Asservantsdonotformaseparatepeople，theyhavenohabits，prejudices，ormannerspeculiartothemselves;theyarenotremarkableforanyparticularturnofmindormoodsoffeeling。
Theyknownovicesorvirtuesoftheircondition，buttheypartakeoftheeducation，theopinions，thefeelings，thevirtues，andthevicesoftheircontemporaries;andtheyarehonestmenorscoundrelsinthesamewayastheirmastersare。
Theconditionsofservantsarenotlessequalthanthoseofmasters。Asnomarkedranksorfixedsubordinationaretobefoundamongstthem，theywillnotdisplayeitherthemeannessorthegreatnesswhichcharacterizesthearistocracyofmenialsaswellasallotheraristocracies。IneversawamanintheUnitedStateswhoremindedmeofthatclassofconfidentialservantsofwhichwestillretainareminiscenceinEurope，neitherdidI
evermeetwithsuchathingasalackey:alltracesoftheoneandoftheotherhavedisappeared。
Indemocraciesservantsarenotonlyequalamongstthemselves，butitmaybesaidthattheyareinsomesorttheequalsoftheirmasters。Thisrequiresexplanationinordertoberightlyunderstood。Atanymomentaservantmaybecomeamaster，andheaspirestorisetothatcondition:theservantisthereforenotadifferentmanfromthemaster。Whythenhastheformerarighttocommand，andwhatcompelsthelattertoobey？—
thefreeandtemporaryconsentofboththeirwills。Neitherofthemisbynatureinferiortotheother;theyonlybecomesoforatimebycovenant。Withinthetermsofthiscovenant，theoneisaservant，theotheramaster;beyondittheyaretwocitizensofthecommonwealth—twomen。Ibegthereaderparticularlytoobservethatthisisnotonlythenotionwhichservantsthemselvesentertainoftheirowncondition;domesticserviceislookeduponbymastersinthesamelight;andthepreciselimitsofauthorityandobedienceareasclearlysettledinthemindoftheoneasinthatoftheother。
Whenthegreaterpartofthecommunityhavelongattainedaconditionnearlyalike，andwhenequalityisanoldandacknowledgedfact，thepublicmind，whichisneveraffectedbyexceptions，assignscertaingenerallimitstothevalueofman，aboveorbelowwhichnomancanlongremainplaced。Itisinvainthatwealthandpoverty，authorityandobedience，accidentallyinterposegreatdistancesbetweentwomen;publicopinion，foundedupontheusualorderofthings，drawsthemtoacommonlevel，andcreatesaspeciesofimaginaryequalitybetweenthem，inspiteoftherealinequalityoftheirconditions。Thisall—powerfulopinionpenetratesatlengthevenintotheheartsofthosewhoseinterestmightarmthemtoresistit;itaffectstheirjudgmentwhilstitsubduestheirwill。Intheirinmostconvictionsthemasterandtheservantnolongerperceiveanydeep—seateddifferencebetweenthem，andtheyneitherhopenorfeartomeetwithanysuchatanytime。Theyarethereforeneithersubjecttodisdainnortoanger，andtheydiscernineachotherneitherhumilitynorpride。Themasterholdsthecontractofservicetobetheonlysourceofhispower，andtheservantregardsitastheonlycauseofhisobedience。Theydonotquarrelabouttheirreciprocalsituations，buteachknowshisownandkeepsit。
IntheFrencharmythecommonsoldieristakenfromnearlythesameclassesastheofficer，andmayholdthesamecommissions;outoftheranksheconsidershimselfentirelyequaltohismilitarysuperiors，andinpointoffactheisso;butwhenunderarmshedoesnothesitatetoobey，andhisobedienceisnotthelessprompt，precise，andready，forbeingvoluntaryanddefined。Thisexamplemaygiveanotionofwhattakesplacebetweenmastersandservantsindemocraticcommunities。
