democracy in america-1-第48节

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Happiness　and　freedom　of　small　nations　…　Power　of　great　nations　…　Great　empires　favorable　to　the　growth　of　civilization　…　Strength　often　the　first　element　of　national　prosperity　…　Aim　of　the　Federal　system　to　unite　the　twofold　advantages　resulting　from　a　small　and　from　a　large　territory　…Advantages　derived　by　the　United　States　from　this　system　…　The　law　adapts　itself　to　the　exigencies　of　the　population；　population　does　not　conform　to　the　exigencies　of　the　law　…　Activity；　amelioration；　love　and　enjoyment　of　freedom　in　the　American　communities　…　Public　spirit　of　the　Union　the　abstract　of　provincial　patriotism　…　Principles　and　things　circulate　freely　over　the　territory　of　the　United　States　…　The　Union　is　happy　and　free　as　a　little　nation；　and　respected　as　a　great　empire。

In　small　nations　the　scrutiny　of　society　penetrates　into　every　part；　and　the　spirit　of　improvement　enters　into　the　most　trifling　details；　as　the　ambition　of　the　people　is　necessarily　checked　by　its　weakness；　all　the　efforts　and　resources　of　the　citizens　are　turned　to　the　internal　benefit　of　the　community；　and　are　not　likely　to　evaporate　in　the　fleeting　breath　of　glory。　The　desires　of　every　individual　are　limited；　because　extraordinary　faculties　are　rarely　to　be　met　with。　　The　gifts　of　an　equal　fortune　render　the　various　conditions　of　life　uniform；　and　the　manners　of　the　inhabitants　are　orderly　and　simple。　　Thus；　if　one　estimate　the　gradations　of　popular　morality　and　enlightenment；　we　shall　generally　find　that　in　small　nations　there　are　more　persons　in　easy　circumstances；　a　more　numerous　population；　and　a　more　tranquil　state　of　society；　than　in　great　empires。

When　tyranny　is　established　in　the　bosom　of　a　small　nation；　it　is　more　galling　than　elsewhere；　because；　as　it　acts　within　a　narrow　circle；　every　point　of　that　circle　is　subject　to　its　direct　influence。　　It　supplies　the　place　of　those　great　designs　which　it　cannot　entertain　by　a　violent　or　an　exasperating　interference　in　a　multitude　of　minute　details；　and　it　leaves　the　political　world；　to　which　it　properly　belongs；　to　meddle　with　the　arrangements　of　domestic　life。　　Tastes　as　well　as　actions　are　to　be　regulated　at　its　pleasure；　and　the　families　of　the　citizens　as　well　as　the　affairs　of　the　State　are　to　be　governed　by　its　decisions。　　This　invasion　of　rights　occurs；　however；　but　seldom；　and　freedom　is　in　truth　the　natural　state　of　small　communities。　The　temptations　which　the　Government　offers　to　ambition　are　too　weak；　and　the　resources　of　private　individuals　are　too　slender；　for　the　sovereign　power　easily　to　fall　within　the　grasp　of　a　single　citizen；　and　should　such　an　event　have　occurred；　the　subjects　of　the　State　can　without　difficulty　overthrow　the　tyrant　and　his　oppression　by　a　simultaneous　effort。

Small　nations　have　therefore　ever　been　the　cradle　of　political　liberty；　and　the　fact　that　many　of　them　have　lost　their　immunities　by　extending　their　dominion　shows　that　the　freedom　they　enjoyed　was　more　a　consequence　of　the　inferior　size　than　of　the　character　of　the　people。

The　history　of　the　world　affords　no　instance　of　a　great　nation　retaining　the　form　of　republican　government　for　a　long　series　of　years；　*r　and　this　has　led　to　the　conclusion　that　such　a　state　of　things　is　impracticable。　　For　my　own　part；　I　cannot　but　censure　the　imprudence　of　attempting　to　limit　the　possible　and　to　judge　the　future　on　the　part　of　a　being　who　is　hourly　deceived　by　the　most　palpable　realities　of　life；　and　who　is　constantly　taken　by　surprise　in　the　circumstances　with　which　he　is　most　familiar。　　But　it　may　be　advanced　with　confidence　that　the　existence　of　a　great　republic　will　always　be　exposed　to　far　greater　perils　than　that　of　a　small　one。

＇Footnote　r：　I　do　not　speak　of　a　confederation　of　small　republics；　but　of　a　great　consolidated　Republic。＇

