democracy in america-1-第52节

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ercising　a　perpetual　influence　on　society。　　In　the　United　States　the　majority　governs　in　the　name　of　the　people；　as　is　the　case　in　all　the　countries　in　which　the　people　is　supreme。　　The　majority　is　principally　composed　of　peaceful　citizens　who；　either　by　inclination　or　by　interest；　are　sincerely　desirous　of　the　welfare　of　their　country。　　But　they　are　surrounded　by　the　incessant　agitation　of　parties；　which　attempt　to　gain　their　co…operation　and　to　avail　themselves　of　their　support。　　Chapter　X：　Parties　In　The　United　States

Chapter　Summary

Great　distinction　to　be　made　between　parties　…　Parties　which　are　to　each　other　as　rival　nations　…　Parties　properly　so　called　…　Difference　between　great　and　small　parties　…　Epochs　which　produce　them　…　Their　characteristics　…　America　has　had　great　parties　…　They　are　extinct　…　Federalists　…　Republicans　…　Defeat　of　the　Federalists　…　Difficulty　of　creating　parties　in　the　United　States　…What　is　done　with　this　intention　…　Aristocratic　or　democratic　character　to　be　met　with　in　all　parties　…　Struggle　of　General　Jackson　against　the　Bank。

Parties　In　The　United　States

A　great　distinction　must　be　made　between　parties。　　Some　countries　are　so　large　that　the　different　populations　which　inhabit　them　have　contradictory　interests；　although　they　are　the　subjects　of　the　same　Government；　and　they　may　thence　be　in　a　perpetual　state　of　opposition。　　In　this　case　the　different　fractions　of　the　people　may　more　properly　be　considered　as　distinct　nations　than　as　mere　parties；　and　if　a　civil　war　breaks　out；　the　struggle　is　carried　on　by　rival　peoples　rather　than　by　factions　in　the　State。

But　when　the　citizens　entertain　different　opinions　upon　subjects　which　affect　the　whole　country　alike；　such；　for　instance；　as　the　principles　upon　which　the　government　is　to　be　conducted；　then　distinctions　arise　which　may　correctly　be　styled　parties。　　Parties　are　a　necessary　evil　in　free　governments；　but　they　have　not　at　all　times　the　same　character　and　the　same　propensities。　

At　certain　periods　a　nation　may　be　oppressed　by　such　insupportable　evils　as　to　conceive　the　design　of　effecting　a　total　change　in　its　political　constitution；　at　other　times　the　mischief　lies　still　deeper；　and　the　existence　of　society　itself　is　endangered。　　Such　are　the　times　of　great　revolutions　and　of　great　parties。　　But　between　these　epochs　of　misery　and　of　confusion　there　are　periods　during　which　human　society　seems　to　rest；　and　mankind　to　make　a　pause。　　This　pause　is；　indeed；　only　apparent；　for　time　does　not　stop　its　course　for　nations　any　more　than　for　men；　they　are　all　advancing　towards　a　goal　with　which　they　are　unacquainted；　and　we　only　imagine　them　to　be　stationary　when　their　progress　escapes　our　observation；　as　men　who　are　going　at　a　foot…pace　seem　to　be　standing　still　to　those　who　run。

But　however　this　may　be；　there　are　certain　epochs　at　which　the　changes　that　take　place　in　the　social　and　political　constitution　of　nations　are　so　slow　and　so　insensible　that　men　imagine　their　present　condition　to　be　a　final　state；　and　the　human　mind；　believing　itself　to　be　firmly　based　upon　certain　foundations；　does　not　extend　its　researches　beyond　the　horizon　which　it　descries。　　These　are　the　times　of　small　parties　and　of　intrigue。

The　political　parties　which　I　style　great　are　those　which　cling　to　principles　more　than　to　their　consequences；　to　general；　and　not　to　especial　cases；　to　ideas；　and　not　to　men。　　These　parties　are　usually　distinguished　by　a　nobler　character；　by　more　generous　passions；　more　genuine　convictions；　and　a　more　bold　and　open　conduct　than　the　others。　　In　them　private　interest；　which　always　plays　the　chief　part　in　political　passions；　is　more　studiously　veiled　under　the　pretext　of　the　public　good；　and　it　may　even　be　sometimes　concealed　from　the　eyes　of　the　very　persons　whom　it　excites　and　impels。

Minor　parties　are；　on　the　other　hand；　generally　deficient　in　political　faith。　　As　they　are　not　sustained　or　dignified　by　a　lofty　purpose；　they　ostensibly　display　the　egotism　of　their　character　in　their　actions。　　They　glow　with　a　factitious　zeal；　their　language　is　vehement；　but　their　conduct　is　timid　and　irresolute。　　The　means　they　employ　are　as　wretched　as　the　end　at　which　they　aim。　　Hence　it　arises　that　when　a　calm　state　of　things　succeeds　a　violent　revolution；　the　leaders　of　society　seem　suddenly　to　disappear；　and　the　powers　of　the　human　mind　to　lie　concealed。　　Society　is　convulsed　by　great　parties；　by　minor　ones　it　is　agitated；　it　is　torn　by　the　former；　by　the　latter　it　is　degraded；　and　if　these　sometimes　save　it　by　a　salutary　perturbation；　those　invariably　disturb　it　to　no　good　end。

