ThepolicyofAmericaowesitsrisetoWashington，andafterhimtoJefferson，whoestablishedthoseprincipleswhichitobservesatthepresentday。Washingtonsaidintheadmirableletterwhichheaddressedtohisfellow—citizens，andwhichmaybelookeduponashispoliticalbequesttothecountry:"Thegreatruleofconductforusinregardtoforeignnationsis，inextendingourcommercialrelations，tohavewiththemaslittlepoliticalconnectionaspossible。Sofaraswehavealreadyformedengagements，letthembefulfilledwithperfectgoodfaith。Hereletusstop。Europehasasetofprimaryinterestswhichtoushavenone，oraveryremoterelation。Hence，shemustbeengagedinfrequentcontroversies，thecausesofwhichareessentiallyforeigntoourconcerns。Hence，therefore，itmustbeunwiseinustoimplicateourselves，byartificialties，intheordinaryvicissitudesofherpolitics，ortheordinarycombinationsandcollisionsofherfriendshipsorenmities。Ourdetachedanddistantsituationinvitesandenablesustopursueadifferentcourse。Ifweremainonepeople，underanefficientgovernment，theperiodisnotfaroffwhenwemaydefymaterialinjuryfromexternalannoyance;whenwemaytakesuchanattitudeaswillcausetheneutralitywemayatanytimeresolveupontobescrupulouslyrespected;whenbelligerentnations，undertheimpossibilityofmakingacquisitionsuponus，willnotlightlyhazardthegivingusprovocation;whenwemaychoosepeaceorwar，asourinterest，guidedbyjustice，shallcounsel。Whyforegotheadvantagesofsopeculiarasituation？Whyquitourowntostanduponforeignground？Why，byinterweavingourdestinywiththatofanypartofEurope，entangleourpeaceandprosperityinthetoilsofEuropeanambition，rivalship，interest，humor，orcaprice？Itisourtruepolicytosteerclearofpermanentallianceswithanyportionoftheforeignworld;sofar，Imean，aswearenowatlibertytodoit;forletmenotbeunderstoodascapableofpatronizinginfidelitytoexistingengagements。Iholdthemaximnolessapplicabletopublicthantoprivateaffairs，thathonestyisalwaysthebestpolicy。Irepeatit;therefore，letthoseengagementsbeobservedintheirgenuinesense;butinmyopinionitisunnecessary，andwouldbeunwise，toextendthem。Takingcarealwaystokeepourselves，bysuitableestablishments，inarespectabledefensiveposture，wemaysafelytrusttotemporaryalliancesforextraordinaryemergencies。"InapreviouspartofthesameletterWashingtonmakesthefollowingadmirableandjustremark:"Thenationwhichindulgestowardsanotheranhabitualhatredoranhabitualfondnessisinsomedegreeaslave。Itisaslavetoitsanimosityortoitsaffection，eitherofwhichissufficienttoleaditastrayfromitsdutyanditsinterest。"
ThepoliticalconductofWashingtonwasalwaysguidedbythesemaxims。Hesucceededinmaintaininghiscountryinastateofpeacewhilstalltheothernationsoftheglobewereatwar;
andhelaiditdownasafundamentaldoctrine，thatthetrueinterestoftheAmericansconsistedinaperfectneutralitywithregardtotheinternaldissensionsoftheEuropeanPowers。
Jeffersonwentstillfurther，andheintroducedamaximintothepolicyoftheUnion，whichaffirmsthat"theAmericansoughtnevertosolicitanyprivilegesfromforeignnations，inordernottobeobligedtograntsimilarprivilegesthemselves。"
