Itcannotbedeniedthattheunrestrainedlibertyofassociationforpoliticalpurposesistheprivilegewhichapeopleislongestinlearninghowtoexercise。Ifitdoesnotthrowthenationintoanarchy，itperpetuallyaugmentsthechancesofthatcalamity。Ononepoint，however，thisperilouslibertyoffersasecurityagainstdangersofanotherkind;incountrieswhereassociationsarefree，secretsocietiesareunknown。InAmericatherearenumerousfactions，butnoconspiracies。
DifferentwaysinwhichtherightofassociationisunderstoodinEuropeandintheUnitedStates—Differentusewhichismadeofit。
Themostnaturalprivilegeofman，nexttotherightofactingforhimself，isthatofcombininghisexertionswiththoseofhisfellow—creatures，andofactingincommonwiththem。Iamthereforeledtoconcludethattherightofassociationisalmostasinalienableastherightofpersonalliberty。Nolegislatorcanattackitwithoutimpairingtheveryfoundationsofsociety。
Nevertheless，ifthelibertyofassociationisafruitfulsourceofadvantagesandprosperitytosomenations，itmaybepervertedorcarriedtoexcessbyothers，andtheelementoflifemaybechangedintoanelementofdestruction。Acomparisonofthedifferentmethodswhichassociationspursueinthosecountriesinwhichtheyaremanagedwithdiscretion，aswellasinthosewherelibertydegeneratesintolicense，mayperhapsbethoughtusefulbothtogovernmentsandtoparties。
ThegreaterpartofEuropeanslookuponanassociationasaweaponwhichistobehastilyfashioned，andimmediatelytriedintheconflict。Asocietyisformedfordiscussion，buttheideaofimpendingactionprevailsinthemindsofthosewhoconstituteit:itis，infact，anarmy;andthetimegiventoparleyservestoreckonupthestrengthandtoanimatethecourageofthehost，afterwhichtheydirecttheirmarchagainsttheenemy。Resourceswhichliewithintheboundsofthelawmaysuggestthemselvestothepersonswhocomposeitasmeans，butneverastheonlymeans，ofsuccess。
Such，however，isnotthemannerinwhichtherightofassociationisunderstoodintheUnitedStates。InAmericathecitizenswhoformtheminorityassociate，inorder，inthefirstplace，toshowtheirnumericalstrength，andsotodiminishthemoralauthorityofthemajority;and，inthesecondplace，tostimulatecompetition，andtodiscoverthoseargumentswhicharemostfittedtoactuponthemajority;fortheyalwaysentertainhopesofdrawingovertheiropponentstotheirownside，andofafterwardsdisposingofthesupremepowerintheirname。
PoliticalassociationsintheUnitedStatesarethereforepeaceableintheirintentions，andstrictlylegalinthemeanswhichtheyemploy;andtheyassertwithperfecttruththattheyonlyaimatsuccessbylawfulexpedients。
ThedifferencewhichexistsbetweentheAmericansandourselvesdependsonseveralcauses。InEuropetherearenumerouspartiessodiametricallyopposedtothemajoritythattheycanneverhopetoacquireitssupport，andatthesametimetheythinkthattheyaresufficientlystronginthemselvestostruggleandtodefendtheircause。Whenapartyofthiskindformsanassociation，itsobjectis，nottoconquer，buttofight。InAmericatheindividualswhoholdopinionsverymuchopposedtothoseofthemajorityarenosortofimpedimenttoitspower，andallotherpartieshopetowinitovertotheirownprinciplesintheend。Theexerciseoftherightofassociationbecomesdangerousinproportiontotheimpossibilitywhichexcludesgreatpartiesfromacquiringthemajority。InacountryliketheUnitedStates，inwhichthedifferencesofopinionaremeredifferencesofhue，therightofassociationmayremainunrestrainedwithoutevilconsequences。TheinexperienceofmanyoftheEuropeannationsintheenjoymentoflibertyleadsthemonlytolookuponthelibertyofassociationasarightofattackingtheGovernment。Thefirstnotionwhichpresentsitselftoaparty，aswellastoanindividual，whenithasacquiredaconsciousnessofitsownstrength，isthatofviolence:thenotionofpersuasionarisesatalaterperiodandisonlyderivedfromexperience。TheEnglish，whoaredividedintopartieswhichdiffermostessentiallyfromeachother，rarelyabusetherightofassociation，becausetheyhavelongbeenaccustomedtoexerciseit。InFrancethepassionforwarissointensethatthereisnoundertakingsomad，orsoinjurioustothewelfareoftheState，thatamandoesnotconsiderhimselfhonoredindefendingit，attheriskofhislife。
ButperhapsthemostpowerfulofthecauseswhichtendtomitigatetheexcessesofpoliticalassociationintheUnitedStatesisUniversalSuffrage。Incountriesinwhichuniversalsuffrageexiststhemajorityisneverdoubtful，becauseneitherpartycanpretendtorepresentthatportionofthecommunitywhichhasnotvoted。Theassociationswhichareformedareaware，aswellasthenationatlarge，thattheydonotrepresentthemajority:thisis，indeed，aconditioninseparablefromtheirexistence;foriftheydidrepresentthepreponderatingpower，theywouldchangethelawinsteadofsolicitingitsreform。TheconsequenceofthisisthatthemoralinfluenceoftheGovernmentwhichtheyattackisverymuchincreased，andtheirownpowerisverymuchenfeebled。