Itwouldbepreposteroustosupposethatthosewarmanddeep—seatedaffections，whicharesometimeskindledinthedomesticserviceofaristocracy，willeverspringupbetweenthesetwomen，orthattheywillexhibitstronginstancesofself—sacrifice。Inaristocraciesmastersandservantsliveapart，andfrequentlytheironlyintercourseisthroughathirdperson;yettheycommonlystandfirmlybyoneanother。Indemocraticcountriesthemasterandtheservantareclosetogether;theyareindailypersonalcontact，buttheirmindsdonotintermingle;theyhavecommonoccupations，hardlyevercommoninterests。Amongstsuchapeopletheservantalwaysconsidershimselfasasojournerinthedwellingofhismasters。Heknewnothingoftheirforefathers—hewillseenothingoftheirdescendants—hehasnothinglastingtoexpectfromtheirhand。
Whythenshouldheconfoundhislifewiththeirs，andwhenceshouldsostrangeasurrenderofhimselfproceed？Thereciprocalpositionofthetwomenischanged—theirmutualrelationsmustbesotoo。
IwouldfainillustrateallthesereflectionsbytheexampleoftheAmericans;butforthispurposethedistinctionsofpersonsandplacesmustbeaccuratelytraced。IntheSouthoftheUnion，slaveryexists;allthatIhavejustsaidisconsequentlyinapplicablethere。IntheNorth，themajorityofservantsareeitherfreedmenorthechildrenoffreedmen;thesepersonsoccupyacontestedpositioninthepublicestimation;bythelawstheyarebroughtuptotheleveloftheirmasters—bythemannersofthecountrytheyareobstinatelydetrudedfromit。
Theydonotthemselvesclearlyknowtheirproperplace，andtheyarealmostalwayseitherinsolentorcraven。ButintheNorthernStates，especiallyinNewEngland，thereareacertainnumberofwhites，whoagree，forwages，toyieldatemporaryobediencetothewilloftheirfellow—citizens。Ihaveheardthattheseservantscommonlyperformthedutiesoftheirsituationwithpunctualityandintelligence;andthatwithoutthinkingthemselvesnaturallyinferiortothepersonwhoordersthem，theysubmitwithoutreluctancetoobeyhim。Theyappeartometocarryintoservicesomeofthosemanlyhabitswhichindependenceandequalityengender。Havingonceselectedahardwayoflife，theydonotseektoescapefromitbyindirectmeans;andtheyhavesufficientrespectforthemselves，nottorefusetotheirmasterthatobediencewhichtheyhavefreelypromised。Ontheirpart，mastersrequirenothingoftheirservantsbutthefaithfulandrigorousperformanceofthecovenant:theydonotaskformarksofrespect，theydonotclaimtheirloveordevotedattachment;itisenoughthat，asservants，theyareexactandhonest。Itwouldnotthenbetruetoassertthat，indemocraticsociety，therelationofservantsandmastersisdisorganized:itisorganizedonanotherfooting;theruleisdifferent，butthereisarule。
ItisnotmypurposetoinquirewhetherthenewstateofthingswhichIhavejustdescribedisinferiortothatwhichprecededit，orsimplydifferent。Enoughformethatitisfixedanddetermined:forwhatismostimportanttomeetwithamongmenisnotanygivenordering，butorder。ButwhatshallIsayofthosesadandtroubledtimesatwhichequalityisestablishedinthemidstofthetumultofrevolution—whendemocracy，afterhavingbeenintroducedintothestateofsociety，stillstruggleswithdifficultyagainsttheprejudicesandmannersofthecountry？Thelaws，andpartiallypublicopinion，alreadydeclarethatnonaturalorpermanentinferiorityexistsbetweentheservantandthemaster。Butthisnewbeliefhasnotyetreachedtheinnermostconvictionsofthelatter，orratherhisheartrejectsit;inthesecretpersuasionofhismindthemasterthinksthathebelongstoapeculiarandsuperiorrace;hedaresnotsayso，butheshudderswhilstheallowshimselftobedraggedtothesamelevel。Hisauthorityoverhisservantsbecomestimidandatthesametimeharsh:hehasalreadyceasedtoentertainforthemthefeelingsofpatronizingkindnesswhichlonguncontestedpoweralwaysengenders，andheissurprisedthat，beingchangedhimself，hisservantchangesalso。Hewantshisattendantstoformregularandpermanenthabits，inaconditionofdomesticservicewhichisonlytemporary:herequiresthattheyshouldappearcontentedwithandproudofaservilecondition，whichtheywillonedayshakeoff—thattheyshouldsacrificethemselvestoamanwhocanneitherprotectnorruinthem—andinshortthattheyshouldcontractanindissolubleengagementtoabeinglikethemselves，andonewhowilllastnolongerthantheywill。
