democracy in america-1-第28节

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s；　and　interfere　with　the　Government。　　In　America　the　legislature　of　each　State　is　supreme；　nothing　can　impede　its　authority；　neither　privileges；　nor　local　immunities；　nor　personal　influence；　nor　even　the　empire　of　reason；　since　it　represents　that　majority　which　claims　to　be　the　sole　organ　of　reason。　　Its　own　determination　is；　therefore；　the　only　limit　to　this　action。　　In　juxtaposition　to　it；　and　under　its　immediate　control；　is　the　representative　of　the　executive　power；　whose　duty　it　is　to　constrain　the　refractory　to　submit　by　superior　force。　　The　only　symptom　of　weakness　lies　in　certain　details　of　the　action　of　the　Government。　　The　American　republics　have　no　standing　armies　to　intimidate　a　discontented　minority；　but　as　no　minority　has　as　yet　been　reduced　to　declare　open　war；　the　necessity　of　an　army　has　not　been　felt。　*q　The　State　usually　employs　the　officers　of　the　township　or　the　county　to　deal　with　the　citizens。　　Thus；　for　instance；　in　New　England；　the　assessor　fixes　the　rate　of　taxes；　the　collector　receives　them；　the　town…treasurer　transmits　the　amount　to　the　public　treasury；　and　the　disputes　which　may　arise　are　brought　before　the　ordinary　courts　of　justice。　　This　method　of　collecting　taxes　is　slow　as　well　as　inconvenient；　and　it　would　prove　a　perpetual　hindrance　to　a　Government　whose　pecuniary　demands　were　large。　　It　is　desirable　that；　in　whatever　materially　affects　its　existence；　the　Government　should　be　served　by　officers　of　its　own；　appointed　by　itself；　removable　at　pleasure；　and　accustomed　to　rapid　methods　of　proceeding。　　But　it　will　always　be　easy　for　the　central　government；　organized　as　it　is　in　America；　to　introduce　new　and　more　efficacious　modes　of　action；　proportioned　to　its　wants。　　＇Footnote　q：　＇The　Civil　War　of　1860…65　cruelly　belied　this　statement；　and　in　the　course　of　the　struggle　the　North　alone　called　two　millions　and　a　half　of　men　to　arms；　but　to　the　honor　of　the　United　States　it　must　be　added　that；　with　the　cessation　of　the　contest；　this　army　disappeared　as　rapidly　as　it　had　been　raised。　…　Translator's　Note。＇＇

The　absence　of　a　central　government　will　not；　then；　as　has　often　been　asserted；　prove　the　destruction　of　the　republics　of　the　New　World；　far　from　supposing　that　the　American　governments　are　not　sufficiently　centralized；　I　shall　prove　hereafter　that　they　are　too　much　so。　　The　legislative　bodies　daily　encroach　upon　the　authority　of　the　Government；　and　their　tendency；　like　that　of　the　French　Convention；　is　to　appropriate　it　entirely　to　themselves。　Under　these　circumstances　the　social　power　is　constantly　changing　hands；　because　it　is　subordinate　to　the　power　of　the　people；　which　is　too　apt　to　forget　the　maxims　of　wisdom　and　of　foresight　in　the　consciousness　of　its　strength：　hence　arises　its　danger；　and　thus　its　vigor；　and　not　its　impotence；　will　probably　be　the　cause　of　its　ultimate　destruction。

The　system　of　local　administration　produces　several　different　effects　in　America。　　The　Americans　seem　to　me　to　have　outstepped　the　limits　of　sound　policy　in　isolating　the　administration　of　the　Government；　for　order；　even　in　second…rate　affairs；　is　a　matter　of　national　importance。　*r　As　the　State　has　no　administrative　functionaries　of　its　own；　stationed　on　different　points　of　its　territory；　to　whom　it　can　give　a　common　impulse；　the　consequence　is　that　it　rarely　attempts　to　issue　any　general　police　regulations。　　The　want　of　these　regulations　is　severely　felt；　and　is　frequently　observed　by　Europeans。　The　appearance　of　disorder　which　prevails　on　the　surface　leads　him　at　first　to　imagine　that　society　is　in　a　state　of　anarchy；　nor　does　he　perceive　his　mistake　till　he　has　gone　deeper　into　the　subject。　　Certain　undertakings　are　of　importance　to　the　whole　State；　but　they　cannot　be　put　in　execution；　because　there　is　no　national　administration　to　direct　them。　　Abandoned　to　the　exertions　of　the　towns　or　counties；　under　the　care　of　elected　or　temporary　agents；　they　lead　to　no　result；　or　at　least　to　no　durable　benefit。

＇Footnote　r：　The　authority　which　represents　the　State　ought　not；　I　think；　to　waive　the　right　of　inspecting　the　local　administration；　even　when　it　does　not　interfere　more　actively。　　Suppose；　for　instance；　that　an　agent　of　the　Government　was　stationed　at　some　appointed　spot　in　the　country；　to　prosecute　the　misdemeanors　of　the　town　and　county　officers；　would　not　a　more　uniform　order　be　the　result；　without　in　any　way　compromising　the　independence　of　the　township？　　Nothing　of　the　kind；　however；　exists　in　America：　there　is　nothing　above　the　county…courts；　which　have；　as　it　were；　only　an　incidental　cognizance　of　the　offences　they　are　meant　to　repress。＇　

