democracy in america-1- 第19部分

From　the　same　social　position；　then；　nations　may　derive　one　or　the　other　of　two　great　political　results；　these　results　are　extremely　different　from　each　other；　but　they　may　both　proceed　from　the　same　cause。

The　Anglo…Americans　are　the　first　nations　who；　having　been　exposed　to　this　formidable　alternative；　have　been　happy　enough　to　escape　the　dominion　of　absolute　power。　　They　have　been　allowed　by　their　circumstances；　their　origin；　their　intelligence；　and　especially　by　their　moral　feeling；　to　establish　and　maintain　the　sovereignty　of　the　people。


Chapter　IV：　The　Principle　Of　The　Sovereignty　Of　The　People　In　America

Chapter　Summary

It　predominates　over　the　whole　of　society　in　America　…　Application　made　of　this　principle　by　the　Americans　even　before　their　Revolution　…　Development　given　to　it　by　that　Revolution　…　Gradual　and　irresistible　extension　of　the　elective　qualification。

The　Principle　Of　The　Sovereignty　Of　The　People　In　America

Whenever　the　political　laws　of　the　United　States　are　to　be　discussed；　it　is　with　the　doctrine　of　the　sovereignty　of　the　people　that　we　must　begin。　The　principle　of　the　sovereignty　of　the　people；　which　is　to　be　found；　more　or　less；　at　the　bottom　of　almost　all　human　institutions；　generally　remains　concealed　from　view。　　It　is　obeyed　without　being　recognized；　or　if　for　a　moment　it　be　brought　to　light；　it　is　hastily　cast　back　into　the　gloom　of　the　sanctuary。　　〃The　will　of　the　nation〃　is　one　of　those　expressions　which　have　been　most　profusely　abused　by　the　wily　and　the　despotic　of　every　age。　　To　the　eyes　of　some　it　has　been　represented　by　the　venal　suffrages　of　a　few　of　the　satellites　of　power；　to　others　by　the　votes　of　a　timid　or　an　interested　minority；　and　some　have　even　discovered　it　in　the　silence　of　a　people；　on　the　supposition　that　the　fact　of　submission　established　the　right　of　command。

In　America　the　principle　of　the　sovereignty　of　the　people　is　not　either　barren　or　concealed；　as　it　is　with　some　other　nations；　it　is　recognized　by　the　customs　and　proclaimed　by　the　laws；　it　spreads　freely；　and　arrives　without　impediment　at　its　most　remote　consequences。　　If　there　be　a　country　in　the　world　where　the　doctrine　of　the　sovereignty　of　the　people　can　be　fairly　appreciated；　where　it　can　be　studied　in　its　application　to　the　affairs　of　society；　and　where　its　dangers　and　its　advantages　may　be　foreseen；　that　country　is　assuredly　America。

I　have　already　observed　that；　from　their　origin；　the　sovereignty　of　the　people　was　the　fundamental　principle　of　the　greater　number　of　British　colonies　in　America。　　It　was　far；　however；　from　then　exercising　as　much　influence　on　the　government　of　society　as　it　now　does。　　Two　obstacles；　the　one　external；　the　other　internal；　checked　its　invasive　progress。　　It　could　not　ostensibly　disclose　itself　in　the　laws　of　colonies　which　were　still　constrained　to　obey　the　mother…country：　it　was　therefore　obliged　to　spread　secretly；　and　to　gain　ground　in　the　provincial　assemblies；　and　especially　in　the　townships。

American　society　was　not　yet　prepared　to　adopt　it　with　all　its　consequences。　　The　intelligence　of　New　England；　and　the　wealth　of　the　country　to　the　south　of　the　Hudson　（as　I　have　shown　in　the　preceding　chapter）；　long　exercised　a　sort　of　aristocratic　influence；　which　tended　to　retain　the　exercise　of　social　authority　in　the　hands　of　a　few。　　The　public　functionaries　were　not　universally　elected；　and　the　citizens　were　not　all　of　them　electors。　The　electoral　franchise　was　everywhere　placed　within　certain　limits；　and　made　dependent　on　a　certain　qualification；　which　was　exceedingly　low　in　the　North　and　more　considerable　in　the　South。

The　American　revolution　broke　out；　and　the　doctrine　of　the　sovereignty　of　the　people；　which　had　been　nurtured　in　the　townships　and　municipalities；　took　possession　of　the　State：　every　class　was　enlisted　in　its　cause；　battles　were　fought；　and　victories　obtained　for　it；　until　it　became　the　law　of　laws。

A　no　less　rapid　change　was　effected　in　the　interior　of　society；　where　the　law　of　descent　completed　the　abolition　of　local　influences。