Thesetwoprinciples，whichweresoplainandsojustastobeadaptedtothecapacityofthepopulace，havegreatlysimplifiedtheforeignpolicyoftheUnitedStates。AstheUniontakesnopartintheaffairsofEurope，ithas，properlyspeaking，noforeignintereststodiscuss，sinceithasatpresentnopowerfulneighborsontheAmericancontinent。ThecountryisasmuchremovedfromthepassionsoftheOldWorldbyitspositionasbythelineofpolicywhichithaschosen，anditisneithercalledupontorepudiatenortoespousetheconflictinginterestsofEurope;whilstthedissensionsoftheNewWorldarestillconcealedwithinthebosomofthefuture。
TheUnionisfreefromallpre—existingobligations，anditisconsequentlyenabledtoprofitbytheexperienceoftheoldnationsofEurope，withoutbeingobliged，astheyare，tomakethebestofthepast，andtoadaptittotheirpresentcircumstances;ortoacceptthatimmenseinheritancewhichtheyderivefromtheirforefathers—aninheritanceofglorymingledwithcalamities，andofalliancesconflictingwithnationalantipathies。TheforeignpolicyoftheUnitedStatesisreducedbyitsverynaturetoawaitthechancesofthefuturehistoryofthenation，andforthepresentitconsistsmoreinabstainingfrominterferencethaninexertingitsactivity。
Itisthereforeverydifficulttoascertain，atpresent，whatdegreeofsagacitytheAmericandemocracywilldisplayintheconductoftheforeignpolicyofthecountry;anduponthispointitsadversaries，aswellasitsadvocates，mustsuspendtheirjudgment。AsformyselfIhavenohesitationinavowingmyconviction，thatitismostespeciallyintheconductofforeignrelationsthatdemocraticgovernmentsappeartometobedecidedlyinferiortogovernmentscarriedonupondifferentprinciples。Experience，instruction，andhabitmayalmostalwayssucceedincreatingaspeciesofpracticaldiscretionindemocracies，andthatscienceofthedailyoccurrencesoflifewhichiscalledgoodsense。Goodsensemaysufficetodirecttheordinarycourseofsociety;andamongstapeoplewhoseeducationhasbeenprovidedfor，theadvantagesofdemocraticlibertyintheinternalaffairsofthecountrymaymorethancompensatefortheevilsinherentinademocraticgovernment。Butsuchisnotalwaysthecaseinthemutualrelationsofforeignnations。
Foreignpoliticsdemandscarcelyanyofthosequalitieswhichademocracypossesses;andtheyrequire，onthecontrary，theperfectuseofalmostallthosefacultiesinwhichitisdeficient。DemocracyisfavorabletotheincreaseoftheinternalresourcesoftheState;ittendstodiffuseamoderateindependence;itpromotesthegrowthofpublicspirit，andfortifiestherespectwhichisentertainedforlawinallclassesofsociety;andtheseareadvantageswhichonlyexerciseanindirectinfluenceovertherelationswhichonepeoplebearstoanother。Butademocracyisunabletoregulatethedetailsofanimportantundertaking，topersevereinadesign，andtoworkoutitsexecutioninthepresenceofseriousobstacles。Itcannotcombineitsmeasureswithsecrecy，anditwillnotawaittheirconsequenceswithpatience。Thesearequalitieswhichmoreespeciallybelongtoanindividualortoanaristocracy;andtheyarepreciselythemeansbywhichanindividualpeopleattainstoapredominantposition。
If，onthecontrary，weobservethenaturaldefectsofaristocracy，weshallfindthattheirinfluenceiscomparativelyinnoxiousinthedirectionoftheexternalaffairsofaState。
Thecapitalfaultofwhicharistocraticbodiesmaybeaccusedisthattheyaremoreapttocontrivetheirownadvantagethanthatofthemassofthepeople。Inforeignpoliticsitisrarefortheinterestofthearistocracytobeinanywaydistinctfromthatofthepeople。