The　partisans　of　centralization　in　Europe　are　wont　to　maintain　that　the　Government　directs　the　affairs　of　each　locality　better　than　the　citizens　could　do　it　for　themselves；　this　may　be　true　when　the　central　power　is　enlightened；　and　when　the　local　districts　are　ignorant；　when　it　is　as　alert　as　they　are　slow；　when　it　is　accustomed　to　act；　and　they　to　obey。　　Indeed；　it　is　evident　that　this　double　tendency　must　augment　with　the　increase　of　centralization；　and　that　the　readiness　of　the　one　and　the　incapacity　of　the　others　must　become　more　and　more　prominent。　　But　I　deny　that　such　is　the　case　when　the　people　is　as　enlightened；　as　awake　to　its　interests；　and　as　accustomed　to　reflect　on　them；　as　the　Americans　are。　　I　am　persuaded；　on　the　contrary；　that　in　this　case　the　collective　strength　of　the　citizens　will　always　conduce　more　efficaciously　to　the　public　welfare　than　the　authority　of　the　Government。　　It　is　difficult　to　point　out　with　certainty　the　means　of　arousing　a　sleeping　population；　and　of　giving　it　passions　and　knowledge　which　it　does　not　possess；　it　is；　I　am　well　aware；　an　arduous　task　to　persuade　men　to　busy　themselves　about　their　own　affairs；　and　it　would　frequently　be　easier　to　interest　them　in　the　punctilios　of　court　etiquette　than　in　the　repairs　of　their　common　dwelling。　　But　whenever　a　central　administration　affects　to　supersede　the　persons　most　interested；　I　am　inclined　to　suppose　that　it　is　either　misled　or　desirous　to　mislead。　　However　enlightened　and　however　skilful　a　central　power　may　be；　it　cannot　of　itself　embrace　all　the　details　of　the　existence　of　a　great　nation。　　Such　vigilance　exceeds　the　powers　of　man。　　And　when　it　attempts　to　create　and　set　in　motion　so　many　complicated　springs；　it　must　submit　to　a　very　imperfect　result；　or　consume　itself　in　bootless　efforts。

Centralization　succeeds　more　easily；　indeed；　in　subjecting　the　external　actions　of　men　to　a　certain　uniformity；　which　at　least　commands　our　regard；　independently　of　the　objects　to　which　it　is　applied；　like　those　devotees　who　worship　the　statue　and　forget　the　deity　it　represents。　　Centralization　imparts　without　difficulty　an　admirable　regularity　to　the　routine　of　business；　provides　for　the　details　of　the　social　police　with　sagacity；　represses　the　smallest　disorder　and　the　most　petty　misdemeanors；　maintains　society　in　a　status　quo　alike　secure　from　improvement　and　decline；　and　perpetuates　a　drowsy　precision　in　the　conduct　of　affairs；　which　is　hailed　by　the　heads　of　the　administration　as　a　sign　of　perfect　order　and　public　tranquillity：　*s　in　short；　it　excels　more　in　prevention　than　in　action。　　Its　force　deserts　it　when　society　is　to　be　disturbed　or　accelerated　in　its　course；　and　if　once　the　co…operation　of　private　citizens　is　necessary　to　the　furtherance　of　its　measures；　the　secret　of　its　impotence　is　disclosed。　　Even　whilst　it　invokes　their　assistance；　it　is　on　the　condition　that　they　shall　act　exactly　as　much　as　the　Government　chooses；　and　exactly　in　the　manner　it　appoints。　　They　are　to　take　charge　of　the　details；　without　aspiring　to　guide　the　system；　they　are　to　work　in　a　dark　and　subordinate　sphere；　and　only　to　judge　the　acts　in　which　they　have　themselves　cooperated　by　their　results。：　These；　however；　are　not　conditions　on　which　the　alliance　of　the　human　will　is　to　be　obtained；　its　carriage　must　be　free　and　its　actions　responsible；　or　（such　is　the　constitution　of　man）　the　citizen　had　rather　remain　a　passive　spectator　than　a　dependent　actor　in　schemes　with　which　he　is　unacquainted。

＇Footnote　s：　China　appears　to　me　to　present　the　most　perfect　instance　of　that　species　of　well…being　which　a　completely　central　administration　may　furnish　to　the　nations　among　which　it　exists。　　Travellers　assure　us　that　the　Chinese　have　peace　without　happiness；　industry　without　improvement；　stability　without　strength；　and　public　order　without　public　morality。　　The　condition　of　society　is　always　tolerable；　never　excellent。　　I　am　convinced　that；　when　China　is　opened　to　European　observation；　it　will　be　found　to　contain　the　most　perfect　model　of　a　central　administration　which　exists　in　the　universe。＇

It　is　undeniable　that　the　want　of　those　uniform　regulations　which　control　the　conduct　of　every　inhabitant　of　France　is　not　unfrequently　felt　in　the　United　States。　　Gross　instances　of　social　indifference　and　neglect　are　to　be　met　with；　and　from　time　to　time　disgraceful　blemishes　are　seen　in　complete　contrast　with　the　surrounding　civilization。　　Useful　undertakings　which　cannot　succeed　without　perpetual　attention　and　rigorous　exactitude　are　very　frequently　abandoned　in　the　end；　for　in　America；　as　well　as　in　other　count