Thegovernmentofdemocracybringsthenotionofpoliticalrightstothelevelofthehumblestcitizens,justasthedisseminationofwealthbringsthenotionofpropertywithinthereachofallthemembersofthecommunity;andIconfessthat,tomymind,thisisoneofitsgreatestadvantages。Idonotassertthatitiseasytoteachmentoexercisepoliticalrights;butI
maintainthat,whenitispossible,theeffectswhichresultfromitarehighlyimportant;andIaddthat,ifthereeverwasatimeatwhichsuchanattemptoughttobemade,thattimeisourown。
Itisclearthattheinfluenceofreligiousbeliefisshaken,andthatthenotionofdivinerightsisdeclining;itisevidentthatpublicmoralityisvitiated,andthenotionofmoralrightsisalsodisappearing:thesearegeneralsymptomsofthesubstitutionofargumentforfaith,andofcalculationfortheimpulsesofsentiment。If,inthemidstofthisgeneraldisruption,youdonotsucceedinconnectingthenotionofrightswiththatofpersonalinterest,whichistheonlyimmutablepointinthehumanheart,whatmeanswillyouhaveofgoverningtheworldexceptbyfear?WhenIamtoldthat,sincethelawsareweakandthepopulaceiswild,sincepassionsareexcitedandtheauthorityofvirtueisparalyzed,nomeasuresmustbetakentoincreasetherightsofthedemocracy,Ireply,thatitisfortheseveryreasonsthatsomemeasuresofthekindmustbetaken;andIampersuadedthatgovernmentsarestillmoreinterestedintakingthemthansocietyatlarge,becausegovernmentsareliabletobedestroyedandsocietycannotperish。
Iamnot,however,inclinedtoexaggeratetheexamplewhichAmericafurnishes。InthoseStatesthepeopleareinvestedwithpoliticalrightsatatimewhentheycouldscarcelybeabused,forthecitizenswerefewinnumberandsimpleintheirmanners。
Astheyhaveincreased,theAmericanshavenotaugmentedthepowerofthedemocracy,buttheyhave,ifImayusetheexpression,extendeditsdominions。Itcannotbedoubtedthatthemomentatwhichpoliticalrightsaregrantedtoapeoplethathadbeforebeenwithoutthemisaverycritical,thoughitbeanecessaryone。Achildmaykillbeforeheisawareofthevalueoflife;andhemaydepriveanotherpersonofhispropertybeforeheisawarethathisownmaybetakenawayfromhim。Thelowerorders,whenfirsttheyareinvestedwithpoliticalrights,stand,inrelationtothoserights,inthesamepositionasthechilddoestothewholeofnature,andthecelebratedadagemaythenbeappliedtothem,Homopuerrobustus。ThistruthmayevenbeperceivedinAmerica。TheStatesinwhichthecitizenshaveenjoyedtheirrightslongestarethoseinwhichtheymakethebestuseofthem。
Itcannotberepeatedtoooftenthatnothingismorefertileinprodigiesthantheartofbeingfree;butthereisnothingmorearduousthantheapprenticeshipofliberty。Suchisnotthecasewithdespoticinstitutions:despotismoftenpromisestomakeamendsforathousandpreviousills;itsupportstheright,itprotectstheoppressed,anditmaintainspublicorder。Thenationislulledbythetemporaryprosperitywhichaccruestoit,untilitisrousedtoasenseofitsownmisery。Liberty,onthecontrary,isgenerallyestablishedinthemidstofagitation,itisperfectedbycivildiscord,anditsbenefitscannotbeappreciateduntilitisalreadyold。
ChapterXIV:AdvantagesAmericanSocietyDeriveFromDemocracy—
PartII
RespectForTheLawInTheUnitedStatesRespectoftheAmericansforthelaw—Parentalaffectionwhichtheyentertainforit—Personalinterestofeveryonetoincreasetheauthorityofthelaw。
Itisnotalwaysfeasibletoconsultthewholepeople,eitherdirectlyorindirectly,intheformationofthelaw;butitcannotbedeniedthat,whensuchameasureispossibletheauthorityofthelawisverymuchaugmented。Thispopularorigin,whichimpairstheexcellenceandthewisdomoflegislation,contributesprodigiouslytoincreaseitspower。Thereisanamazingstrengthintheexpressionofthedeterminationofawholepeople,andwhenitdeclaresitselftheimaginationofthosewhoaremostinclinedtocontestitisoverawedbyitsauthority。Thetruthofthisfactisverywellknownbyparties,andtheyconsequentlystrivetomakeoutamajoritywhenevertheycan。Iftheyhavenotthegreaternumberofvotersontheirside,theyassertthatthetruemajorityabstainedfromvoting;
andiftheyarefoiledeventhere,theyhaverecoursetothebodyofthosepersonswhohadnovotestogive。
IntheUnitedStates,exceptslaves,servants,andpaupersinthereceiptofrelieffromthetownships,thereisnoclassofpersonswhodonotexercisetheelectivefranchise,andwhodonotindirectlycontributetomakethelaws。Thosewhodesigntoattackthelawsmustconsequentlyeithermodifytheopinionofthenationortrampleuponitsdecision。
Asecondreason,whichisstillmoreweighty,maybefurtheradduced;intheUnitedStateseveryoneispersonallyinterestedinenforcingtheobedienceofthewholecommunitytothelaw;forastheminoritymayshortlyrallythemajoritytoitsprinciples,itisinterestedinprofessingthatrespectforthedecreesofthelegislatorwhichitmaysoonhaveoccasiontoclaimforitsown。Howeverirksomeanenactmentmaybe,thecitizenoftheUnitedStatescomplieswithit,notonlybecauseitistheworkofthemajority,butbecauseitoriginatesinhisownauthority,andheregardsitasacontracttowhichheishimselfaparty。
