WhenIrefusetoobeyanunjustlaw，Idonotcontesttherightwhichthemajorityhasofcommanding，butIsimplyappealfromthesovereigntyofthepeopletothesovereigntyofmankind。
Ithasbeenassertedthatapeoplecanneverentirelyoutsteptheboundariesofjusticeandofreasoninthoseaffairswhicharemorepeculiarlyitsown，andthatconsequently，fullpowermayfearlesslybegiventothemajoritybywhichitisrepresented。
Butthislanguageisthatofaslave。
Amajoritytakencollectivelymayberegardedasabeingwhoseopinions，andmostfrequentlywhoseinterests，areopposedtothoseofanotherbeing，whichisstyledaminority。Ifitbeadmittedthataman，possessingabsolutepower，maymisusethatpowerbywronginghisadversaries，whyshouldamajoritynotbeliabletothesamereproach？Menarenotapttochangetheircharactersbyagglomeration;nordoestheirpatienceinthepresenceofobstaclesincreasewiththeconsciousnessoftheirstrength。*cAndforthesereasonsIcanneverwillinglyinvestanynumberofmyfellow—creatureswiththatunlimitedauthoritywhichIshouldrefusetoanyoneofthem。
[Footnotec:Noonewillassertthatapeoplecannotforciblywronganotherpeople;butpartiesmaybelookeduponaslessernationswithinagreaterone，andtheyarealienstoeachother:
if，therefore，itbeadmittedthatanationcanacttyrannicallytowardsanothernation，itcannotbedeniedthatapartymaydothesametowardsanotherparty。]
Idonotthinkthatitispossibletocombineseveralprinciplesinthesamegovernment，soasatthesametimetomaintainfreedom，andreallytoopposethemtooneanother。Theformofgovernmentwhichisusuallytermedmixedhasalwaysappearedtometobeamerechimera。Accuratelyspeakingthereisnosuchthingasamixedgovernment（withthemeaningusuallygiventothatword），becauseinallcommunitiessomeoneprincipleofactionmaybediscoveredwhichpreponderatesovertheothers。Englandinthelastcentury，whichhasbeenmoreespeciallycitedasanexampleofthisformofGovernment，wasinpointoffactanessentiallyaristocraticState，althoughitcomprisedverypowerfulelementsofdemocracy;forthelawsandcustomsofthecountryweresuchthatthearistocracycouldnotbutpreponderateintheend，andsubjectthedirectionofpublicaffairstoitsownwill。Theerrorarosefromtoomuchattentionbeingpaidtotheactualstrugglewhichwasgoingonbetweenthenoblesandthepeople，withoutconsideringtheprobableissueofthecontest，whichwasinrealitytheimportantpoint。Whenacommunityreallyhasamixedgovernment，thatistosay，whenitisequallydividedbetweentwoadverseprinciples，itmusteitherpassthrougharevolutionorfallintocompletedissolution。
Iamthereforeofopinionthatsomeonesocialpowermustalwaysbemadetopredominateovertheothers;butIthinkthatlibertyisendangeredwhenthispowerischeckedbynoobstacleswhichmayretarditscourse，andforceittomoderateitsownvehemence。
Unlimitedpowerisinitselfabadanddangerousthing;
humanbeingsarenotcompetenttoexerciseitwithdiscretion，andGodalonecanbeomnipotent，becauseHiswisdomandHisjusticearealwaysequaltoHispower。Butnopoweruponearthissoworthyofhonorforitself，orofreverentialobediencetotherightswhichitrepresents，thatIwouldconsenttoadmititsuncontrolledandall—predominantauthority。WhenIseethattherightandthemeansofabsolutecommandareconferredonapeopleoruponaking，uponanaristocracyorademocracy，amonarchyorarepublic，Irecognizethegermoftyranny，andIjourneyonwardtoalandofmorehopefulinstitutions。
InmyopinionthemainevilofthepresentdemocraticinstitutionsoftheUnitedStatesdoesnotarise，asisoftenassertedinEurope，fromtheirweakness，butfromtheiroverpoweringstrength;andIamnotsomuchalarmedattheexcessivelibertywhichreignsinthatcountryasattheveryinadequatesecuritieswhichexistagainsttyranny。
WhenanindividualorapartyiswrongedintheUnitedStates，towhomcanheapplyforredress？Iftopublicopinion，publicopinionconstitutesthemajority;iftothelegislature，itrepresentsthemajority，andimplicitlyobeysitsinjunctions;
iftotheexecutivepower，itisappointedbythemajority，andremainsapassivetoolinitshands;thepublictroopsconsistofthemajorityunderarms;thejuryisthemajorityinvestedwiththerightofhearingjudicialcases;andincertainStateseventhejudgesareelectedbythemajority。Howeveriniquitousorabsurdtheevilofwhichyoucomplainmaybe，youmustsubmittoitaswellasyoucan。*d[Footnoted:AstrikinginstanceoftheexcesseswhichmaybeoccasionedbythedespotismofthemajorityoccurredatBaltimoreintheyear1812。AtthattimethewarwasverypopularinBaltimore。Ajournalwhichhadtakentheothersideofthequestionexcitedtheindignationoftheinhabitantsbyitsopposition。Thepopulaceassembled，broketheprinting—presses，andattackedthehousesofthenewspapereditors。Themilitiawascalledout，butnooneobeyedthecall;andtheonlymeansofsavingthepoorwretcheswhowerethreatenedbythefrenzyofthemobwastothrowthemintoprisonascommonmalefactors。Buteventhisprecautionwasineffectual;themobcollectedagainduringthenight，themagistratesagainmadeavainattempttocalloutthemilitia，theprisonwasforced，oneofthenewspapereditorswaskilleduponthespot，andtheotherswereleftfordead;theguiltypartieswereacquittedbythejurywhentheywerebroughttotrial。
