democracy in america-1-第29节

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orous　exactitude　are　very　frequently　abandoned　in　the　end；　for　in　America；　as　well　as　in　other　countries；　the　people　is　subject　to　sudden　impulses　and　momentary　exertions。　The　European　who　is　accustomed　to　find　a　functionary　always　at　hand　to　interfere　with　all　he　undertakes　has　some　difficulty　in　accustoming　himself　to　the　complex　mechanism　of　the　administration　of　the　townships。　　In　general　it　may　be　affirmed　that　the　lesser　details　of　the　police；　which　render　life　easy　and　comfortable；　are　neglected　in　America；　but　that　the　essential　guarantees　of　man　in　society　are　as　strong　there　as　elsewhere。　　In　America　the　power　which　conducts　the　Government　is　far　less　regular；　less　enlightened；　and　less　learned；　but　an　hundredfold　more　authoritative　than　in　Europe。　　In　no　country　in　the　world　do　the　citizens　make　such　exertions　for　the　common　weal；　and　I　am　acquainted　with　no　people　which　has　established　schools　as　numerous　and　as　efficacious；　places　of　public　worship　better　suited　to　the　wants　of　the　inhabitants；　or　roads　kept　in　better　repair。　Uniformity　or　permanence　of　design；　the　minute　arrangement　of　details；　*t　and　the　perfection　of　an　ingenious　administration；　must　not　be　sought　for　in　the　United　States；　but　it　will　be　easy　to　find；　on　the　other　hand；　the　symptoms　of　a　power　which；　if　it　is　somewhat　barbarous；　is　at　least　robust；　and　of　an　existence　which　is　checkered　with　accidents　indeed；　but　cheered　at　the　same　time　by　animation　and　effort。

＇Footnote　t：　A　writer　of　talent；　who；　in　the　comparison　which　he　has　drawn　between　the　finances　of　France　and　those　of　the　United　States；　has　proved　that　ingenuity　cannot　always　supply　the　place　of　a　knowledge　of　facts；　very　justly　reproaches　the　Americans　for　the　sort　of　confusion　which　exists　in　the　accounts　of　the　expenditure　in　the　townships；　and　after　giving　the　model　of　a　departmental　budget　in　France；　he　adds：　…　〃We　are　indebted　to　centralization；　that　admirable　invention　of　a　great　man；　for　the　uniform　order　and　method　which　prevail　alike　in　all　the　municipal　budgets；　from　the　largest　town　to　the　humblest　commune。〃　Whatever　may　be　my　admiration　of　this　result；　when　I　see　the　communes　of　France；　with　their　excellent　system　of　accounts；　plunged　into　the　grossest　ignorance　of　their　true　interests；　and　abandoned　to　so　incorrigible　an　apathy　that　they　seem　to　vegetate　rather　than　to　live；　when；　on　the　other　hand；　I　observe　the　activity；　the　information；　and　the　spirit　of　enterprise　which　keep　society　in　perpetual　labor；　in　those　American　townships　whose　budgets　are　drawn　up　with　small　method　and　with　still　less　uniformity；　I　am　struck　by　the　spectacle；　for　to　my　mind　the　end　of　a　good　government　is　to　ensure　the　welfare　of　a　people；　and　not　to　establish　order　and　regularity　in　the　midst　of　its　misery　and　its　distress。　I　am　therefore　led　to　suppose　that　the　prosperity　of　the　American　townships　and　the　apparent　confusion　of　their　accounts；　the　distress　of　the　French　communes　and　the　perfection　of　their　budget；　may　be　attributable　to　the　same　cause。　　At　any　rate　I　am　suspicious　of　a　benefit　which　is　united　to　so　many　evils；　and　I　am　not　averse　to　an　evil　which　is　compensated　by　so　many　benefits。＇

Granting　for　an　instant　that　the　villages　and　counties　of　the　United　States　would　be　more　usefully　governed　by　a　remote　authority　which　they　had　never　seen　than　by　functionaries　taken　from　the　midst　of　them　…　admitting；　for　the　sake　of　argument；　that　the　country　would　be　more　secure；　and　the　resources　of　society　better　employed；　if　the　whole　administration　centred　in　a　single　arm　…　still　the　political　advantages　which　the　Americans　derive　from　their　system　would　induce　me　to　prefer　it　to　the　contrary　plan。　　It　profits　me　but　little；　after　all；　that　a　vigilant　authority　should　protect　the　tranquillity　of　my　pleasures　and　constantly　avert　all　dangers　from　my　path；　without　my　care　or　my　concern；　if　this　same　authority　is　the　absolute　mistress　of　my　liberty　and　of　my　life；　and　if　it　so　monopolizes　all　the　energy　of　existence　that　when　it　languishes　everything　languishes　around　it；　that　when　it　sleeps　everything　must　sleep；　that　when　it　dies　the　State　itself　must　perish。

