Evenwhentherelianceofademocraticpeoplehasbeenwon，itisstillnoeasymattertogaintheirattention。Itisextremelydifficulttoobtainahearingfrommenlivingindemocracies，unlessitbetospeaktothemofthemselves。Theydonotattendtothethingssaidtothem，becausetheyarealwaysfullyengrossedwiththethingstheyaredoing。Forindeedfewmenareidleindemocraticnations;lifeispassedinthemidstofnoiseandexcitement，andmenaresoengagedinactingthatlittleremainstothemforthinking。Iwouldespeciallyremarkthattheyarenotonlyemployed，butthattheyarepassionatelydevotedtotheiremployments。Theyarealwaysinaction，andeachoftheiractionsabsorbstheirfaculties:thezealwhichtheydisplayinbusinessputsouttheenthusiasmtheymightotherwiseentertainforidea。Ithinkthatitisextremelydifficulttoexcitetheenthusiasmofademocraticpeopleforanytheorywhichhasnotapalpable，direct，andimmediateconnectionwiththedailyoccupationsoflife:thereforetheywillnoteasilyforsaketheiroldopinions;foritisenthusiasmwhichflingsthemindsofmenoutofthebeatentrack，andeffectsthegreatrevolutionsoftheintellectaswellasthegreatrevolutionsofthepoliticalworld。Thusdemocraticnationshaveneithertimenortastetogoinsearchofnovelopinions。Evenwhenthosetheypossessbecomedoubtful，theystillretainthem，becauseitwouldtaketoomuchtimeandinquirytochangethem—
theyretainthem，notascertain，butasestablished。
Thereareyetotherandmorecogentreasonswhichpreventanygreatchangefrombeingeasilyeffectedintheprinciplesofademocraticpeople。Ihavealreadyadvertedtothematthecommencementofthispartofmywork。Iftheinfluenceofindividualsisweakandhardlyperceptibleamongstsuchapeople，thepowerexercisedbythemassuponthemindofeachindividualisextremelygreat—Ihavealreadyshownforwhatreasons。I
wouldnowobservethatitiswrongtosupposethatthisdependssolelyupontheformofgovernment，andthatthemajoritywouldloseitsintellectualsupremacyifitweretoloseitspoliticalpower。Inaristocraciesmenhaveoftenmuchgreatnessandstrengthoftheirown:whentheyfindthemselvesatvariancewiththegreaternumberoftheirfellow—countrymen，theywithdrawtotheirowncircle，wheretheysupportandconsolethemselves。
Suchisnotthecaseinademocraticcountry;therepublicfavorseemsasnecessaryastheairwebreathe，andtoliveatvariancewiththemultitudeis，asitwere，nottolive。Themultituderequiresnolawstocoercethosewhothinknotlikeitself:
publicdisapprobationisenough;asenseoftheirlonelinessandimpotenceovertakesthemanddrivesthemtodespair。
Wheneversocialconditionsareequal，publicopinionpresseswithenormousweightuponthemindofeachindividual;itsurrounds，directs，andoppresseshim;andthisarisesfromtheveryconstitutionofsociety，muchmorethanfromitspoliticallaws。Asmengrowmorealike，eachmanfeelshimselfweakerinregardtoalltherest;ashediscernsnothingbywhichheisconsiderablyraisedabovethem，ordistinguishedfromthem，hemistrustshimselfassoonastheyassailhim。Notonlydoeshemistrusthisstrength，butheevendoubtsofhisright;andheisverynearacknowledgingthatheisinthewrong，whenthegreaternumberofhiscountrymenassertthatheisso。Themajoritydonotneedtoconstrainhim—theyconvincehim。Inwhateverwaythenthepowersofademocraticcommunitymaybeorganizedandbalanced，itwillalwaysbeextremelydifficulttobelievewhatthebulkofthepeoplereject，ortoprofesswhattheycondemn。
