democracy in america-1-第78章

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＇Footnote　n：　＇This　prediction　of　the　return　of　France　to　imperial　despotism；　and　of　the　true　character　of　that　despotic　power；　was　written　in　1832；　and　realized　to　the　letter　in　1852。＇＇

And　indeed　it　is　deserving　of　consideration；　whether　men　are　to　be　entirely　emancipated　or　entirely　enslaved；　whether　their　rights　are　to　be　made　equal；　or　wholly　taken　away　from　them。　　If　the　rulers　of　society　were　reduced　either　gradually　to　raise　the　crowd　to　their　own　level；　or　to　sink　the　citizens　below　that　of　humanity；　would　not　the　doubts　of　many　be　resolved；　the　consciences　of　many　be　healed；　and　the　community　prepared　to　make　great　sacrifices　with　little　difficulty？　　In　that　case；　the　gradual　growth　of　democratic　manners　and　institutions　should　be　regarded；　not　as　the　best；　but　as　the　only　means　of　preserving　freedom；　and　without　liking　the　government　of　democracy；　it　might　be　adopted　as　the　most　applicable　and　the　fairest　remedy　for　the　present　ills　of　society。

It　is　difficult　to　associate　a　people　in　the　work　of　government；　but　it　is　still　more　difficult　to　supply　it　with　experience；　and　to　inspire　it　with　the　feelings　which　it　requires　in　order　to　govern　well。　　I　grant　that　the　caprices　of　democracy　are　perpetual；　its　instruments　are　rude；　its　laws　imperfect。　　But　if　it　were　true　that　soon　no　just　medium　would　exist　between　the　empire　of　democracy　and　the　dominion　of　a　single　arm；　should　we　not　rather　incline　towards　the　former　than　submit　voluntarily　to　the　latter？　　And　if　complete　equality　be　our　fate；　is　it　not　better　to　be　levelled　by　free　institutions　than　by　despotic　power？

Those　who；　after　having　read　this　book；　should　imagine　that　my　intention　in　writing　it　has　been　to　propose　the　laws　and　manners　of　the　Anglo…Americans　for　the　imitation　of　all　democratic　peoples；　would　commit　a　very　great　mistake；　they　must　have　paid　more　attention　to　the　form　than　to　the　substance　of　my　ideas。　　My　aim　has　been　to　show；　by　the　example　of　America；　that　laws；　and　especially　manners；　may　exist　which　will　allow　a　democratic　people　to　remain　free。　　But　I　am　very　far　from　thinking　that　we　ought　to　follow　the　example　of　the　American　democracy；　and　copy　the　means　which　it　has　employed　to　attain　its　ends；　for　I　am　well　aware　of　the　influence　which　the　nature　of　a　country　and　its　political　precedents　exercise　upon　a　constitution；　and　I　should　regard　it　as　a　great　misfortune　for　mankind　if　liberty　were　to　exist　all　over　the　world　under　the　same　forms。

But　I　am　of　opinion　that　if　we　do　not　succeed　in　gradually　introducing　democratic　institutions　into　France；　and　if　we　despair　of　imparting　to　the　citizens　those　ideas　and　sentiments　which　first　prepare　them　for　freedom；　and　afterwards　allow　them　to　enjoy　it；　there　will　be　no　independence　at　all；　either　for　the　middling　classes　or　the　nobility；　for　the　poor　or　for　the　rich；　but　an　equal　tyranny　over　all；　and　I　foresee　that　if　the　peaceable　empire　of　the　majority　be　not　founded　amongst　us　in　time；　we　shall　sooner　or　later　arrive　at　the　unlimited　authority　of　a　single　despot。　

Chapter　XVIII：　Future　Condition　Of　Three　Races　In　The　United　States　…　Part　I

The　Present　And　Probable　Future　Condition　Of　The　Three　Races　Which　Inhabit　The　Territory　Of　The　United　States

The　principal　part　of　the　task　which　I　had　imposed　upon　myself　is　now　performed。　　I　have　shown；　as　far　as　I　was　able；　the　laws　and　the　manners　of　the　American　democracy。　　Here　I　might　stop；　but　the　reader　would　perhaps　feel　that　I　had　not　satisfied　his　expectations。

