democracy in america-1- 第53部分

Great　political　parties　are　not；　then；　to　be　met　with　in　the　United　States　at　the　present　time。　　Parties；　indeed；　may　be　found　which　threaten　the　future　tranquillity　of　the　Union；　but　there　are　none　which　seem　to　contest　the　present　form　of　Government　or　the　present　course　of　society。　　The　parties　by　which　the　Union　is　menaced　do　not　rest　upon　abstract　principles；　but　upon　temporal　interests。　　These　interests；　disseminated　in　the　provinces　of　so　vast　an　empire；　may　be　said　to　constitute　rival　nations　rather　than　parties。　Thus；　upon　a　recent　occasion；　the　North　contended　for　the　system　of　commercial　prohibition；　and　the　South　took　up　arms　in　favor　of　free　trade；　simply　because　the　North　is　a　manufacturing　and　the　South　an　agricultural　district；　and　that　the　restrictive　system　which　was　profitable　to　the　one　was　prejudicial　to　the　other。　*b

＇Footnote　b：　＇The　divisions　of　North　and　South　have　since　acquired　a　far　greater　degree　of　intensity；　and　the　South；　though　conquered；　still　presents　a　formidable　spirit　of　opposition　to　Northern　government。　…　Translator's　Note；　1875。＇＇

In　the　absence　of　great　parties；　the　United　States　abound　with　lesser　controversies；　and　public　opinion　is　divided　into　a　thousand　minute　shades　of　difference　upon　questions　of　very　little　moment。　　The　pains　which　are　taken　to　create　parties　are　inconceivable；　and　at　the　present　day　it　is　no　easy　task。　In　the　United　States　there　is　no　religious　animosity；　because　all　religion　is　respected；　and　no　sect　is　predominant；　there　is　no　jealousy　of　rank；　because　the　people　is　everything；　and　none　can　contest　its　authority；　lastly；　there　is　no　public　indigence　to　supply　the　means　of　agitation；　because　the　physical　position　of　the　country　opens　so　wide　a　field　to　industry　that　man　is　able　to　accomplish　the　most　surprising　undertakings　with　his　own　native　resources。　Nevertheless；　ambitious　men　are　interbsted　in　the　creation　of　parties；　since　it　is　difficult　to　eject　a　person　from　authority　upon　the　mere　ground　that　his　place　is　coveted　by　others。　　The　skill　of　the　actors　in　the　political　world　lies　therefore　in　the　art　of　creating　parties。　A　political　aspirant　in　the　United　States　begins　by　discriminating　his　own　interest；　and　by　calculating　upon　those　interests　which　may　be　collected　around　and　amalgamated　with　it；　he　then　contrives　to　discover　some　doctrine　or　some　principle　which　may　suit　the　purposes　of　this　new　association；　and　which　he　adopts　in　order　to　bring　forward　his　party　and　to　secure　his　popularity；　just　as　the　imprimatur　of　a　King　was　in　former　days　incorporated　with　the　volume　which　it　authorized；　but　to　which　it　nowise　belonged。　　When　these　preliminaries　are　terminated；　the　new　party　is　ushered　into　the　political　world。

All　the　domestic　controversies　of　the　Americans　at　first　appear　to　a　stranger　to　be　so　incomprehensible　and　so　puerile　that　he　is　at　a　loss　whether　to　pity　a　people　which　takes　such　arrant　trifles　in　good　earnest；　or　to　envy　the　happiness　which　enables　it　to　discuss　them。　　But　when　he　comes　to　study　the　secret　propensities　which　govern　the　factions　of　America；　he　easily　perceives　that　the　greater　part　of　them　are　more　or　less　connected　with　one　or　the　other　of　those　two　divisions　which　have　always　existed　in　free　communities。　　The　deeper　we　penetrate　into　the　working　of　these　parties；　the　more　do　we　perceive　that　the　object　of　the　one　is　to　limit；　and　that　of　the　other　to　extend；　the　popular　authority。　　I　do　not　assert　that　the　ostensible　end；　or　even　that　the　secret　aim；　of　American　parties　is　to　promote　the　rule　of　aristocracy　or　democracy　in　the　country；　but　I　affirm　that　aristocratic　or　democratic　passions　may　easily　be　detected　at　the　bottom　of　all　parties；　and　that；　although　they　escape　a　superficial　observation；　they　are　the　main　point　and　the　very　soul　of　every　faction　in　the　United　States。

To　quote　a　recent　example。　　When　the　President　attacked　the　Bank；　the　country　was　excited　and　parties　were　formed；　the　well…　informed　classes　rallied　round　the　Bank；　the　common　people　round　the　President。　　But　it　must　not　be　imagined　that　the　people　had　formed　a　rational　opinion　upon　a　question　which　offers　so　many　difficulties　to　the　most　experienced　statesmen。　　The　Bank　is　a　great　establishment　which　enjoys　an　independent　existence；　and　the　people；　accustomed　to　make　and　unmake　whatsoever　it　pleases；　is　startled　to　meet　with　this　obstacle　to　its　authority。　　In　the　midst　of　the　perpetual　fluctuation　of　society　the　community　is　irritated　by　so　permanent　an　institution；　and　is　led　to　attack　it　in　order　to　see　whether　it　can　be　shaken　and　controlled；　like　all　the　other　institutions　of　the　country。

