democracy in america-1-第98章

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the　other　is　gaining　it。　　This　rapid　and　disproportionate　increase　of　certain　States　threatens　the　independence　of　the　others。　　New　York　might　perhaps　succeed；　with　its　2；000；000　of　inhabitants　and　its　forty　representatives；　in　dictating　to　the　other　States　in　Congress。　But　even　if　the　more　powerful　States　make　no　attempt　to　bear　down　the　lesser　ones；　the　danger　still　exists；　for　there　is　almost　as　much　in　the　possibility　of　the　act　as　in　the　act　itself。　　The　weak　generally　mistrust　the　justice　and　the　reason　of　the　strong。　　The　States　which　increase　less　rapidly　than　the　others　look　upon　those　which　are　more　favored　by　fortune　with　envy　and　suspicion。　　Hence　arise　the　deep…seated　uneasiness　and　ill…defined　agitation　which　are　observable　in　the　South；　and　which　form　so　striking　a　contrast　to　the　confidence　and　prosperity　which　are　common　to　other　parts　of　the　Union。　　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　the　hostile　measures　taken　by　the　Southern　provinces　upon　a　recent　occasion　are　attributable　to　no　other　cause。　　The　inhabitants　of　the　Southern　States　are；　of　all　the　Americans；　those　who　are　most　interested　in　the　maintenance　of　the　Union；　they　would　assuredly　suffer　most　from　being　left　to　themselves；　and　yet　they　are　the　only　citizens　who　threaten　to　break　the　tie　of　confederation。　　But　it　is　easy　to　perceive　that　the　South；　which　has　given　four　Presidents；　Washington；　Jefferson；　Madison；　and　Monroe；　to　the　Union；　which　perceives　that　it　is　losing　its　federal　influence；　and　that　the　number　of　its　representatives　in　Congress　is　diminishing　from　year　to　year；　whilst　those　of　the　Northern　and　Western　States　are　increasing；　the　South；　which　is　peopled　with　ardent　and　irascible　beings；　is　becoming　more　and　more　irritated　and　alarmed。　　The　citizens　reflect　upon　their　present　position　and　remember　their　past　influence；　with　the　melancholy　uneasiness　of　men　who　suspect　oppression：　if　they　discover　a　law　of　the　Union　which　is　not　unequivocally　favorable　to　their　interests；　they　protest　against　it　as　an　abuse　of　force；　and　if　their　ardent　remonstrances　are　not　listened　to；　they　threaten　to　quit　an　association　which　loads　them　with　burdens　whilst　it　deprives　them　of　their　due　profits。　　〃The　tariff；〃　said　the　inhabitants　of　Carolina　in　1832；　〃enriches　the　North；　and　ruins　the　South；　for　if　this　were　not　the　case；　to　what　can　we　attribute　the　continually　increasing　power　and　wealth　of　the　North；　with　its　inclement　skies　and　arid　soil；　whilst　the　South；　which　may　be　styled　the　garden　of　America；　is　rapidly　declining？〃　*q

＇Footnote　q：　See　the　report　of　its　committee　to　the　Convention　which　proclaimed　the　nullification　of　the　tariff　in　South　Carolina。＇

If　the　changes　which　I　have　described　were　gradual；　so　that　each　generation　at　least　might　have　time　to　disappear　with　the　order　of　things　under　which　it　had　lived；　the　danger　would　be　less；　but　the　progress　of　society　in　America　is　precipitate；　and　almost　revolutionary。　　The　same　citizen　may　have　lived　to　see　his　State　take　the　lead　in　the　Union；　and　afterwards　become　powerless　in　the　federal　assemblies；　and　an　Anglo…American　republic　has　been　known　to　grow　as　rapidly　as　a　man　passing　from　birth　and　infancy　to　maturity　in　the　course　of　thirty　years。　　It　must　not　be　imagined；　however；　that　the　States　which　lose　their　preponderance；　also　lose　their　population　or　their　riches：　no　stop　is　put　to　their　prosperity；　and　they　even　go　on　to　increase　more　rapidly　than　any　kingdom　in　Europe。　*r　But　they　believe　themselves　to　be　impoverished　because　their　wealth　does　not　augment　as　rapidly　as　that　of　their　neighbors；　any　they　think　that　their　power　is　lost；　because　they　suddenly　come　into　collision　with　a　power　greater　than　their　own：　*s　thus　they　are　more　hurt　in　their　feelings　and　their　passions　than　in　their　interests。　　But　this　is　amply　sufficient　to　endanger　the　maintenance　of　the　Union。　　If　kings　and　peoples　had　only　had　their　true　interests　in　view　ever　since　the　beginning　of　the　world；　the　name　of　war　would　scarcely　be　known　among　mankind。　

