InnationsinwhichtheprincipleofelectionextendstoeveryplaceintheStatenopoliticalcareercan，properlyspeaking，besaidtoexist。Menarepromotedasifbychancetotherankwhichtheyenjoy，andtheyarebynomeanssureofretainingit。Theconsequenceisthatintranquiltimespublicfunctionsofferbutfewlurestoambition。IntheUnitedStatesthepersonswhoengageintheperplexitiesofpoliticallifeareindividualsofverymoderatepretensions。Thepursuitofwealthgenerallydivertsmenofgreattalentsandofgreatpassionsfromthepursuitofpower，anditveryfrequentlyhappensthatamandoesnotundertaketodirectthefortuneoftheStateuntilhehasdiscoveredhisincompetencetoconducthisownaffairs。Thevastnumberofveryordinarymenwhooccupypublicstationsisquiteasattributabletothesecausesastothebadchoiceofthedemocracy。IntheUnitedStates，Iamnotsurethatthepeoplewouldreturnthemenofsuperiorabilitieswhomightsolicititssupport，butitiscertainthatmenofthisdescriptiondonotcomeforward。
ArbitraryPowerOfMagistratesUnderTheRuleOfTheAmericanDemocracyForwhatreasonthearbitrarypowerofMagistratesisgreaterinabsolutemonarchiesandindemocraticrepublicsthanitisinlimitedmonarchies—ArbitrarypoweroftheMagistratesinNewEngland。
Intwodifferentkindsofgovernmentthemagistrates*aexerciseaconsiderabledegreeofarbitrarypower;namely，undertheabsolutegovernmentofasingleindividual，andunderthatofademocracy。Thisidenticalresultproceedsfromcauseswhicharenearlyanalogous。
[Footnotea:Ihereusethewordmagistratesinthewidestsenseinwhichitcanbetaken;Iapplyittoalltheofficerstowhomtheexecutionofthelawsisintrusted。]
IndespoticStatesthefortuneofnocitizenissecure;andpublicofficersarenotmoresafethanprivateindividuals。Thesovereign，whohasunderhiscontrolthelives，theproperty，andsometimesthehonorofthemenwhomheemploys，doesnotscrupletoallowthemagreatlatitudeofaction，becauseheisconvincedthattheywillnotuseittohisprejudice。IndespoticStatesthesovereignissoattachedtotheexerciseofhispower，thathedislikestheconstraintevenofhisownregulations;andheiswellpleasedthathisagentsshouldfollowasomewhatfortuitouslineofconduct，providedhebecertainthattheiractionswillnevercounteracthisdesires。
Indemocracies，asthemajorityhaseveryyeartherightofdeprivingtheofficerswhomithasappointedoftheirpower，ithasnoreasontofearanyabuseoftheirauthority。AsthepeopleisalwaysabletosignifyitswishestothosewhoconducttheGovernment，itprefersleavingthemtomaketheirownexertionstoprescribinganinvariableruleofconductwhichwouldatoncefettertheiractivityandthepopularauthority。
Itmayevenbeobserved，onattentiveconsideration，thatundertheruleofademocracythearbitrarypowerofthemagistratemustbestillgreaterthanindespoticStates。Inthelatterthesovereignhasthepowerofpunishingallthefaultswithwhichhebecomesacquainted，butitwouldbevainforhimtohopetobecomeacquaintedwithallthosewhicharecommitted。Intheformerthesovereignpowerisnotonlysupreme，butitisuniversallypresent。TheAmericanfunctionariesare，inpointoffact，muchmoreindependentinthesphereofactionwhichthelawtracesoutforthemthananypublicofficerinEurope。Veryfrequentlytheobjectwhichtheyaretoaccomplishissimplypointedouttothem，andthechoiceofthemeansislefttotheirowndiscretion。
InNewEngland，forinstance，theselectmenofeachtownshipareboundtodrawupthelistofpersonswhoaretoserveonthejury;theonlyrulewhichislaiddowntoguidethemintheirchoiceisthattheyaretoselectcitizenspossessingtheelectivefranchiseandenjoyingafairreputation。*bInFrancethelivesandlibertiesofthesubjectswouldbethoughttobeindangerifapublicofficerofanykindwasentrustedwithsoformidablearight。InNewEnglandthesamemagistratesareempoweredtopostthenamesofhabitualdrunkardsinpublic—houses，andtoprohibittheinhabitantsofatownfromsupplyingthemwithliquor。*cAcensorialpowerofthisexcessivekindwouldberevoltingtothepopulationofthemostabsolutemonarchies;here，however，itissubmittedtowithoutdifficulty。
[Footnoteb:SeetheActofFebruary27，1813。"GeneralCollectionoftheLawsofMassachusetts，"vol。ii。p。331。Itshouldbeaddedthatthejurorsareafterwardsdrawnfromtheselistsbylot。]
[Footnotec:SeeActofFebruary28，1787。"GeneralCollectionoftheLawsofMassachusetts，"vol。i。p。302。]
Nowherehassomuchbeenleftbythelawtothearbitrarydeterminationofthemagistrateasindemocraticrepublics，becausethisarbitrarypowerisunattendedbyanyalarmingconsequences。Itmayevenbeassertedthatthefreedomofthemagistrateincreasesastheelectivefranchiseisextended，andasthedurationofthetimeofofficeisshortened。Hencearisesthegreatdifficultywhichattendstheconversionofademocraticrepublicintoamonarchy。Themagistrateceasestobeelective，butheretainstherightsandthehabitsofanelectedofficer，whichleaddirectlytodespotism。