Remains　Of　The　Aristocratic　Party　In　The　United　States

Secret　opposition　of　wealthy　individuals　to　democracy　…　Their　retirement　…Their　taste　for　exclusive　pleasures　and　for　luxury　at　home　…　Their　simplicity　abroad　…　Their　affected　condescension　towards　the　people。

It　sometimes　happens　in　a　people　amongst　which　various　opinions　prevail　that　the　balance　of　the　several　parties　is　lost；　and　one　of　them　obtains　an　irresistible　preponderance；　overpowers　all　obstacles；　harasses　its　opponents；　and　appropriates　all　the　resources　of　society　to　its　own　purposes。　　The　vanquished　citizens　despair　of　success　and　they　conceal　their　dissatisfaction　in　silence　and　in　general　apathy。　　The　nation　seems　to　be　governed　by　a　single　principle；　and　the　prevailing　party　assumes　the　credit　of　having　restored　peace　and　unanimity　to　the　country。　　But　this　apparent　unanimity　is　merely　a　cloak　to　alarming　dissensions　and　perpetual　opposition。

This　is　precisely　what　occurred　in　America；　when　the　democratic　party　got　the　upper　hand；　it　took　exclusive　possession　of　the　conduct　of　affairs；　and　from　that　time　the　laws　and　the　customs　of　society　have　been　adapted　to　its　caprices。　　At　the　present　day　the　more　affluent　classes　of　society　are　so　entirely　removed　from　the　direction　of　political　affairs　in　the　United　States　that　wealth；　far　from　conferring　a　right　to　the　exercise　of　power；　is　rather　an　obstacle　than　a　means　of　attaining　to　it。　　The　wealthy　members　of　the　community　abandon　the　lists；　through　unwillingness　to　contend；　and　frequently　to　contend　in　vain；　against　the　poorest　classes　of　their　fellow　citizens。　They　concentrate　all　their　enjoyments　in　the　privacy　of　their　homes；　where　they　occupy　a　rank　which　cannot　be　assumed　in　public；　and　they　constitute　a　private　society　in　the　State；　which　has　its　own　tastes　and　its　own　pleasures。　They　submit　to　this　state　of　things　as　an　irremediable　evil；　but　they　are　careful　not　to　show　that　they　are　galled　by　its　continuance；　it　is　even　not　uncommon　to　hear　them　laud　the　delights　of　a　republican　government；　and　the　advantages　of　democratic　institutions　when　they　are　in　public。　　Next　to　hating　their　enemies；　men　are　most　inclined　to　flatter　them。

Mark；　for　instance；　that　opulent　citizen；　who　is　as　anxious　as　a　Jew　of　the　Middle　Ages　to　conceal　his　wealth。　　His　dress　is　plain；　his　demeanor　unassuming；　but　the　interior　of　his　dwelling　glitters　with　luxury；　and　none　but　a　few　chosen　guests　whom　he　haughtily　styles　his　equals　are　allowed　to　penetrate　into　this　sanctuary。　　No　European　noble　is　more　exclusive　in　his　pleasures；　or　more　jealous　of　the　smallest　advantages　which　his　privileged　station　confers　upon　him。　　But　the　very　same　individual　crosses　the　city　to　reach　a　dark　counting…house　in　the　centre　of　traffic；　where　every　one　may　accost　him　who　pleases。　　If　he　meets　his　cobbler　upon　the　way；　they　stop　and　converse；　the　two　citizens　discuss　the　affairs　of　the　State　in　which　they　have　an　equal　interest；　and　they　shake　hands　before　they　part。

But　beneath　this　artificial　enthusiasm；　and　these　obsequious　attentions　to　the　preponderating　power；　it　is　easy　to　perceive　that　the　wealthy　members　of　the　community　entertain　a　hearty　distaste　to　the　democratic　institutions　of　their　country。　　The　populace　is　at　once　the　object　of　their　scorn　and　of　their　fears。　　If　the　maladministration　of　the　democracy　ever　brings　about　a　revolutionary　crisis；　and　if　monarchical　institutions　ever　become　practicable　in　the　United　States；　the　truth　of　what　I　advance　will　become　obvious。

The　two　chief　weapons　which　parties　use　in　order　to　ensure　success　are　the　public　press　and　the　formation　of　associations。　

Chapter　XI：　Liberty　Of　The　Press　In　The　United　States

Chapter　Summary

Difficulty　of　restraining　the　liberty　of　the　press　…　Particular　reasons　which　some　nations　have　to　cherish　this　liberty　…　The　liberty　of　the　press　a　necessary　consequence　of　the　sovereignty　of　the　people　as　it　is　understood　in　America　…　Violent　language　of　the　periodical　press　in　the　United　States　…Propensities　of　the　periodical　press　…　Illustrated　by　the　United　States　…Opinion　of　the　Americans　upon　the　repression　of　the　abuse　of　the　liberty　of　the　press　by　judicial　prosecutions　…　Reasons　for　which　the　press　is　less　powerful　in　America　than　in　France。

Liberty　Of　The　Press　In　The　United　States

The　influence　of　the　liberty　of　the　press　does　not　affect　political　opinions　alone；　but　it　extends　to　all　the　opinions　of　men；　and　it　modifies　customs　as　well　as　laws。　　In　another　part　of　this　work　I　shall　attempt　to　determinate　the　degree　of　influence　which　the　liberty　of