InEuropetherearefewassociationswhichdonotaffecttorepresentthemajority，orwhichdonotbelievethattheyrepresentit。Thisconvictionorthispretensiontendstoaugmenttheirforceamazingly，andcontributesnolesstolegalizetheirmeasures。Violencemayseemtobeexcusableindefenceofthecauseofoppressedright。Thusitis，inthevastlabyrinthofhumanlaws，thatextremelibertysometimescorrectstheabusesoflicense，andthatextremedemocracyobviatesthedangersofdemocraticgovernment。InEurope，associationsconsiderthemselves，insomedegree，asthelegislativeandexecutivecouncilsofthepeople，whichisunabletospeakforitself。InAmerica，wheretheyonlyrepresentaminorityofthenation，theyargueandtheypetition。
ThemeanswhichtheassociationsofEuropeemployareinaccordancewiththeendwhichtheyproposetoobtain。Astheprincipalaimofthesebodiesistoact，andnottodebate，tofightratherthantopersuade，theyarenaturallyledtoadoptaformoforganizationwhichdiffersfromtheordinarycustomsofcivilbodies，andwhichassumesthehabitsandthemaximsofmilitarylife。Theycentralizethedirectionoftheirresourcesasmuchaspossible，andtheyintrustthepowerofthewholepartytoaverysmallnumberofleaders。
Themembersoftheseassociationsrespondtoawatchword，likesoldiersonduty;theyprofessthedoctrineofpassiveobedience;sayrather，thatinunitingtogethertheyatonceabjuretheexerciseoftheirownjudgmentandfreewill;andthetyrannicalcontrolwhichthesesocietiesexerciseisoftenfarmoreinsupportablethantheauthoritypossessedoversocietybytheGovernmentwhichtheyattack。Theirmoralforceismuchdiminishedbytheseexcesses，andtheylosethepowerfulinterestwhichisalwaysexcitedbyastrugglebetweenoppressorsandtheoppressed。Themanwhoingivencasesconsentstoobeyhisfellowswithservility，andwhosubmitshisactivityandevenhisopinionstotheircontrol，canhavenoclaimtorankasafreecitizen。
TheAmericanshavealsoestablishedcertainformsofgovernmentwhichareappliedtotheirassociations，buttheseareinvariablyborrowedfromtheformsoftheciviladministration。
Theindependenceofeachindividualisformallyrecognized;thetendencyofthemembersoftheassociationpoints，asitdoesinthebodyofthecommunity，towardsthesameend，buttheyarenotobligedtofollowthesametrack。Nooneabjurestheexerciseofhisreasonandhisfreewill;buteveryoneexertsthatreasonandthatwillforthebenefitofacommonundertaking。
ChapterXIII:GovernmentOfTheDemocracyInAmerica—PartI
Iamwellawareofthedifficultieswhichattendthispartofmysubject，butalthougheveryexpressionwhichIamabouttomakeuseofmayclash，uponsomeonepoint，withthefeelingsofthedifferentpartieswhichdividemycountry，Ishallspeakmyopinionwiththemostperfectopenness。
InEuropeweareatalosshowtojudgethetruecharacterandthemorepermanentpropensitiesofdemocracy，becauseinEuropetwoconflictingprinciplesexist，andwedonotknowwhattoattributetotheprinciplesthemselves，andwhattorefertothepassionswhichtheybringintocollision。Such，however，isnotthecaseinAmerica;therethepeoplereignswithoutanyobstacle，andithasnoperilstodreadandnoinjuriestoavenge。InAmerica，democracyisswayedbyitsownfreepropensities;itscourseisnaturalanditsactivityisunrestrained;theUnitedStatesconsequentlyaffordthemostfavorableopportunityofstudyingitsrealcharacter。AndtonopeoplecanthisinquirybemorevitallyinterestingthantotheFrenchnation，whichisblindlydrivenonwardsbyadailyandirresistibleimpulsetowardsastateofthingswhichmayproveeitherdespoticorrepublican，butwhichwillassuredlybedemocratic。
UniversalSuffrageIhavealreadyobservedthatuniversalsuffragehasbeenadoptedinalltheStatesoftheUnion;itconsequentlyoccursamongstdifferentpopulationswhichoccupyverydifferentpositionsinthescaleofsociety。Ihavehadopportunitiesofobservingitseffectsindifferentlocalities，andamongstracesofmenwhoarenearlystrangerstoeachotherbytheirlanguage，theirreligion，andtheirmanneroflife;inLouisianaaswellasinNewEngland，inGeorgiaandinCanada。IhaveremarkedthatUniversalSuffrageisfarfromproducinginAmericaeitherallthegoodoralltheevilconsequenceswhichareassignedtoitinEurope，andthatitseffectsdifferverywidelyfromthosewhichareusuallyattributedtoit。
ChoiceOfThePeople，AndInstinctivePreferencesOfTheAmericanDemocracyIntheUnitedStatesthemostablemenarerarelyplacedattheheadofaffairs—Reasonofthispeculiarity—TheenvywhichprevailsinthelowerordersofFranceagainstthehigherclassesisnotaFrench，butapurelydemocraticsentiment—ForwhatreasonthemostdistinguishedmeninAmericafrequentlysecludethemselvesfrompublicaffairs。
ManypeopleinEuropeareapttobelievewithoutsayingit，ortosaywithoutbelievingit，thatoneofthegreatadvantagesofuniversalsuffrageis，thatitentruststhedirectionofpublicaffairstomenwhoareworthyofthepublicconfidence。
Theyadmitthatthepeopleisunabletogovernforitself，buttheyaverthatitisalwayssincerelydisposedtopromotethewelfareoftheState，andthati...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：
第17章