In　certain　countries　of　Europe　the　natives　consider　themselves　as　a　kind　of　settlers；　indifferent　to　the　fate　of　the　spot　upon　which　they　live。　　The　greatest　changes　are　effected　without　their　concurrence　and　（unless　chance　may　have　apprised　them　of　the　event）　without　their　knowledge；　nay　more；　the　citizen　is　unconcerned　as　to　the　condition　of　his　village；　the　police　of　his　street；　the　repairs　of　the　church　or　of　the　parsonage；　for　he　looks　upon　all　these　things　as　unconnected　with　himself；　and　as　the　property　of　a　powerful　stranger　whom　he　calls　the　Government。　　He　has　only　a　life…interest　in　these　possessions；　and　he　entertains　no　notions　of　ownership　or　of　improvement。　This　want　of　interest　in　his　own　affairs　goes　so　far　that；　if　his　own　safety　or　that　of　his　children　is　endangered；　instead　of　trying　to　avert　the　peril；　he　will　fold　his　arms；　and　wait　till　the　nation　comes　to　his　assistance。　This　same　individual；　who　has　so　completely　sacrificed　his　own　free　will；　has　no　natural　propensity　to　obedience；　he　cowers；　it　is　true；　before　the　pettiest　officer；　but　he　braves　the　law　with　the　spirit　of　a　conquered　foe　as　soon　as　its　superior　force　is　removed：　his　oscillations　between　servitude　and　license　are　perpetual。　　When　a　nation　has　arrived　at　this　state　it　must　either　change　its　customs　and　its　laws　or　perish：　the　source　of　public　virtue　is　dry；　and；　though　it　may　contain　subjects；　the　race　of　citizens　is　extinct。　Such　communities　are　a　natural　prey　to　foreign　conquests；　and　if　they　do　not　disappear　from　the　scene　of　life；　it　is　because　they　are　surrounded　by　other　nations　similar　or　inferior　to　themselves：　it　is　because　the　instinctive　feeling　of　their　country's　claims　still　exists　in　their　hearts；　and　because　an　involuntary　pride　in　the　name　it　bears；　or　a　vague　reminiscence　of　its　bygone　fame；　suffices　to　give　them　the　impulse　of　self…　preservation。

Nor　can　the　prodigious　exertions　made　by　tribes　in　the　defence　of　a　country　to　which　they　did　not　belong　be　adduced　in　favor　of　such　a　system；　for　it　will　be　found　that　in　these　cases　their　main　incitement　was　religion。　The　permanence；　the　glory；　or　the　prosperity　of　the　nation　were　become　parts　of　their　faith；　and　in　defending　the　country　they　inhabited　they　defended　that　Holy　City　of　which　they　were　all　citizens。　　The　Turkish　tribes　have　never　taken　an　active　share　in　the　conduct　of　the　affairs　of　society；　but　they　accomplished　stupendous　enterprises　as　long　as　the　victories　of　the　Sultan　were　the　triumphs　of　the　Mohammedan　faith。　　In　the　present　age　they　are　in　rapid　decay；　because　their　religion　is　departing；　and　despotism　only　remains。　Montesquieu；　who　attributed　to　absolute　power　an　authority　peculiar　to　itself；　did　it；　as　I　conceive；　an　undeserved　honor；　for　despotism；　taken　by　itself；　can　produce　no　durable　results。　　On　close　inspection　we　shall　find　that　religion；　and　not　fear；　has　ever　been　the　cause　of　the　long…lived　prosperity　of　an　absolute　government。　　Whatever　exertions　may　be　made；　no　true　power　can　be　founded　among　men　which　does　not　depend　upon　the　free　union　of　their　inclinations；　and　patriotism　and　religion　are　the　only　two　motives　in　the　world　which　can　permanently　direct　the　whole　of　a　body　politic　to　one　end。　

Laws　cannot　succeed　in　rekindling　the　ardor　of　an　extinguished　faith；　but　men　may　be　interested　in　the　fate　of　their　country　by　the　laws。　　By　this　influence　the　vague　impulse　of　patriotism；　which　never　abandons　the　human　heart；　may　be　directed　and　revived；　and　if　it　be　connected　with　the　thoughts；　the　passions；　and　the　daily　habits　of　life；　it　may　be　consolidated　into　a　durable　and　rational　sentiment。

Let　it　not　be　said　that　the　time　for　the　experiment　is　already　past；　for　the　old　age　of　nations　is　not　like　the　old　age　of　men；　and　every　fresh　generation　is　a　new　people　ready　for　the　care　of　the　legislator。

It　is　not　the　administrative　but　the　political　effects　of　the　local　system　that　I　most　admire　in　America。　　In　the　United　States　the　interests　of　the　country　are　everywhere　kept　in　view；　they　are　an　object　of　solicitude　to　the　people　of　the　whole　Union；　and　every　citizen　is　as　warmly　attached　to　them　as　if　they　were　his　own。　　He　takes　pride　in　the　glory　of　his　nation；　he　boasts　of　its　success；　to　which　he　conceives　himself　to　have　contributed；　and　he　rejoices　in　the　general　prosperity　by　which　he　profits。　　The　feeling　he　entertains　towards　the　State　is　analogous　to　that　which　unites　him　to　his　family；　and　it　is　by　a　kind　of　egotism　that　he　interests　himself　in　the　welfare　of　his　country。

The　European　generally　submits　to　a　public　officer　because　he　represents　a　superior　force；　but　to　an　American　he　represents　a　right。　　In　America　it　may　be　said　that　no　one　renders　obedience　to　man；　but　to　justice　and　to　law。　If　the　opinion　which　the　citizen　entertains　of　himself　is　exaggerated；　it　is　at　least　salutary；　he　unhesitatingly　confides　in　his　own　powers；　which　appear　to　him　to　be　all…sufficient。　　When　a　private　individual　meditates　an　undertaking；　however　directly　connected　it　may　be　with　the　welfare　of　society；　he　never　thinks　of　soliciting　the　co