＇Footnote　r：　The　population　of　a　country　assuredly　constitutes　the　first　element　of　its　wealth。　　In　the　ten　years　（1820…1830）　during　which　Virginia　lost　two　of　its　representatives　in　Congress；　its　population　increased　in　the　proportion　of　13。7　per　cent。；　that　of　Carolina　in　the　proportion　of　fifteen　per　cent。；　and　that　of　Georgia；　15。5　per　cent。　　（See　the　〃American　Almanac；〃　1832；　p。　162）　But　the　population　of　Russia；　which　increases　more　rapidly　than　that　of　any　other　European　country；　only　augments　in　ten　years　at　the　rate　of　9。5　per　cent。；　in　France；　at　the　rate　of　seven　per　cent。；　and　in　Europe　in　general；　at　the　rate　of　4。7　per　cent。　（See　〃Malte　Brun；〃　vol。　vi。　p。　95）＇

＇Footnote　s：　It　must　be　admitted；　however；　that　the　depreciation　which　has　taken　place　in　the　value　of　tobacco；　during　the　last　fifty　years；　has　notably　diminished　the　opulence　of　the　Southern　planters：　but　this　circumstance　is　as　independent　of　the　will　of　their　Northern　brethren　as　it　is　of　their　own。＇

Thus　the　prosperity　of　the　United　States　is　the　source　of　the　most　serious　dangers　that　threaten　them；　since　it　tends　to　create　in　some　of　the　confederate　States　that　over…excitement　which　accompanies　a　rapid　increase　of　fortune；　and　to　awaken　in　others　those　feelings　of　envy；　mistrust；　and　regret　which　usually　attend　upon　the　loss　of　it。　　The　Americans　contemplate　this　extraordinary　and　hasty　progress　with　exultation；　but　they　would　be　wiser　to　consider　it　with　sorrow　and　alarm。　The　Americans　of　the　United　States　must　inevitably　become　one　of　the　greatest　nations　in　the　world；　their　offset　will　cover　almost　the　whole　of　North　America；　the　continent　which　they　inhabit　is　their　dominion；　and　it　cannot　escape　them。　　What　urges　them　to　take　possession　of　it　so　soon？　Riches；　power；　and　renown　cannot　fail　to　be　theirs　at　some　future　time；　but　they　rush　upon　their　fortune　as　if　but　a　moment　remained　for　them　to　make　it　their　own。

I　think　that　I　have　demonstrated　that　the　existence　of　the　present　confederation　depends　entirely　on　the　continued　assent　of　all　the　confederates；　and；　starting　from　this　principle；　I　have　inquired　into　the　causes　which　may　induce　the　several　States　to　separate　from　the　others。　　The　Union　may；　however；　perish　in　two　different　ways：　one　of　the　confederate　States　may　choose　to　retire　from　the　compact；　and　so　forcibly　to　sever　the　federal　tie；　and　it　is　to　this　supposition　that　most　of　the　remarks　that　I　have　made　apply：　or　the　authority　of　the　Federal　Government　may　be　progressively　entrenched　on　by　the　simultaneous　tendency　of　the　united　republics　to　resume　their　independence。　　The　central　power；　successively　stripped　of　all　its　prerogatives；　and　reduced　to　impotence　by　tacit　consent；　would　become　incompetent　to　fulfil　its　purpose；　and　the　second　Union　would　perish；　like　the　first；　by　a　sort　of　senile　inaptitude。　　The　gradual　weakening　of　the　federal　tie；　which　may　finally　lead　to　the　dissolution　of　the　Union；　is　a　distinct　circumstance；　that　may　produce　a　variety　of　minor　consequences　before　it　operates　so　violent　a　change。　　The　confederation　might　still　subsist；　although　its　Government　were　reduced　to　such　a　degree　of　inanition　as　to　paralyze　the　nation；　to　cause　internal　anarchy；　and　to　check　the　general　prosperity　of　the　country。

After　having　investigated　the　causes　which　may　induce　the　Anglo…Americans　to　disunite；　it　is　important　to　inquire　whether；　if　the　Union　continues　to　subsist；　their　Government　will　extend　or　contract　its　sphere　of　action；　and　whether　it　will　become　more　energetic　or　more　weak。