Amongstaristocraticnationsitoftenhappensthattheconditionofdomesticservicedoesnotdegradethecharacterofthosewhoenteruponit，becausetheyneitherknownorimagineanyother;andtheamazinginequalitywhichismanifestbetweenthemandtheirmasterappearstobethenecessaryandunavoidableconsequenceofsomehiddenlawofProvidence。Indemocraciestheconditionofdomesticservicedoesnotdegradethecharacterofthosewhoenteruponit，becauseitisfreelychosen，andadoptedforatimeonly;becauseitisnotstigmatizedbypublicopinion，andcreatesnopermanentinequalitybetweentheservantandthemaster。Butwhilstthetransitionfromonesocialconditiontoanotherisgoingon，thereisalmostalwaysatimewhenmen’smindsfluctuatebetweenthearistocraticnotionofsubjectionandthedemocraticnotionofobedience。Obediencethenlosesitsmoralimportanceintheeyesofhimwhoobeys;henolongerconsidersitasaspeciesofdivineobligation，andhedoesnotyetviewitunderitspurelyhumanaspect;ithastohimnocharacterofsanctityorofjustice，andhesubmitstoitastoadegradingbutprofitablecondition。Atthatmomentaconfusedandimperfectphantomofequalityhauntsthemindsofservants;
theydonotatonceperceivewhethertheequalitytowhichtheyareentitledistobefoundwithinorwithoutthepaleofdomesticservice;andtheyrebelintheirheartsagainstasubordinationtowhichtheyhavesubjectedthemselves，andfromwhichtheyderiveactualprofit。Theyconsenttoserve，andtheyblushtoobey;theyliketheadvantagesofservice，butnotthemaster;orrather，theyarenotsurethattheyoughtnotthemselvestobemasters，andtheyareinclinedtoconsiderhimwhoordersthemasanunjustusurperoftheirownrights。Thenitisthatthedwellingofeverycitizenoffersaspectaclesomewhatanalogoustothegloomyaspectofpoliticalsociety。A
secretandintestinewarfareisgoingontherebetweenpowers，everrivalsandsuspiciousofoneanother:themasterisill—naturedandweak，theservantill—naturedandintractable;
theoneconstantlyattemptstoevadebyunfairrestrictionshisobligationtoprotectandtoremunerate—theotherhisobligationtoobey。Thereinsofdomesticgovernmentdanglebetweenthem，tobesnatchedatbyoneortheother。Thelineswhichdivideauthorityfromoppression，libertyfromlicense，andrightfrommight，aretotheireyessojumbledtogetherandconfused，thatnooneknowsexactlywhatheis，orwhathemaybe，orwhatheoughttobe。Suchaconditionisnotdemocracy，butrevolution。
ChapterVI:ThatDemocraticInstitutionsAndMannersTendToRaiseRentsAndShortenTheTermsOfLeasesWhathasbeensaidofservantsandmastersisapplicable，toacertainextent，tolandownersandfarmingtenants;butthissubjectdeservestobeconsideredbyitself。InAmericathereare，properlyspeaking，notenantfarmers;everymanownsthegroundhetills。Itmustbeadmittedthatdemocraticlawstendgreatlytoincreasethenumberoflandowners，andtodiminishthatoffarmingtenants。YetwhattakesplaceintheUnitedStatesismuchlessattributabletotheinstitutionsofthecountrythantothecountryitself。InAmericalandischeap，andanyonemayeasilybecome...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：
第48章