The　absolute　supremacy　of　democracy　is　not　all　that　we　meet　with　in　America；　the　inhabitants　of　the　New　World　may　be　considered　from　more　than　one　point　of　view。　　In　the　course　of　this　work　my　subject　has　often　led　me　to　speak　of　the　Indians　and　the　Negroes；　but　I　have　never　been　able　to　stop　in　order　to　show　what　place　these　two　races　occupy　in　the　midst　of　the　democratic　people　whom　I　was　engaged　in　describing。　　I　have　mentioned　in　what　spirit；　and　according　to　what　laws；　the　Anglo…American　Union　was　formed；　but　I　could　only　glance　at　the　dangers　which　menace　that　confederation；　whilst　it　was　equally　impossible　for　me　to　give　a　detailed　account　of　its　chances　of　duration；　independently　of　its　laws　and　manners。　　When　speaking　of　the　united　republican　States；　I　hazarded　no　conjectures　upon　the　permanence　of　republican　forms　in　the　New　World；　and　when　making　frequent　allusion　to　the　commercial　activity　which　reigns　in　the　Union；　I　was　unable　to　inquire　into　the　future　condition　of　the　Americans　as　a　commercial　people。

These　topics　are　collaterally　connected　with　my　subject　without　forming　a　part　of　it；　they　are　American　without　being　democratic；　and　to　portray　democracy　has　been　my　principal　aim。　　It　was　therefore　necessary　to　postpone　these　questions；　which　I　now　take　up　as　the　proper　termination　of　my　work。

The　territory　now　occupied　or　claimed　by　the　American　Union　spreads　from　the　shores　of　the　Atlantic　to　those　of　the　Pacific　Ocean。　　On　the　east　and　west　its　limits　are　those　of　the　continent　itself。　　On　the　south　it　advances　nearly　to　the　tropic；　and　it　extends　upwards　to　the　icy　regions　of　the　North。　The　human　beings　who　are　scattered　over　this　space　do　not　form；　as　in　Europe；　so　many　branches　of　the　same　stock。　　Three　races；　naturally　distinct；　and；　I　might　almost　say；　hostile　to　each　other；　are　discoverable　amongst　them　at　the　first　glance。　　Almost　insurmountable　barriers　had　been　raised　between　them　by　education　and　by　law；　as　well　as　by　their　origin　and　outward　characteristics；　but　fortune　has　brought　them　together　on　the　same　soil；　where；　although　they　are　mixed；　they　do　not　amalgamate；　and　each　race　fulfils　its　destiny　apart。　

Amongst　these　widely　differing　families　of　men；　the　first　which　attracts　attention；　the　superior　in　intelligence；　in　power　and　in　enjoyment；　is　the　white　or　European；　the　man　pre…eminent；　and　in　subordinate　grades；　the　negro　and　the　Indian。　　These　two　unhappy　races　have　nothing　in　common；　neither　birth；　nor　features；　nor　language；　nor　habits。　　Their　only　resemblance　lies　in　their　misfortunes。　　Both　of　them　occupy　an　inferior　rank　in　the　country　they　inhabit；　both　suffer　from　tyranny；　and　if　their　wrongs　are　not　the　same；　they　originate；　at　any　rate；　with　the　same　authors。　

If　we　reasoned　from　what　passes　in　the　world；　we　should　almost　say　that　the　European　is　to　the　other　races　of　mankind；　what　man　is　to　the　lower　animals；　…　he　makes　them　subservient　to　his　use；　and　when　he　cannot　subdue；　he　destroys　them。　　Oppression　has；　at　one　stroke；　deprived　the　descendants　of　the　Africans　of　almost　all　the　privileges　of　humanity。　　The　negro　of　the　United　States　has　lost　all　remembrance　of　his　country；　the　language　which　his　forefathers　spoke　is　never　heard　around　him；　he　abjured　their　religion　and　forgot　their　customs　when　he　ceased　to　belong　to　Africa；　without　acquiring　any　claim　to　European　privileges。　　But　he　remains　half　way　between　the　two　communities；　sold　by　the　one；　repulsed　by　the　other；　finding　not　a　spot　in　the　universe　to　call　by　the　name　of　country；　except　the　faint　image　of　a　home　which　the　shelter　of　his　master's　roof　affords。

The　negro　has　no　family；　woman　is　merely　the　temporary　companion　of　his　pleasures；　and　his　children　are　upon　an　equality　with　himself　from　the　moment　of　their　birth。　　Am　I　to　call　it　a　proof　of　God's　mercy　or　a　visitation　of　his　wrath；　that　man　in　certain　states　appears　to　be　insensible　to　his　extreme　wretchedness；　and　almost　affects；　with　a　depraved　taste；　the　cause　of　his　misfortunes？　　The　negro；　who　is　plunged　in　this　abyss　of　evils；　scarcely　feels　his　own　calamitous　situation。　　Violence　made　him　a　slave；　and　the　habit　of　servitude　gives　him　the　thoughts　and　desires　of　a　slave；　he　admires　his　tyrants　more　than　he　hates　them；　and　finds　his　joy　and　his　pride　in　the　servile　imitation　of　those　who　oppress　him：　his　understanding　is　degraded　to　the　level　of　his　soul。