Itisonlyinlimitedmonarchiesthatthelaw，whichprescribesthesphereinwhichpublicofficersaretoact，superintendsalltheirmeasures。Thecauseofthismaybeeasilydetected。InlimitedmonarchiesthepowerisdividedbetweentheKingandthepeople，bothofwhomareinterestedinthestabilityofthemagistrate。TheKingdoesnotventuretoplacethepublicofficersunderthecontrolofthepeople，lesttheyshouldbetemptedtobetrayhisinterests;ontheotherhand，thepeoplefearslestthemagistratesshouldservetooppressthelibertiesofthecountry，iftheywereentirelydependentupontheCrown;
theycannotthereforebesaidtodependoneitheroneortheother。Thesamecausewhichinducesthekingandthepeopletorenderpublicofficersindependentsuggeststhenecessityofsuchsecuritiesasmaypreventtheirindependencefromencroachingupontheauthorityoftheformerandthelibertiesofthelatter。
Theyconsequentlyagreeastothenecessityofrestrictingthefunctionarytoalineofconductlaiddownbeforehand，andtheyareinterestedinconfininghimbycertainregulationswhichhecannotevade。
ChapterXIII:GovernmentOfTheDemocarcyInAmerica—PartII
InstabilityOfTheAdministrationInTheUnitedStatesInAmericathepublicactsofacommunityfrequentlyleavefewertracesthantheoccurrencesofafamily—Newspaperstheonlyhistoricalremains—Instabilityoftheadministrationprejudicialtotheartofgovernment。
TheauthoritywhichpublicmenpossessinAmericaissobrief，andtheyaresosooncommingledwiththeever—changingpopulationofthecountry，thattheactsofacommunityfrequentlyleavefewertracesthantheoccurrencesofaprivatefamily。Thepublicadministrationis，sotospeak，oralandtraditionary。Butlittleiscommittedtowriting，andthatlittleiswaftedawayforever，liketheleavesoftheSibyl，bythesmallestbreeze。
TheonlyhistoricalremainsintheUnitedStatesarethenewspapers;butifanumberbewanting，thechainoftimeisbroken，andthepresentisseveredfromthepast。IamconvincedthatinfiftyyearsitwillbemoredifficulttocollectauthenticdocumentsconcerningthesocialconditionoftheAmericansatthepresentdaythanitistofindremainsoftheadministrationofFranceduringtheMiddleAges;andiftheUnitedStateswereeverinvadedbybarbarians，itwouldbenecessarytohaverecoursetothehistoryofothernationsinordertolearnanythingofthepeoplewhichnowinhabitsthem。
Theinstabilityoftheadministrationhaspenetratedintothehabitsofthepeople:itevenappearstosuitthegeneraltaste，andnoonecaresforwhatoccurredbeforehistime。Nomethodicalsystemispursued;noarchivesareformed;andnodocumentsarebroughttogetherwhenitwouldbeveryeasytodoso。Wheretheyexist，littlestoreissetuponthem;andIhaveamongstmypapersseveraloriginalpublicdocumentswhichweregiventomeinanswertosomeofmyinquiries。InAmericasocietyseemstolivefromhandtomouth，likeanarmyinthefield。Nevertheless，theartofadministrationmayundoubtedlyberankedasascience，andnosciencescanbeimprovedifthediscoveriesandobservationsofsuccessivegenerationsarenotconnectedtogetherintheorderinwhichtheyoccur。Oneman，intheshortspaceofhisliferemarksafact;anotherconceivesanidea;theformerinventsameansofexecution，thelatterreducesatruthtoafixedproposition;andmankindgathersthefruitsofindividualexperienceuponitswayandgraduallyformsthesciences。ButthepersonswhoconducttheadministrationinAmericacanseldomaffordanyinstructiontoeachother;andwhentheyassumethedirectionofsociety，theysimplypossessthoseattainmentswhicharemostwidelydisseminatedinthecommunity，andnoexperiencepeculiartothemselves。Democracy，carriedtoitsfurthestlimits，isthereforeprejudicialtotheartofgovernment;andforthisreasonitisbetteradaptedtoapeoplealreadyversedintheconductofanadministrationthantoanationwhichisuninitiatedinpublicaffairs。
Thisremark，indeed，isnotexclusivelyapplicabletothescienceofadministration。Althoughademocraticgovernmentisfoundeduponaverysimpleandnaturalprinciple，italwayspresupposestheexistenceofahighdegreeofcultureandenlightenmentinsociety。*dAtthefirstglanceitmaybeimaginedtobelongtotheearliestagesoftheworld;butmaturerobservationwillconvinceusthatitcouldonlycomelastinthesuccessionofhumanhistory。
[Footnoted:ItisneedlesstoobservethatIspeakhereofthedemocraticformofgovernmentasappliedtoapeople，notmerelytoatribe。]
ChargesLeviedByTheStateUnderTheRuleOfTheAmericanDemocracyInallcommunitiescitizensdivisibleintothreeclasses—Habitsofeachoftheseclassesinthedirectionofpublicfinances—
Whypublicexpendituremusttendtoincreasewhenthepeoplegoverns—WhatrenderstheextravaganceofademocracylesstobefearedinAmerica—Publicexpenditureunderademocracy。
Beforewecanaffirmwhetherademocraticformofgovernmentiseconomicalornot，wemu...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：
第18章