All　the　passions　which　are　most　fatal　to　republican　institutions　spread　with　an　increasing　territory；　whilst　the　virtues　which　maintain　their　dignity　do　not　augment　in　the　same　proportion。　　The　ambition　of　the　citizens　increases　with　the　power　of　the　State；　the　strength　of　parties　with　the　importance　of　the　ends　they　have　in　view；　but　that　devotion　to　the　common　weal　which　is　the　surest　check　on　destructive　passions　is　not　stronger　in　a　large　than　in　a　small　republic。　　It　might；　indeed；　be　proved　without　difficulty　that　it　is　less　powerful　and　less　sincere。　　The　arrogance　of　wealth　and　the　dejection　of　wretchedness；　capital　cities　of　unwonted　extent；　a　lax　morality；　a　vulgar　egotism；　and　a　great　confusion　of　interests；　are　the　dangers　which　almost　invariably　arise　from　the　magnitude　of　States。　　But　several　of　these　evils　are　scarcely　prejudicial　to　a　monarchy；　and　some　of　them　contribute　to　maintain　its　existence。　　In　monarchical　States　the　strength　of　the　government　is　its　own；　it　may　use；　but　it　does　not　depend　on；　the　community；　and　the　authority　of　the　prince　is　proportioned　to　the　prosperity　of　the　nation；　but　the　only　security　which　a　republican　government　possesses　against　these　evils　lies　in　the　support　of　the　majority。　　This　support　is　not；　however；　proportionably　greater　in　a　large　republic　than　it　is　in　a　small　one；　and　thus；　whilst　the　means　of　attack　perpetually　increase　both　in　number　and　in　influence；　the　power　of　resistance　remains　the　same；　or　it　may　rather　be　said　to　diminish；　since　the　propensities　and　interests　of　the　people　are　diversified　by　the　increase　of　the　population；　and　the　difficulty　of　forming　a　compact　majority　is　constantly　augmented。　　It　has　been　observed；　moreover；　that　the　intensity　of　human　passions　is　heightened；　not　only　by　the　importance　of　the　end　which　they　propose　to　attain；　but　by　the　multitude　of　individuals　who　are　animated　by　them　at　the　same　time。　Every　one　has　had　occasion　to　remark　that　his　emotions　in　the　midst　of　a　sympathizing　crowd　are　far　greater　than　those　which　he　would　have　felt　in　solitude。　　In　great　republics　the　impetus　of　political　passion　is　irresistible；　not　only　because　it　aims　at　gigantic　purposes；　but　because　it　is　felt　and　shared　by　millions　of　men　at　the　same　time。

It　may　therefore　be　asserted　as　a　general　proposition　that　nothing　is　more　opposed　to　the　well…being　and　the　freedom　of　man　than　vast　empires。　Nevertheless　it　is　important　to　acknowledge　the　peculiar　advantages　of　great　States。　　For　the　very　reason　which　renders　the　desire　of　power　more　intense　in　these　communities　than　amongst　ordinary　men；　the　love　of　glory　is　also　more　prominent　in　the　hearts　of　a　class　of　citizens；　who　regard　the　applause　of　a　great　people　as　a　reward　worthy　of　their　exertions；　and　an　elevating　encouragement　to　man。　　If　we　would　learn　why　it　is　that　great　nations　contribute　more　powerfully　to　the　spread　of　human　improvement　than　small　States；　we　shall　discover　an　adequate　cause　in　the　rapid　and　energetic　circulation　of　ideas；　and　in　those　great　cities　which　are　the　intellectual　centres　where　all　the　rays　of　human　genius　are　reflected　and　combined。　　To　this　it　may　be　added　that　most　important　discoveries　demand　a　display　of　national　power　which　the　Government　of　a　small　State　is　unable　to　make；　in　great　nations　the　Government　entertains　a　greater　number　of　general　notions；　and　is　more　completely　disengaged　from　the　routine　of　precedent　and　the　egotism　of　local　prejudice；　its　designs　are　conceived　with　more　talent；　and　executed　with　more　boldness。　

In　time　of　peace　the　well…being　of　small　nations　is　undoubtedly　more　general　and　more　complete；　but　they　are　apt　to　suffer　more　acutely　from　the　calamities　of　war　than　those　great　empires　whose　distant　frontiers　may　for　ages　avert　the　presence　of　the　danger　from　the　mass　of　the　people；　which　is　therefore　more　frequently　afflicted　than　ruined　by　the　evil。

But　in　this　matter；　as　in　many　others；　the　argument　derived　from　the　necessity　of　the　case　predominates　over　all　others。　　If　none　but　small　nations　existed；　I　do　not　doubt　that　mankind　would　be　more　happy　and　more　free；　but　the　existence　of　great　nations　is　unavoidable。

This　consideration　introduces　the　element　of　physical　strength　as　a　condition　of　national　prosperity。　　It　profits　a　people　but　little　to　be　affluent　and　free　if　it　is　perpetually　exposed　to　be　pillaged　or　subjugated；　the　number　of　its　manufactures　and　the　extent　of　its　commerce　are　of　small　advantage　if　another　nation　has　the　empire　of　the　seas　and　gives　the　law　in　all　the　markets　of　the　globe。　　Small　nations　are　often　impoverished；　not　because　they　are　small；　but　because　they　are　weak；　the　great　empires　prosper　less　because　they　are　great　than　because　they　are　strong。　　Physical　strength　is　therefore　one　of　the　first　conditions　of　the　happiness　and　even　of　the　existence　of　nations。　　Hence　it　occurs　that；　unless　very　peculiar　circumstances　intervene；　small　nations　are　always　united　to　large　empires　in　the　end；　either　by　force　or　by　their　own　consent：　yet　I　am　unacquainted　with　a　more　deplorable　spectacle　than　that　of　a　people　unable　either　to　defend　or　to　maintain　its　independence。

The　Federal　system　was　created　with　the　intention　of　combining　the　different　advantages　which　result　from　the　greater　and　the　lesser　extent　of　nations；　and　a　single　glance　over　the　United　States　of　America　suffices　to　discover　the　advantages　which　they　have　derived　from　its　adoption。