thepermanenceofthereligiousworldtothecontinualshiftingofpolitics;theexperienceofthepeopletoitstheoreticalignorance;anditspracticalknowledgeofbusinesstotheimpatienceofitsdesires。
TheAmericans，then，havenotrelieduponthenatureoftheircountrytocounterpoisethosedangerswhichoriginateintheirConstitutionandintheirpoliticallaws。Toevilswhicharecommontoalldemocraticpeoplestheyhaveappliedremedieswhichnonebutthemselveshadeverthoughtofbefore;andalthoughtheywerethefirsttomaketheexperiment，theyhavesucceededinit。
ThemannersandlawsoftheAmericansarenottheonlyoneswhichmaysuitademocraticpeople;buttheAmericanshaveshownthatitwouldbewrongtodespairofregulatingdemocracybytheaidofmannersandoflaws。IfothernationsshouldborrowthisgeneralandpregnantideafromtheAmericans，withouthoweverintendingtoimitatetheminthepeculiarapplicationwhichtheyhavemadeofit;iftheyshouldattempttofitthemselvesforthatsocialcondition，whichitseemstobethewillofProvidencetoimposeuponthegenerationsofthisage，andsotoescapefromthedespotismortheanarchywhichthreatensthem;
whatreasonistheretosupposethattheireffortswouldnotbecrownedwithsuccess？TheorganizationandtheestablishmentofdemocracyinChristendomisthegreatpoliticalproblemofthetime。TheAmericans，unquestionably，havenotresolvedthisproblem，buttheyfurnishusefuldatatothosewhoundertakethetask。
ImportanceOfWhatPrecedesWithRespectToTheStateOfEuropeItmayreadilybediscoveredwithwhatintentionIundertooktheforegoinginquiries。ThequestionherediscussedisinterestingnotonlytotheUnitedStates，buttothewholeworld;itconcerns，notanation，butallmankind。Ifthosenationswhosesocialconditionisdemocraticcouldonlyremainfreeaslongastheyareinhabitantsofthewilds，wecouldnotbutdespairofthefuturedestinyofthehumanrace;fordemocracyisrapidlyacquiringamoreextendedsway，andthewildsaregraduallypeopledwithmen。Ifitweretruethatlawsandmannersareinsufficienttomaintaindemocraticinstitutions，whatrefugewouldremainopentothenations，exceptthedespotismofasingleindividual？Iamawarethattherearemanyworthypersonsatthepresenttimewhoarenotalarmedatthislatteralternative，andwhoaresotiredoflibertyastobegladofrepose，farfromthosestormsbywhichitisattended。Buttheseindividualsareillacquaintedwiththehaventowardswhichtheyarebound。Theyaresodeludedbytheirrecollections，astojudgethetendencyofabsolutepowerbywhatitwasformerly，andnotbywhatitmightbecomeatthepresenttime。
Ifabsolutepowerwerere—establishedamongstthedemocraticnationsofEurope，Iampersuadedthatitwouldassumeanewform，andappearunderfeaturesunknowntoourforefathers。
TherewasatimeinEuropewhenthelawsandtheconsentofthepeoplehadinvestedprinceswithalmostunlimitedauthority;buttheyscarcelyeveravailedthemselvesofit。Idonotspeakoftheprerogativesofthenobility，oftheauthorityofsupremecourtsofjustice，ofcorporationsandtheircharteredrights，orofprovincialprivileges，whichservedtobreaktheblowsofthesovereignauthority，andtomaintainaspiritofresistanceinthenation。Independentlyofthesepoliticalinstitutions—
which，howeveropposedtheymightbetopersonalliberty，servedtokeepalivetheloveoffreedominthemindofthepublic，andwhichmaybeesteemedtohavebeenusefulinthisrespect—themannersandopinionsofthenationconfinedtheroyalauthoritywithinbarrierswhichwerenotlesspowerful，althoughtheywerelessconspicuous。Religion，theaffectionsofthepeople，thebenevolenceoftheprince，thesenseofhonor，familypride，provincialprejudices，custom，andpublicopinionlimitedthepowerofkings，andrestrainedtheirauthoritywithinaninvisiblecircle。Theconstitutionofnationswasdespoticatthattime，buttheirmannerswerefree。Princeshadtheright，buttheyhadneitherthemeansnorthedesire，ofdoingwhatevertheypleased。
Butwhatnowremainsofthosebarrierswhichformerlyarrestedtheaggressionsoftyranny？Sincereligionhaslostitsempireoverthesoulsofmen，themostprominentboundarywhichdividedgoodfromevilisoverthrown;theveryelementsofthemoralworldareindeterminate;theprincesandthepeoplesoftheearthareguidedbychance，andnonecandefinethenaturallimitsofdespotismandtheboundsoflicense。LongrevolutionshaveforeverdestroyedtherespectwhichsurroundedtherulersoftheState;andsincetheyhavebeenrelievedfromtheburdenofpublicesteem，princesmayhenceforwardsurrenderthemselveswithoutfeartotheseductionsofarbitrarypower。
Whenkingsfindthattheheartsoftheirsubjectsareturnedtowardsthem，theyareclement，becausetheyareconsciousoftheirstrength，andtheyarecharyoftheaffectionoftheirpeople，becausetheaffectionoftheirpeopleisthebulwarkofthethrone。Amutualinterchangeofgood—willthentakesplacebetweentheprinceandthepeople，whichresemblesthegraciousintercourseofdomesticsociety。Thesubjectsmaymurmuratthesovereign’sdecree，buttheyaregrievedtodispleasehim;andthesovereignchastiseshissubjectswiththelighthandofparentalaffection。
