democracy in america-1-第58节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Such；　however；　is　not　the　manner　in　which　the　right　of　association　is　understood　in　the　United　States。　　In　America　the　citizens　who　form　the　minority　associate；　in　order；　in　the　first　place；　to　show　their　numerical　strength；　and　so　to　diminish　the　moral　authority　of　the　majority；　and；　in　the　second　place；　to　stimulate　competition；　and　to　discover　those　arguments　which　are　most　fitted　to　act　upon　the　majority；　for　they　always　entertain　hopes　of　drawing　over　their　opponents　to　their　own　side；　and　of　afterwards　disposing　of　the　supreme　power　in　their　name。　　Political　associations　in　the　United　States　are　therefore　peaceable　in　their　intentions；　and　strictly　legal　in　the　means　which　they　employ；　and　they　assert　with　perfect　truth　that　they　only　aim　at　success　by　lawful　expedients。

The　difference　which　exists　between　the　Americans　and　ourselves　depends　on　several　causes。　　In　Europe　there　are　numerous　parties　so　diametrically　opposed　to　the　majority　that　they　can　never　hope　to　acquire　its　support；　and　at　the　same　time　they　think　that　they　are　sufficiently　strong　in　themselves　to　struggle　and　to　defend　their　cause。　　When　a　party　of　this　kind　forms　an　association；　its　object　is；　not　to　conquer；　but　to　fight。　　In　America　the　individuals　who　hold　opinions　very　much　opposed　to　those　of　the　majority　are　no　sort　of　impediment　to　its　power；　and　all　other　parties　hope　to　win　it　over　to　their　own　principles　in　the　end。　　The　exercise　of　the　right　of　association　becomes　dangerous　in　proportion　to　the　impossibility　which　excludes　great　parties　from　acquiring　the　majority。　　In　a　country　like　the　United　States；　in　which　the　differences　of　opinion　are　mere　differences　of　hue；　the　right　of　association　may　remain　unrestrained　without　evil　consequences。　　The　inexperience　of　many　of　the　European　nations　in　the　enjoyment　of　liberty　leads　them　only　to　look　upon　the　liberty　of　association　as　a　right　of　attacking　the　Government。　　The　first　notion　which　presents　itself　to　a　party；　as　well　as　to　an　individual；　when　it　has　acquired　a　consciousness　of　its　own　strength；　is　that　of　violence：　the　notion　of　persuasion　arises　at　a　later　period　and　is　only　derived　from　experience。　　The　English；　who　are　divided　into　parties　which　differ　most　essentially　from　each　other；　rarely　abuse　the　right　of　association；　because　they　have　long　been　accustomed　to　exercise　it。　In　France　the　passion　for　war　is　so　intense　that　there　is　no　undertaking　so　mad；　or　so　injurious　to　the　welfare　of　the　State；　that　a　man　does　not　consider　himself　honored　in　defending　it；　at　the　risk　of　his　life。

But　perhaps　the　most　powerful　of　the　causes　which　tend　to　mitigate　the　excesses　of　political　association　in　the　United　States　is　Universal　Suffrage。　In　countries　in　which　universal　suffrage　exists　the　majority　is　never　doubtful；　because　neither　party　can　pretend　to　represent　that　portion　of　the　community　which　has　not　voted。　　The　associations　which　are　formed　are　aware；　as　well　as　the　nation　at　large；　that　they　do　not　represent　the　majority：　this　is；　indeed；　a　condition　inseparable　from　their　existence；　for　if　they　did　represent　the　preponderating　power；　they　would　change　the　law　instead　of　soliciting　its　reform。　　The　consequence　of　this　is　that　the　moral　influence　of　the　Government　which　they　attack　is　very　much　increased；　and　their　own　power　is　very　much　enfeebled。　

In　Europe　there　are　few　associations　which　do　not　affect　to　represent　the　majority；　or　which　do　not　believe　that　they　represent　it。　　This　conviction　or　this　pretension　tends　to　augment　their　force　amazingly；　and　contributes　no　less　to　legalize　their　measures。　　Violence　may　seem　to　be　excusable　in　defence　of　the　cause　of　oppressed　right。　　Thus　it　is；　in　the　vast　labyrinth　of　human　laws；　that　extreme　liberty　sometimes　corrects　the　abuses　of　license；　and　that　extreme　democracy　obviates　the　dangers　of　democratic　government。　　In　Europe；　associations　consider　themselves；　in　some　degree；　as　the　legislative　and　executive　councils　of　the　people；　which　is　unable　to　speak　for　itself。　　In　America；　where　they　only　represent　a　minority　of　the　nation；　they　argue　and　they　petition。

The　means　which　the　associations　of　Europe　employ　are　in　accordance　with　the　end　which　they　propose　to　obtain。　　As　the　principal　aim　of　these　bodies　is　to　act；　and　not　to　debate；　to　fight　rather　than　to　persuade；　they　are　naturally　led　to　adopt　a　form　of　organization　which　differs　from　the　ordinary　customs　of　civil　bodies；　and　which　assumes　the　habits　and　the　maxims　of　military　life。　　They　centralize　the　direction　of　their　resources　as　much　as　possible；　and　they　intrust　the　power　of　the　whole　party　to　a　very　small　number　of　leaders。