Thiscircumstanceisextraordinarilyfavorabletothestabilityofopinions。Whenanopinionhastakenrootamongstademocraticpeople，andestablisheditselfinthemindsofthebulkofthecommunity，itafterwardssubsistsbyitselfandismaintainedwithouteffort，becausenooneattacksit。Thosewhoatfirstrejecteditasfalse，ultimatelyreceiveitasthegeneralimpression;andthosewhostilldisputeitintheirhearts，concealtheirdissent;theyarecarefulnottoengageinadangerousanduselessconflict。Itistrue，thatwhenthemajorityofademocraticpeoplechangetheiropinions，theymaysuddenlyandarbitrarilyeffectstrangerevolutionsinmen’sminds;buttheiropinionsdonotchangewithoutmuchdifficulty，anditisalmostasdifficulttoshowthattheyarechanged。
Time，events，ortheunaidedindividualactionofthemind，willsometimesundermineordestroyanopinion，withoutanyoutwardsignofthechange。Ithasnotbeenopenlyassailed，noconspiracyhasbeenformedtomakewaronit，butitsfollowersonebyonenoiselesslysecede—daybydayafewofthemabandonit，untillastitisonlyprofessedbyaminority。Inthisstateitwillstillcontinuetoprevail。Asitsenemiesremainmute，oronlyinterchangetheirthoughtsbystealth，theyarethemselvesunawareforalongperiodthatagreatrevolutionhasactuallybeeneffected;andinthisstateofuncertainlytheytakenosteps—theyobserveeachotherandaresilent。Themajorityhaveceasedtobelievewhattheybelievedbefore;buttheystillaffecttobelieve，andthisemptyphantomofpublicopinioninstrongenoughtochillinnovators，andtokeepthemsilentandatrespectfuldistance。Weliveatatimewhichhaswitnessedthemostrapidchangesofopinioninthemindsofmen;
neverthelessitmaybethattheleadingopinionsofsocietywillerelongbemoresettledthantheyhavebeenforseveralcenturiesinourhistory:thattimeisnotyetcome，butitmayperhapsbeapproaching。AsIexaminemorecloselythenaturalwantsandtendenciesofdemocraticnations，Igrowpersuadedthatifeversocialequalityisgenerallyandpermanentlyestablishedintheworld，greatintellectualandpoliticalrevolutionswillbecomemoredifficultandlessfrequentthanissupposed。Becausethemenofdemocraciesappearalwaysexcited，uncertain，eager，changeableintheirwillsandintheirpositions，itisimaginedthattheyaresuddenlytoabrogatetheirlaws，toadoptnewopinions，andtoassumenewmanners。Butiftheprincipleofequalitypredisposesmentochange，italsosuggeststothemcertaininterestsandtasteswhichcannotbesatisfiedwithoutasettledorderofthings;equalityurgesthemon，butatthesametimeitholdsthemback;itspursthem，butfastensthemtoearth;—itkindlestheirdesires，butlimitstheirpowers。This，however，isnotperceivedatfirst;thepassionswhichtendtoseverthecitizensofademocracyareobviousenough;butthehiddenforcewhichrestrainsandunitesthemisnotdiscernibleataglance。
Amidsttheruinswhichsurroundme，shallIdaretosaythatrevolutionsarenotwhatImostfearcominggenerations？Ifmencontinuetoshutthemselvesmorecloselywithinthenarrowcircleofdomesticinterestsandtoliveuponthatkindofexcitement，itistobeapprehendedthattheymayultimatelybecomeinaccessibletothosegreatandpowerfulpublicemotionswhichperturbnations—butwhichenlargethemandrecruitthem。Whenpropertybecomessofluctuating，andtheloveofpropertysorestlessandsoardent，Icannotbutfearthatmenmayarriveatsuchastateastoregardeverynewtheoryasaperil，everyinnovationasanirksometoil，everysocialimprovementasastepping—stonetorevolution，andsorefusetomovealtogetherforfearofbeingmovedtoofar。Idread，andIconfessit，lesttheyshouldatlastsoentirelygivewaytoacowardlyloveofpresentenjoyment，astolosesightoftheinterestsoftheirfutureselvesandofthoseoftheirdescendants;andtoprefertoglidealongtheeasycurrentoflife，ratherthantomake，whenitisnecessary，astrongandsuddenefforttoahigherpurpose。