The　negro　enters　upon　slavery　as　soon　as　he　is　born：　nay；　he　may　have　been　purchased　in　the　womb；　and　have　begun　his　slavery　before　he　began　his　existence。　　Equally　devoid　of　wants　and　of　enjoyment；　and　useless　to　himself；　he　learns；　with　his　first　notions　of　existence；　that　he　is　the　property　of　another；　who　has　an　interest　in　preserving　his　life；　and　that　the　care　of　it　does　not　devolve　upon　himself；　even　the　power　of　thought　appears　to　him　a　useless　gift　of　Providence；　and　he　quietly　enjoys　the　privileges　of　his　debasement。　　If　he　becomes　free；　independence　is　often　felt　by　him　to　be　a　heavier　burden　than　slavery；　for　having　learned；　in　the　course　of　his　life；　to　submit　to　everything　except　reason；　he　is　too　much　unacquainted　with　her　dictates　to　obey　them。　　A　thousand　new　desires　beset　him；　and　he　is　destitute　of　the　knowledge　and　energy　necessary　to　resist　them：　these　are　masters　which　it　is　necessary　to　contend　with；　and　he　has　learnt　only　to　submit　and　obey。　In　short；　he　sinks　to　such　a　depth　of　wretchedness；　that　while　servitude　brutalizes；　liberty　destroys　him。

Oppression　has　been　no　less　fatal　to　the　Indian　than　to　the　negro　race；　but　its　effects　are　different。　　Before　the　arrival　of　white　men　in　the　New　World；　the　inhabitants　of　North　America　lived　quietly　in　their　woods；　enduring　the　vicissitudes　and　practising　the　virtues　and　vices　common　to　savage　nations。　　The　Europeans；　having　dispersed　the　Indian　tribes　and　driven　them　into　the　deserts；　condemned　them　to　a　wandering　life　full　of　inexpressible　sufferings。

Savage　nations　are　only　controlled　by　opinion　and　by　custom。　　When　the　North　American　Indians　had　lost　the　sentiment　of　attachment　to　their　country；　when　their　families　were　dispersed；　their　traditions　obscured；　and　the　chain　of　their　recollections　broken；　when　all　their　habits　were　changed；　and　their　wants　increased　beyond　measure；　European　tyranny　rendered　them　more　disorderly　and　less　civilized　than　they　were　before。　　The　moral　and　physical　condition　of　these　tribes　continually　grew　worse；　and　they　became　more　barbarous　as　they　became　more　wretched。　　Nevertheless；　the　Europeans　have　not　been　able　to　metamorphose　the　character　of　the　Indians；　and　though　they　have　had　power　to　destroy　them；　they　have　never　been　able　to　make　them　submit　to　the　rules　of　civilized　society。

The　lot　of　the　negro　is　placed　on　the　extreme　limit　of　servitude；　while　that　of　the　Indian　lies　on　the　uttermost　verge　of　liberty；　and　slavery　does　not　produce　more　fatal　effects　upon　the　first；　than　independence　upon　the　second。　　The　negro　has　lost　all　property　in　his　own　person；　and　he　cannot　dispose　of　his　existence　without　committing　a　sort　of　fraud：　but　the　savage　is　his　own　master　as　soon　as　he　is　able　to　act；　parental　authority　is　scarcely　known　to　him；　he　has　never　bent　his　will　to　that　of　any　of　his　kind；　nor　learned　the　difference　between　voluntary　obedience　and　a　shameful　subjection；　and　the　very　name　of　law　is　unknown　to　him。　　To　be　free；　with　him；　signifies　to　escape　from　all　the　shackles　of　society。　　As　he　delights　in　this　barbarous　independence；　and　would　rather　perish　than　sacrifice　the　least　part　of　it；　civilization　has　little　power　over　him。

The　negro　makes　a　thousand　fruitless　efforts　to　insinuate　himself　amongst　men　who　repulse　him；　he　conforms　to　the　tastes　of　his　oppressors；　adopts　their　opinions；　and　hopes　by　imitating