　which　have　adopted　the　same　laws　and　manners；　being　destitute　of　the　physical　advantages　peculiar　to　the　Anglo…Americans。　　No　standard　of　comparison　therefore　exists；　and　we　can　only　hazard　an　opinion　upon　this　subject。

It　appears　to　me；　in　the　first　place；　that　a　careful　distinction　must　be　made　between　the　institutions　of　the　United　States　and　democratic　institutions　in　general。　　When　I　reflect　upon　the　state　of　Europe；　its　mighty　nations；　its　populous　cities；　its　formidable　armies；　and　the　complex　nature　of　its　politics；　I　cannot　suppose　that　even　the　Anglo…Americans；　if　they　were　transported　to　our　hemisphere；　with　their　ideas；　their　religion；　and　their　manners；　could　exist　without　considerably　altering　their　laws。　　But　a　democratic　nation　may　be　imagined；　organized　differently　from　the　American　people。　　It　is　not　impossible　to　conceive　a　government　really　established　upon　the　will　of　the　majority；　but　in　which　the　majority；　repressing　its　natural　propensity　to　equality；　should　consent；　with　a　view　to　the　order　and　the　stability　of　the　State；　to　invest　a　family　or　an　individual　with　all　the　prerogatives　of　the　executive。　　A　democratic　society　might　exist；　in　which　the　forces　of　the　nation　would　be　more　centralized　than　they　are　in　the　United　States；　the　people　would　exercise　a　less　direct　and　less　irresistible　influence　upon　public　affairs；　and　yet　every　citizen　invested　with　certain　rights　would　participate；　within　his　sphere；　in　the　conduct　of　the　government。　The　observations　I　made　amongst　the　Anglo…Americans　induce　me　to　believe　that　democratic　institutions　of　this　kind；　prudently　introduced　into　society；　so　as　gradually　to　mix　with　the　habits　and　to　be　interfused　with　the　opinions　of　the　people；　might　subsist　in　other　countries　besides　America。　　If　the　laws　of　the　United　States　were　the　only　imaginable　democratic　laws；　or　the　most　perfect　which　it　is　possible　to　conceive；　I　should　admit　that　the　success　of　those　institutions　affords　no　proof　of　the　success　of　democratic　institutions　in　general；　in　a　country　less　favored　by　natural　circumstances。　　But　as　the　laws　of　America　appear　to　me　to　be　defective　in　several　respects；　and　as　I　can　readily　imagine　others　of　the　same　general　nature；　the　peculiar　advantages　of　that　country　do　not　prove　that　democratic　institutions　cannot　succeed　in　a　nation　less　favored　by　circumstances；　if　ruled　by　better　laws。

If　human　nature　were　different　in　America　from　what　it　is　elsewhere；　or　if　the　social　condition　of　the　Americans　engendered　habits　and　opinions　amongst　them　different　from　those　which　originate　in　the　same　social　condition　in　the　Old　World；　the　American　democracies　would　afford　no　means　of　predicting　what　may　occur　in　other　democracies。　　If　the　Americans　displayed　the　same　propensities　as　all　other　democratic　nations；　and　if　their　legislators　had　relied　upon　the　nature　of　the　country　and　the　favor　of　circumstances　to　restrain　those　propensities　within　due　limits；　the　prosperity　of　the　United　States