At　the　very　time　when　this　consequence　of　the　laws　and　of　the　revolution　was　apparent　to　every　eye；　victory　was　irrevocably　pronounced　in　favor　of　the　democratic　cause。　　All　power　was；　in　fact；　in　its　hands；　and　resistance　was　no　longer　possible。　　The　higher　orders　submitted　without　a　murmur　and　without　a　struggle　to　an　evil　which　was　thenceforth　inevitable。　　The　ordinary　fate　of　falling　powers　awaited　them；　each　of　their　several　members　followed　his　own　interests；　and　as　it　was　impossible　to　wring　the　power　from　the　hands　of　a　people　which　they　did　not　detest　sufficiently　to　brave；　their　only　aim　was　to　secure　its　good…will　at　any　price。　　The　most　democratic　laws　were　consequently　voted　by　the　very　men　whose　interests　they　impaired；　and　thus；　although　the　higher　classes　did　not　excite　the　passions　of　the　people　against　their　order；　they　accelerated　the　triumph　of　the　new　state　of　things；　so　that　by　a　singular　change　the　democratic　impulse　was　found　to　be　most　irresistible　in　the　very　States　where　the　aristocracy　had　the　firmest　hold。　　The　State　of　Maryland；　which　had　been　founded　by　men　of　rank；　was　the　first　to　proclaim　universal　suffrage；　and　to　introduce　the　most　democratic　forms　into　the　conduct　of　its　government。

When　a　nation　modifies　the　elective　qualification；　it　may　easily　be　foreseen　that　sooner　or　later　that　qualification　will　be　entirely　abolished。　There　is　no　more　invariable　rule　in　the　history　of　society：　the　further　electoral　rights　are　extended；　the　greater　is　the　need　of　extending　them；　for　after　each　concession　the　strength　of　the　democracy　increases；　and　its　demands　increase　with　its　strength。　　The　ambition　of　those　who　are　below　the　appointed　rate　is　irritated　in　exact　proportion　to　the　great　number　of　those　who　are　above　it。　　The　exception　at　last　becomes　the　rule；　concession　follows　concession；　and　no　stop　can　be　made　short　of　universal　suffrage。

At　the　present　day　the　principle　of　the　sovereignty　of　the　people　has　acquired；　in　the　United　States；　all　the　practical　development　which　the　imagination　can　conceive。　　It　is　unencumbered　by　those　fictions　which　have　been　thrown　over　it　in　other　countries；　and　it　appears　in　every　possible　form　according　to　the　exigency　of　the　occasion。　　Sometimes　the　laws　are　made　by　the　people　in　a　body；　as　at　Athens；　and　sometimes　its　representatives；　chosen　by　universal　suffrage；　transact　business　in　its　name；　and　almost　under　its　immediate　control。

In　some　countries　a　power　exists　which；　though　it　is　in　a　degree　foreign　to　the　social　body；　directs　it；　and　forces　it　to　pursue　a　certain　track。　　In　others　the　ruling　force　is　divided；　being　partly　within　and　partly　without　the　ranks　of　the　people。　　But　nothing　of　the　kind　is　to　be　seen　in　the　United　States；　there　society　governs　itself　for　itself。　　All　power　centres　in　its　bosom；　and　scarcely　an　individual　is　to　be　meet　with　who　would　venture　to　conceive；　or；　still　less；　to　express；　the　idea　of　seeking　it　elsewhere。　　The　nation　participates　in　the　making　of　its　laws　by　the　choice　of　its　legislators；　and　in　the　execution　of　them　by　the　choice　of　the　agents　of　the　executive　government；　it　may　almost　be　said　to　govern　itself；　so　feeble　and　so　restricted　is　the　share　left　to　the　administration；　so　little　do　the　authorities　forget　their　popular　origin　and　the　power　from　which　they　emanate。　*a　　＇Footnote　a：　See　Appendix；　H。＇


Chapter　V：　Necessity　Of　Examining　The　Condition　Of　The　States　…　Part　I

Necessity　Of　Examining　The　Condition　Of　The　States　Before　That　Of　The　Union　At　Large

It　is　proposed　to　examine　in　the　following　chapter　what　is　the　form　of　government　established　in　America　on　the　principle　of　the　sovereignty　of　the　people；　what　are　its　resources；　its　hindrances；　its　advantages；　and　its　dangers。　　The　first　difficulty　which　presents　itself　arises　from　the　complex　nature　of　the　constitution　of　the　United　States；　which　consists　of　two　distinct　social　structures；　connected　and；　as　it　were；　encased　one　within　the　other；　two　governments；　completely　separate　and　almost　independent；　the　one　fulfilling　the　ordinary　duties　and　responding　to　the　daily　and　indefinite　calls　of　a　community；　the　other　circumscribed　within　certain　limits；　and　only　exercising　an　exceptional　authority　over　the　general　interests　of　the　country。　In　short；　there　are　twenty…　four　small　sovereign　nations；　whose　agglomeration　constitutes　the　body　of　the　Union。　　To　examine　the　Union　before　we　have　studied　the　States　would　be　to　adopt　a　method　filled　with　obstacles。　The　form　of　the　Federal　Government　of　the　United　States　was　the　last　which　was　adopted；　and　it　is　in　fact　nothing　more　than　a　modification　or　a　summary　of　those　republican　principles　which　were　current　in　the　whole　community　before　it　existed；　and　independently　of　its　existence。　　Moreover；　the　Federal　Government　is；　as　I　have　just　observed；　the　exception；　the　Government　of　the　States　is　the　rule。　　The　author　who　should　attempt　to　exhibit　the　picture　as　a　whole　before　he　had　explained　its　details　would　necessarily　fall　into　obscurity　and　repetition。

The　great　political　principles　which　govern　American　society　at　this　day　undoubtedly　took　their　origin　and　their　growth　in　the