The　Americans　are　evidently　disposed　to　look　upon　their　future　condition　with　alarm。　　They　perceive　that　in　most　of　the　nations　of　the　world　the　exercise　of　the　rights　of　sovereignty　tends　to　fall　under　the　control　of　a　few　individuals；　and　they　are　dismayed　by　the　idea　that　such　will　also　be　the　case　in　their　own　country。　　Even　the　statesmen　feel；　or　affect　to　feel；　these　fears；　for；　in　America；　centralization　is　by　no　means　popular；　and　there　is　no　surer　means　of　courting　the　majority　than　by　inveighing　against　the　encroachments　of　the　central　power。　　The　Americans　do　not　perceive　that　the　countries　in　which　this　alarming　tendency　to　centralization　exists　are　inhabited　by　a　single　people；　whilst　the　fact　of　the　Union　being　composed　of　different　confederate　communities　is　sufficient　to　baffle　all　the　inferences　which　might　be　drawn　from　analogous　circumstances。　　I　confess　that　I　am　inclined　to　consider　the　fears　of　a　great　number　of　Americans　as　purely　imaginary；　and　far　from　participating　in　their　dread　of　the　consolidation　of　power　in　the　hands　of　the　Union；　I　think　that　the　Federal　Government　is　visibly　losing　strength。

To　prove　this　assertion　I　shall　not　have　recourse　to　any　remote　occurrences；　but　to　circumstances　which　I　have　myself　witnessed；　and　which　belong　to　our　own　time。

An　attentive　examination　of　what　is　going　on　in　the　United　States　will　easily　convince　us　that　two　opposite　tendencies　exist　in　that　country；　like　two　distinct　currents　flowing　in　contrary　directions　in　the　same　channel。　The　Union　has　now　existed　for　forty…five　years；　and　in　the　course　of　that　time　a　vast　number　of　provincial　prejudices；　which　were　at　first　hostile　to　its　power；　have　died　away。　　The　patriotic　feeling　which　attached　each　of　the　Americans　to　his　own　native　State　is　become　less　exclusive；　and　the　different　parts　of　the　Union　have　become　more　intimately　connected　the　better　they　have　become　acquainted　with　each　other。　　The　post；　*t　that　great　instrument　of　intellectual　intercourse；　now　reaches　into　the　backwoods；　and　steamboats　have　established　daily　means　of　communication　between　the　different　points　of　the　coast。　　An　inland　navigation　of　unexampled　rapidity　conveys　commodities　up　and　down　the　rivers　of　the　country。　*u　And　to　these　facilities　of　nature　and　art　may　be　added　those　restless　cravings；　that　busy…mindedness；　and　love　of　pelf；　which　are　constantly　urging　the　American　into　active　life；　and　bringing　him　into　contact　with　his　fellow…citizens。　　He　crosses　the　country　in　every　direction；　he　visits　all　the　various　populations　of　the　land；　and　there　is　not　a　province　in　France　in　which　the　natives　are　so　well　known　to　each　other　as　the　13；000；000　of　men　who　cover　the　territory　of　the　United　States。

＇Footnote　t：　In　1832；　the　district　of　Michigan；　which　only　contains　31；639　inhabitants；　and　is　still　an　almost　unexplored　wilderness；　possessed　940　miles　of　mail…roads。　　The　territory　of　Arkansas；　which　is　still　more　uncultivated；　was　already　intersected　by　1；938　miles　of　mail…roads。　　（See　the　report　of　the　General　Post　Office；　November　30；　1833。）　The　postage　of　newspapers　alone　in　the　whole　Union　amounted　to　254；796。＇

＇Footnote　u：　In　the　course　of　ten　years；　from　1821　to　1831；　271　steamboats　have　been　launched　upon　the　rivers　which　water　the　valley　of　the　Mississippi　alone。　　In　1829　259　steamboats　existed　in　the　United　States。　　（See　Legislative　Documents；　No。　140；　p。　　274。）＇　

But　whilst　the　Americans　intermingle；　they　grow　in　resemblance　of　each　other；　the　differences　resulting　from　their　climate；　their　origin；　and　their　institutions；　diminish；　and　they　all　draw　nearer　and　nearer　to　the　common　type。　　Every　year；　thousands　of　men　leave　the　North　to　settle　in　differe