Butwhenoncethespellofroyaltyisbrokeninthetumultofrevolution;whensuccessivemonarchshavecrossedthethrone，soasalternatelytodisplaytothepeopletheweaknessoftheirrightandtheharshnessoftheirpower，thesovereignisnolongerregardedbyanyastheFatheroftheState，andheisfearedbyallasitsmaster。Ifhebeweak，heisdespised;ifhebestrong，heisdetested。Hehimselfisfullofanimosityandalarm;hefindsthatheisasastrangerinhisowncountry，andhetreatshissubjectslikeconqueredenemies。
Whentheprovincesandthetownsformedsomanydifferentnationsinthemidstoftheircommoncountry，eachofthemhadawillofitsown，whichwasopposedtothegeneralspiritofsubjection;butnowthatallthepartsofthesameempire，afterhavinglosttheirimmunities，theircustoms，theirprejudices，theirtraditions，andtheirnames，aresubjectedandaccustomedtothesamelaws，itisnotmoredifficulttooppressthemcollectivelythanitwasformerlytooppressthemsingly。
Whilstthenoblesenjoyedtheirpower，andindeedlongafterthatpowerwaslost，thehonorofaristocracyconferredanextraordinarydegreeofforceupontheirpersonalopposition。
Theyaffordinstancesofmenwho，notwithstandingtheirweakness，stillentertainedahighopinionoftheirpersonalvalue，anddaredtocopesingle—handedwiththeeffortsofthepublicauthority。Butatthepresentday，whenallranksaremoreandmoreconfounded，whentheindividualdisappearsinthethrong，andiseasilylostinthemidstofacommonobscurity，whenthehonorofmonarchyhasalmostlostitsempirewithoutbeingsucceededbypublicvirtue，andwhennothingcanenablemantoriseabovehimself，whoshallsayatwhatpointtheexigenciesofpowerandtheservilityofweaknesswillstop？
Aslongasfamilyfeelingwaskeptalive，theantagonistofoppressionwasneveralone;helookedabouthim，andfoundhisclients，hishereditaryfriends，andhiskinsfolk。Ifthissupportwaswanting，hewassustainedbyhisancestorsandanimatedbyhisposterity。Butwhenpatrimonialestatesaredivided，andwhenafewyearssufficetoconfoundthedistinctionsofarace，wherecanfamilyfeelingbefound？Whatforcecantherebeinthecustomsofacountrywhichhaschangedandisstillperpetuallychanging，itsaspect;inwhicheveryactoftyrannyhasaprecedent，andeverycrimeanexample;inwhichthereisnothingsooldthatitsantiquitycansaveitfromdestruction，andnothingsounparalleledthatitsnoveltycanpreventitfrombeingdone？Whatresistancecanbeofferedbymannersofsopliantamakethattheyhavealreadyoftenyielded？
Whatstrengthcanevenpublicopinionhaveretained，whennotwentypersonsareconnectedbyacommontie;whennotaman，norafamily，norcharteredcorporation，norclass，norfreeinstitution，hasthepowerofrepresentingorexertingthatopinion;andwheneverycitizen—beingequallyweak，equallypoor，andequallydependent—hasonlyhispersonalimpotencetoopposetotheorganizedforceofthegovernment？
TheannalsofFrancefurnishnothinganalogoustotheconditioninwhichthatcountrymightthenbethrown。Butitmaymoreaptlybeassimilatedtothetimesofold，andtothosehideouserasofRomanoppression，whenthemannersofthepeoplewerecorrupted，theirtraditionsobliterated，theirhabitsdestroyed，theiropinionsshaken，andfreedom，expelledfromthelaws，couldfindnorefugeintheland;whennothingprotectedthecitizens，andthecitizensnolongerprotectedthemselves;
whenhumannaturewasthesportofman，andprincesweariedouttheclemencyofHeavenbeforetheyexhaustedthepatienceoftheirsubjects。ThosewhohopetorevivethemonarchyofHenryIVorofLouisXIV，appeartometobeafflictedwithmentalblindness;andwhenIconsiderthepresentconditionofseveralEuropeannations—aconditiontowhichalltheotherstend—I
amledtobelievethattheywillsoonbeleftwithnootheralternativethandemocraticliberty，orthetyrannyoftheCaesars。*n[Footnoten:[ThispredictionofthereturnofFrancetoimperialdespotism，andofthetruecharacterofthatdespoticpower，waswrittenin1832，andrealizedtotheletterin1852。]]
Andindeeditisdeservingofconsideration，whethermenaretobeentirelyemancipatedorentirelyenslaved;whethertheirrightsaretobemadeequal，orwhollytakenawayfromthem。Iftherulersofsocietywerereducedeithergraduallytoraisethecrowdtotheirownlevel，ortosinkthecitizensbelowthatofhumanity，wouldnotthedoubtsofmanyberesolved，theconsciencesofmanybehealed，andthecommunitypreparedtomakegreatsacrificeswithlittledifficulty？Inthatcase，thegradualgrowthofdemocraticmannersandinstitutionsshouldberegarded，notasthebest，butastheonlymeansofpreservingfreedom;andwithoutlikingthegovernmentofdemocracy，itmightbeadoptedasthemostapplicableandthefairestremedyforthepresentillsof...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：
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