Itisbelievedbysomethatmodernsocietywillbeeverchangingitsaspect;formyself，Ifearthatitwillultimatelybetooinvariablyfixedinthesameinstitutions，thesameprejudices，thesamemanners，sothatmankindwillbestoppedandcircumscribed;thatthemindwillswingbackwardsandforwardsforever，withoutbegettingfreshideas;thatmanwillwastehisstrengthinbootlessandsolitarytrifling;and，thoughincontinualmotion，thathumanitywillceasetoadvance。
ChapterXXII:WhyDemocraticNationsAreNaturallyDesirousOfPeace，AndDemocraticArmiesOfWarThesameinterests，thesamefears，thesamepassionswhichdeterdemocraticnationsfromrevolutions，deterthemalsofromwar;thespiritofmilitarygloryandthespiritofrevolutionareweakenedatthesametimeandbythesamecauses。Theever—
increasingnumbersofmenofproperty—loversofpeace，thegrowthofpersonalwealthwhichwarsorapidlyconsumes，themildnessofmanners，thegentlenessofheart，thosetendenciestopitywhichareengenderedbytheequalityofconditions，thatcoolnessofunderstandingwhichrendersmencomparativelyinsensibletotheviolentandpoeticalexcitementofarms—allthesecausesconcurtoquenchthemilitaryspirit。Ithinkitmaybeadmittedasageneralandconstantrule，that，amongstcivilizednations，thewarlikepassionswillbecomemorerareandlessintenseinproportionassocialconditionsshallbemoreequal。Warisneverthelessanoccurrencetowhichallnationsaresubject，democraticnationsaswellasothers。Whatevertastetheymayhaveforpeace，theymustholdthemselvesinreadinesstorepelaggression，orinotherwordstheymusthaveanarmy。
Fortune，whichhasconferredsomanypeculiarbenefitsupontheinhabitantsoftheUnitedStates，hasplacedtheminthemidstofawilderness，wheretheyhave，sotospeak，noneighbors:afewthousandsoldiersaresufficientfortheirwants;butthisispeculiartoAmerica，nottodemocracy。Theequalityofconditions，andthemannersaswellastheinstitutionsresultingfromit，donotexemptademocraticpeoplefromthenecessityofstandingarmies，andtheirarmiesalwaysexerciseapowerfulinfluenceovertheirfate。Itisthereforeofsingularimportancetoinquirewhatarethenaturalpropensitiesofthemenofwhomthesearmiesarecomposed。
Amongstaristocraticnations，especiallyamongstthoseinwhichbirthistheonlysourceofrank，thesameinequalityexistsinthearmyasinthenation;theofficerisnoble，thesoldierisaserf;theoneisnaturallycalledupontocommand，theothertoobey。Inaristocraticarmies，theprivatesoldier’sambitionisthereforecircumscribedwithinverynarrowlimits。
Norhastheambitionoftheofficeranunlimitedrange。Anaristocraticbodynotonlyformsapartofthescaleofranksinthenation，butitcontainsascaleofrankswithinitself:themembersofwhomitiscomposedareplacedoneaboveanother，inaparticularandunvaryingmanner。Thusonemanisborntothecommandofaregiment，anothertothatofacompany;whenoncetheyhavereachedtheutmostobjectoftheirhopes，theystopoftheirownaccord，andremaincontentedwiththeirlot。Thereis，besides，astrongcause，which，inaristocracies，weakenstheofficer’sdesireofpromotion。Amongstaristocraticnations，anofficer，independentlyofhisrankinthearmy，alsooccupiesanelevatedrankinsociety;theformerisalmostalwaysinhiseyesonlyanappendagetothelatter。Anoblemanwhoembracestheprofessionofarmsfollowsitlessfrommotivesofambitionthanfromasenseofthedutiesimposedonhimbyhisbirth。Heentersthearmyinordertofindanhonorableemploymentfortheidleyearsofhisyouth，andtobeabletobringbacktohishomeandhispeerssomehonorablerecollection...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：
第53章