IsaidonedaytoaninhabitantofPennsylvania，"BesogoodastoexplaintomehowithappensthatinaStatefoundedbyQuakers，andcelebratedforitstoleration，freedblacksarenotallowedtoexercisecivilrights。Theypaythetaxes;isitnotfairthattheyshouldhaveavote？"
"Youinsultus，"repliedmyinformant，"ifyouimaginethatourlegislatorscouldhavecommittedsogrossanactofinjusticeandintolerance。"
"What！thentheblackspossesstherightofvotinginthiscounty？"
"Withoutthesmallestdoubt。"
"Howcomesit，then，thatatthepolling—booththismorningIdidnotperceiveasinglenegrointhewholemeeting？"
"Thisisnotthefaultofthelaw:thenegroeshaveanundisputedrightofvoting，buttheyvoluntarilyabstainfrommakingtheirappearance。"
"Averyprettypieceofmodestyontheirparts！"rejoinedI。
"Why，thetruthis，thattheyarenotdisinclinedtovote，buttheyareafraidofbeingmaltreated;inthiscountrythelawissometimesunabletomaintainitsauthoritywithoutthesupportofthemajority。Butinthiscasethemajorityentertainsverystrongprejudicesagainsttheblacks，andthemagistratesareunabletoprotectthemintheexerciseoftheirlegalprivileges。"
"What！thenthemajorityclaimstherightnotonlyofmakingthelaws，butofbreakingthelawsithasmade？"]
If，ontheotherhand，alegislativepowercouldbesoconstitutedastorepresentthemajoritywithoutnecessarilybeingtheslaveofitspassions;anexecutive，soastoretainacertaindegreeofuncontrolledauthority;andajudiciary，soastoremainindependentofthetwootherpowers;agovernmentwouldbeformedwhichwouldstillbedemocraticwithoutincurringanyriskoftyrannicalabuse。
IdonotsaythattyrannicalabusesfrequentlyoccurinAmericaatthepresentday，butImaintainthatnosurebarrierisestablishedagainstthem，andthatthecauseswhichmitigatethegovernmentaretobefoundinthecircumstancesandthemannersofthecountrymorethaninitslaws。
EffectsOfTheUnlimitedPowerOfTheMajorityUponTheArbitraryAuthorityOfTheAmericanPublicOfficersLibertyleftbytheAmericanlawstopublicofficerswithinacertainsphere—Theirpower。
Adistinctionmustbedrawnbetweentyrannyandarbitrarypower。Tyrannymaybeexercisedbymeansofthelaw，andinthatcaseitisnotarbitrary;arbitrarypowermaybeexercisedforthegoodofthecommunityatlarge，inwhichcaseitisnottyrannical。Tyrannyusuallyemploysarbitrarymeans，but，ifnecessary，itcanrulewithoutthem。
IntheUnitedStatestheunboundedpowerofthemajority，whichisfavorabletothelegaldespotismofthelegislature，islikewisefavorabletothearbitraryauthorityofthemagistrate。
Themajorityhasanentirecontroloverthelawwhenitismadeandwhenitisexecuted;andasitpossessesanequalauthorityoverthosewhoareinpowerandthecommunityatlarge，itconsiderspublicofficersasitspassiveagents，andreadilyconfidesthetaskofservingitsdesignstotheirvigilance。Thedetailsoftheirofficeandtheprivilegeswhichtheyaretoenjoyarerarelydefinedbeforehand;butthemajoritytreatsthemasamasterdoeshisservantswhentheyarealwaysatworkinhissight，andhehasthepowerofdirectingorreprimandingthemateveryinstant。
IngeneraltheAmericanfunctionariesarefarmoreindependentthantheFrenchcivilofficerswithinthespherewhichisprescribedtothem。Sometimes，even，theyareallowedbythepopularauthoritytoexceedthosebounds;andastheyareprotectedbytheopinion，andbackedbytheco—operation，ofthemajority，theyventureuponsuchmanifestationsoftheirpowerasastonishaEuropean。Bythismeanshabitsareformedintheheartofafreecountrywhichmaysomedayprovefataltoitsliberties。
PowerExercisedByTheMajorityInAmericaUponOpinionInAmerica，whenthemajorityhasonceirrevocablydecidedaquestion，alldiscussionceases—Reasonofthis—Moralpowerexercisedbythemajorityuponopinion—Democraticrepublicshavedepriveddespotismofitsphysicalinstruments—Theirdespotismswaysthemindsofmen。
ItisintheexaminationofthedisplayofpublicopinionintheUnitedStatesthatweclearlyperceivehowfarthepowerofthemajoritysurpassesallthepowerswithwhichweareacquaintedinEurope。Intellectualprinciplesexerciseaninfluencewhichissoinvisible，andoftensoinappreciable，thattheybafflethetoilsofoppression。AtthepresenttimethemostabsolutemonarchsinEuropeareunabletopreventcertainnotions，whichareopposedtotheirauthority，fromcirculatinginsecretthroughouttheirdominions，andevenintheircourts。
SuchisnotthecaseinAmerica;aslongasthemajorityisstillundecided，discussioniscarriedon;butassoonasitsdecisionisirrevocablypronounced，asubmissivesilenceisobserved，andthefriends，aswellastheopponents，ofthemeasureuniteinassentingtoitspropriety。Thereasonofthisisperfectlyclear:nomonarchissoabsoluteastocombineallthepowersofsocietyinhisownhands，andtoconqueralloppositionwiththeenergyofamajoritywhichisinvested...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：
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