IntheUnitedStates,then,thatnumerousandturbulentmultitudedoesnotexistwhichalwayslooksuponthelawasitsnaturalenemy,andaccordinglysurveysitwithfearandwithfearandwithdistrust。Itisimpossible,ontheotherhand,nottoperceivethatallclassesdisplaytheutmostrelianceuponthelegislationoftheircountry,andthattheyareattachedtoitbyakindofparentalaffection。
Iamwrong,however,insayingallclasses;forasinAmericatheEuropeanscaleofauthorityisinverted,thewealthyarethereplacedinapositionanalogoustothatofthepoorintheOldWorld,anditistheopulentclasseswhichfrequentlylookuponthelawwithsuspicion。Ihavealreadyobservedthattheadvantageofdemocracyisnot,ashasbeensometimesasserted,thatitprotectstheinterestsofthewholecommunity,butsimplythatitprotectsthoseofthemajority。IntheUnitedStates,wherethepoorrule,therichhavealwayssomereasontodreadtheabusesoftheirpower。Thisnaturalanxietyoftherichmayproduceasullendissatisfaction,butsocietyisnotdisturbedbyit;forthesamereasonwhichinducestherichtowithholdtheirconfidenceinthelegislativeauthoritymakesthemobeyitsmandates;theirwealth,whichpreventsthemfrommakingthelaw,preventsthemfromwithstandingit。Amongstcivilizednationsrevoltsarerarelyexcited,exceptbysuchpersonsashavenothingtolosebythem;andifthelawsofademocracyarenotalwaysworthyofrespect,atleasttheyalwaysobtainit;forthosewhousuallyinfringethelawshavenoexcusefornotcomplyingwiththeenactmentstheyhavethemselvesmade,andbywhichtheyarethemselvesbenefited,whilstthecitizenswhoseinterestsmightbepromotedbytheinfractionofthemareinduced,bytheircharacterandtheirstations,tosubmittothedecisionsofthelegislature,whatevertheymaybe。Besideswhich,thepeopleinAmericaobeysthelawnotonlybecauseitemanatesfromthepopularauthority,butbecausethatauthoritymaymodifyitinanypointswhichmayprovevexatory;alawisobservedbecauseitisaself—imposedevilinthefirstplace,andaneviloftransientdurationinthesecond。
ActivityWhichPervadesAllTheBranchesOfTheBodyPoliticInTheUnitedStates;InfluenceWhichItExercisesUponSocietyMoredifficulttoconceivethepoliticalactivitywhichpervadestheUnitedStatesthanthefreedomandequalitywhichreignthere—Thegreatactivitywhichperpetuallyagitatesthelegislativebodiesisonlyanepisodetothegeneralactivity—DifficultforanAmericantoconfinehimselftohisownbusiness—Politicalagitationextendstoallsocialintercourse—CommercialactivityoftheAmericanspartlyattributabletothiscause—Indirectadvantageswhichsocietyderivesfromademocraticgovernment。
Onpassingfromacountryinwhichfreeinstitutionsareestablishedtoonewheretheydonotexist,thetravellerisstruckbythechange;intheformerallisbustleandactivity,inthelattereverythingiscalmandmotionless。Intheone,ameliorationandprogressarethegeneraltopicsofinquiry;intheother,itseemsasifthecommunityonlyaspiredtoreposeintheenjoymentoftheadvantageswhichithasacquired。
Nevertheless,thecountrywhichexertsitselfsostrenuouslytopromoteitswelfareisgenerallymorewealthyandmoreprosperousthanthatwhichappearstobesocontentedwithitslot;andwhenwecomparethemtogether,wecanscarcelyconceivehowsomanynewwantsaredailyfeltintheformer,whilstsofewseemtooccurinthelatter。
Ifthisremarkisapplicabletothosefreecountriesinwhichmonarchicalandaristocraticinstitutionssubsist,itisstillmorestrikingwithregardtodemocraticrepublics。IntheseStatesitisnotonlyaportionofthepeoplewhichisbusiedwiththeameliorationofitssocialcondition,butthewholecommunityisengagedinthetask;anditisnottheexigenciesandtheconvenienceofasingleclassforwhichaprovisionistobemade,buttheexigenciesandtheconvenienceofallranksoflife。
ItisnotimpossibletoconceivethesurpassinglibertywhichtheAmericansenjoy;someideamaylikewisebeformedoftheextremeequalitywhichsubsistsamongstthem,butthepoliticalactivitywhichpervadestheUnitedStatesmustbeseeninordertobeunderstood。NosoonerdoyousetfootupontheAmericansoilthanyouarestunnedbyakindoftumult;aconfusedclamorisheardoneveryside;andathousandsimultaneousvoicesdemandtheimmediatesatisfactionoftheirsocialwants。Everythingisinmotionaroundyou;here,thepeopleofonequarterofatownaremettodecideuponthebuildingofachurch;there,theelectionofarepresentativeisgoingon;alittlefurtherthedelegatesofadistrictarepostingtothetowninordertoconsultuponsomelocalimprovements;orinanotherplacethelaborersofavillagequittheirploughstodeliberateupontheprojectofaroadorapublicschool。MeetingsarecalledforthesolepurposeofdeclaringtheirdisapprobationofthelineofconductpursuedbytheGovernment;whilstinotherassembliesthecitizenssalutetheauthoritiesofthedayasthefathersoftheircountry。
SocietiesareformedwhichregarddrunkennessastheprincipalcauseoftheevilsunderwhichtheStatelabors,andwhichsolemnlybindthemselves...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看:
第21章