America　has　already　lost　the　great　parties　which　once　divided　the　nation；　and　if　her　happiness　is　considerably　increased；　her　morality　has　suffered　by　their　extinction。　　When　the　War　of　Independence　was　terminated；　and　the　foundations　of　the　new　Government　were　to　be　laid　down；　the　nation　was　divided　between　two　opinions　…　two　opinions　which　are　as　old　as　the　world；　and　which　are　perpetually　to　be　met　with　under　all　the　forms　and　all　the　names　which　have　ever　obtained　in　free　communities　…　the　one　tending　to　limit；　the　other　to　extend　indefinitely；　the　power　of　the　people。　　The　conflict　of　these　two　opinions　never　assumed　that　degree　of　violence　in　America　which　it　has　frequently　displayed　elsewhere。　　Both　parties　of　the　Americans　were；　in　fact；　agreed　upon　the　most　essential　points；　and　neither　of　them　had　to　destroy　a　traditionary　constitution；　or　to　overthrow　the　structure　of　society；　in　order　to　ensure　its　own　triumph。　　In　neither　of　them；　consequently；　were　a　great　number　of　private　interests　affected　by　success　or　by　defeat；　but　moral　principles　of　a　high　order；　such　as　the　love　of　equality　and　of　independence；　were　concerned　in　the　struggle；　and　they　sufficed　to　kindle　violent　passions。

The　party　which　desired　to　limit　the　power　of　the　people　endeavored　to　apply　its　doctrines　more　especially　to　the　Constitution　of　the　Union；　whence　it　derived　its　name　of　Federal。　　The　other　party；　which　affected　to　be　more　exclusively　attached　to　the　cause　of　liberty；　took　that　of　Republican。　America　is　a　land　of　democracy；　and　the　Federalists　were　always　in　a　minority；　but　they　reckoned　on　their　side　almost　all　the　great　men　who　had　been　called　forth　by　the　War　of　Independence；　and　their　moral　influence　was　very　considerable。　Their　cause　was；　moreover；　favored　by　circumstances。　　The　ruin　of　the　Confederation　had　impressed　the　people　with　a　dread　of　anarchy；　and　the　Federalists　did　not　fail　to　profit　by　this　transient　disposition　of　the　multitude。　　For　ten　or　twelve　years　they　were　at　the　head　of　affairs；　and　they　were　able　to　apply　some；　though　not　all；　of　their　principles；　for　the　hostile　current　was　becoming　from　day　to　day　too　violent　to　be　checked　or　stemmed。　　In　1801　the　Republicans　got　possession　of　the　Government；　Thomas　Jefferson　was　named　President；　and　he　increased　the　influence　of　their　party　by　the　weight　of　his　celebrity；　the　greatness　of　his　talents；　and　the　immense　extent　of　his　popularity。　

The　means　by　which　the　Federalists　had　maintained　their　position　were　artificial；　and　their　resources　were　temporary；　it　was　by　the　virtues　or　the　talents　of　their　leaders　that　they　had　risen　to　power。　　When　the　Republicans　attained　to　that　lofty　station；　their　opponents　were　overwhelmed　by　utter　defeat。　　An　immense　majority　declared　itself　against　the　retiring　party；　and　the　Federalists　found　themselves　in　so　small　a　minority　that　they　at　once　despaired　of　their　future　success。　　From　that　moment　the　Republican　or　Democratic　party　*a　has　proceeded　from　conquest　to　conquest；　until　it　has　acquired　absolute　supremacy　in　the　country。　　The　Federalists；　perceiving　that　they　were　vanquished　without　resource；　and　isolated　in　the　midst　of　the　nation；　fell　into　two　divisions；　of　which　one　joined　the　victorious　Republicans；　and　the　other　abandoned　its　rallying…point　and　its　name。　　Many　years　have　already　elapsed　since　they　ceased　to　exist　as　a　party。

＇Footnote　a：　＇It　is　scarcely　necessary　to　remark　that　in　more　recent　times　the　signification　of　these　terms　has　changed。　　The　Republicans　are　the　representatives　of　the　old　Federalists；　and　the　Democrats　of　the　old　Republicans。　…　Trans。　Note　（1861）。＇＇　The　accession　of　the　Federalists　to　power　was；　in　my　opinion；　one　of　the　most　fortunate　incidents　which　accompanied　the　formation　of　the　great　American　Union；　they　resisted　the　inevitable　propensities　of　their　age　and　of　the　country。　　But　whether　their　theories　were　good　or　bad；　they　had　the　effect　of　being　inapplicable；　as　a　system；　to　the　society　which　they　professed　to　govern；　and　that　which　occurred　under　the　auspices　of　Jefferson　must　therefore　have　taken　place　sooner　or　later。　　But　their　Government　gave　the　new　republic　time　to　acquire　a　certain　stability；　and　afterwards　to　support　the　rapid　growth　of　the　very　doctrines　which　they　had　combated。　　A　considerable　number　of　their　principles　were　in　point　of　fact　embodied　in　the　political　creed　of　their　opponents；　and　the　Federal　Constitution　which　subsists　at　the　present　day　is　a　lasting　monument　of　their　patriotism　and　their　wisdom。

Great　political　parties　are　not；　then；　to　be　met　with　in　the　United　States　at　the　present　time。