Thepropensitywhichdemocracieshavetoobeytheimpulseofpassionratherthanthesuggestionsofprudence，andtoabandonamaturedesignforthegratificationofamomentarycaprice，wasveryclearlyseeninAmericaonthebreakingoutoftheFrenchRevolution。ItwasthenasevidenttothesimplestcapacityasitisatthepresenttimethattheinterestoftheAmericansforbadethemtotakeanypartinthecontestwhichwasabouttodelugeEuropewithblood，butwhichcouldbynomeansinjurethewelfareoftheirowncountry。NeverthelessthesympathiesofthepeopledeclaredthemselveswithsomuchviolenceinbehalfofFrancethatnothingbuttheinflexiblecharacterofWashington，andtheimmensepopularitywhichheenjoyed，couldhavepreventedtheAmericansfromdeclaringwaragainstEngland。Andeventhen，theexertionswhichtheausterereasonofthatgreatmanmadetorepressthegenerousbutimprudentpassionsofhisfellow—citizens，verynearlydeprivedhimofthesolerecompensewhichhehadeverclaimed—thatofhiscountry’slove。Themajoritythenreprobatedthelineofpolicywhichheadopted，andwhichhassincebeenunanimouslyapprovedbythenation。*sIftheConstitutionandthefavorofthepublichadnotentrustedthedirectionoftheforeignaffairsofthecountrytoWashington，itiscertainthattheAmericannationwouldatthattimehavetakentheverymeasureswhichitnowcondemns。
[Footnotes:SeethefifthvolumeofMarshall’s"LifeofWashington。"InagovernmentconstitutedlikethatoftheUnitedStates，"hesays，"itisimpossibleforthechiefmagistrate，howeverfirmhemaybe，toopposeforanylengthoftimethetorrentofpopularopinion;andtheprevalentopinionofthatdayseemedtoinclinetowar。Infact，inthesessionofCongressheldatthetime，itwasfrequentlyseenthatWashingtonhadlostthemajorityintheHouseofRepresentatives。"Theviolenceofthelanguageusedagainsthiminpublicwasextreme，andinapoliticalmeetingtheydidnotscrupletocomparehimindirectlytothetreacherousArnold。"Bytheopposition，"saysMarshall，"thefriendsoftheadministrationweredeclaredtobeanaristocraticandcorruptfaction，who，fromadesiretointroducemonarchy，werehostiletoFranceandundertheinfluenceofBritain;thattheywereapapernobility，whoseextremesensibilityateverymeasurewhichthreatenedthefunds，inducedatamesubmissiontoinjuriesandinsults，whichtheinterestsandhonorofthenationrequiredthemtoresist。"]
Almostallthenationswhichhaveeverexercisedapowerfulinfluenceuponthedestiniesoftheworldbyconceiving，followingup，andexecutingvastdesigns—fromtheRomanstotheEnglish—havebeengovernedbyaristocraticinstitutions。Norwillthisbeasubjectofwonderwhenwerecollectthatnothingintheworldhassoabsoluteafixityofpurposeasanaristocracy。Themassofthepeoplemaybeledastraybyignoranceorpassion;themindofakingmaybebiased，andhisperseveranceinhisdesignsmaybeshaken—besideswhichakingisnotimmortal—butanaristocraticbodyistoonumeroustobeledastraybytheblandishmentsofintrigue，andyetnotnumerousenoughtoyieldreadilytotheintoxicatinginfluenceofunreflectingpassion:ithastheenergyofafirmandenlightenedindividual，addedtothepowerwhichitderivesfromperpetuity。
ChapterXIV:AdvantagesAmericanSocietyDeriveFromDemocracy—
PartI
WhatTheRealAdvantagesAreWhichAmericanSocietyDerivesFromTheGovernmentOfTheDemocracyBeforeIenteruponthesubjectofthepresentchapterIaminducedtoremindthereaderofwhatIhavemorethanonceadvertedtointhecourseofthisbook。ThepoliticalinstitutionsoftheUnitedStatesappeartometobeoneoftheformsofgovernmentwhichademocracymayadopt;butIdonotregardtheAmericanCo...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：
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