The　members　of　these　associations　respond　to　a　watchword；　like　soldiers　on　duty；　they　profess　the　doctrine　of　passive　obedience；　say　rather；　that　in　uniting　together　they　at　once　abjure　the　exercise　of　their　own　judgment　and　free　will；　and　the　tyrannical　control　which　these　societies　exercise　is　often　far　more　insupportable　than　the　authority　possessed　over　society　by　the　Government　which　they　attack。　　Their　moral　force　is　much　diminished　by　these　excesses；　and　they　lose　the　powerful　interest　which　is　always　excited　by　a　struggle　between　oppressors　and　the　oppressed。　　The　man　who　in　given　cases　consents　to　obey　his　fellows　with　servility；　and　who　submits　his　activity　and　even　his　opinions　to　their　control；　can　have　no　claim　to　rank　as　a　free　citizen。　

The　Americans　have　also　established　certain　forms　of　government　which　are　applied　to　their　associations；　but　these　are　invariably　borrowed　from　the　forms　of　the　civil　administration。　　The　independence　of　each　individual　is　formally　recognized；　the　tendency　of　the　members　of　the　association　points；　as　it　does　in　the　body　of　the　community；　towards　the　same　end；　but　they　are　not　obliged　to　follow　the　same　track。　　No　one　abjures　the　exercise　of　his　reason　and　his　free　will；　but　every　one　exerts　that　reason　and　that　will　for　the　benefit　of　a　common　undertaking。


Chapter　XIII：　Government　Of　The　Democracy　In　America　…　Part　I　　I　am　well　aware　of　the　difficulties　which　attend　this　part　of　my　subject；　but　although　every　expression　which　I　am　about　to　make　use　of　may　clash；　upon　some　one　point；　with　the　feelings　of　the　different　parties　which　divide　my　country；　I　shall　speak　my　opinion　with　the　most　perfect　openness。

In　Europe　we　are　at　a　loss　how　to　judge　the　true　character　and　the　more　permanent　propensities　of　democracy；　because　in　Europe　two　conflicting　principles　exist；　and　we　do　not　know　what　to　attribute　to　the　principles　themselves；　and　what　to　refer　to　the　passions　which　they　bring　into　collision。　Such；　however；　is　not　the　case　in　America；　there　the　people　reigns　without　any　obstacle；　and　it　has　no　perils　to　dread　and　no　injuries　to　avenge。　　In　America；　democracy　is　swayed　by　its　own　free　propensities；　its　course　is　natural　and　its　activity　is　unrestrained；　the　United　States　consequently　afford　the　most　favorable　opportunity　of　studying　its　real　character。　　And　to　no　people　can　this　inquiry　be　more　vitally　interesting　than　to　the　French　nation；　which　is　blindly　driven　onwards　by　a　daily　and　irresistible　impulse　towards　a　state　of　things　which　may　prove　either　despotic　or　republican；　but　which　will　assuredly　be　democratic。

Universal　Suffrage

I　have　already　observed　that　universal　suffrage　has　been　adopted　in　all　the　States　of　the　Union；　it　consequently　occurs　amongst　different　populations　which　occupy　very　different　positions　in　the　scale　of　society。　　I　have　had　opportunities　of　observing　its　effects　in　different　localities；　and　amongst　races　of　men　who　are　nearly　strangers　to　each　other　by　their　language；　their　religion；　and　their　manner　of　life；　in　Louisiana　as　well　as　in　New　England；　in　Georgia　and　in　Canada。　　I　have　remarked　that　Universal　Suffrage　is　far　from　producing　in　America　either　all　the　good　or　all　the　evil　consequences　which　are　assigned　to　it　in　Europe；　and　that　its　effects　differ　very　widely　from　those　which　are　usually　attributed　to　it。

Choice　Of　The　People；　And　Instinctive　Preferences　Of　The　American　Democracy

In　the　United　States　the　most　able　men　are　rarely　placed　at　the　head　of　affairs　…　Reason　of　this　peculiarity　…　The　envy　which　prevails　in　the　lower　orders　of　France　against　the　higher　classes　is　not　a　French；　but　a　purely　democratic　sentiment　…　For　what　reason　the　most　distinguished　men　in　America　frequently　seclude　themselves　from　public　affairs。

Many　people　in　Europe　are　apt　to　believe　without　saying　it；　or　to　say　without　believing　it；　that　one　of　the　great　advantages　of　universal　suffrage　is；　that　it　entrusts　the　direction　of　public　affairs　to　men　who　are　worthy　of　the　public　confidence。　　They　admit　that　the　people　is　unable　to　govern　for　itself；　but　they　aver　that　it　is　always　sincerely　disposed　to　promote　the　welfare　of　the　State；　and　that　it　instinctively　designates　those　persons　who　are　animated　by　the　same　good　wishes；　and　who　are　the　most　fit　to　wield　the　supreme　authority。　　I　confess　that　the　observations　I　made　in　America　by　no　means　coincide　with　these　opinions。　　On　my　arrival　in　the　United　States　I　was　surprised　to　find　so　much　distinguished　talent　among　the　subjects；　and　so　little　among　the　heads　of　the　Government。　　It　is　a　well…authen