democracy in america-1- 第73部分

More　difficult　to　conceive　the　political　activity　which　pervades　the　United　States　than　the　freedom　and　equality　which　reign　there　…　　The　great　activity　which　perpetually　agitates　the　legislative　bodies　is　only　an　episode　to　the　general　activity　…　Difficult　for　an　American　to　confine　himself　to　his　own　business　…　Political　agitation　extends　to　all　social　intercourse　…　Commercial　activity　of　the　Americans　partly　attributable　to　this　cause　…　Indirect　advantages　which　society　derives　from　a　democratic　government。　

On　passing　from　a　country　in　which　free　institutions　are　established　to　one　where　they　do　not　exist；　the　traveller　is　struck　by　the　change；　in　the　former　all　is　bustle　and　activity；　in　the　latter　everything　is　calm　and　motionless。　　In　the　one；　amelioration　and　progress　are　the　general　topics　of　inquiry；　in　the　other；　it　seems　as　if　the　community　only　aspired　to　repose　in　the　enjoyment　of　the　advantages　which　it　has　acquired。　　Nevertheless；　the　country　which　exerts　itself　so　strenuously　to　promote　its　welfare　is　generally　more　wealthy　and　more　prosperous　than　that　which　appears　to　be　so　contented　with　its　lot；　and　when　we　compare　them　together；　we　can　scarcely　conceive　how　so　many　new　wants　are　daily　felt　in　the　former；　whilst　so　few　seem　to　occur　in　the　latter。

If　this　remark　is　applicable　to　those　free　countries　in　which　monarchical　and　aristocratic　institutions　subsist；　it　is　still　more　striking　with　regard　to　democratic　republics。　　In　these　States　it　is　not　only　a　portion　of　the　people　which　is　busied　with　the　amelioration　of　its　social　condition；　but　the　whole　community　is　engaged　in　the　task；　and　it　is　not　the　exigencies　and　the　convenience　of　a　single　class　for　which　a　provision　is　to　be　made；　but　the　exigencies　and　the　convenience　of　all　ranks　of　life。　

It　is　not　impossible　to　conceive　the　surpassing　liberty　which　the　Americans　enjoy；　some　idea　may　likewise　be　formed　of　the　extreme　equality　which　subsists　amongst　them；　but　the　political　activity　which　pervades　the　United　States　must　be　seen　in　order　to　be　understood。　　No　sooner　do　you　set　foot　upon　the　American　soil　than　you　are　stunned　by　a　kind　of　tumult；　a　confused　clamor　is　heard　on　every　side；　and　a　thousand　simultaneous　voices　demand　the　immediate　satisfaction　of　their　social　wants。　　Everything　is　in　motion　around　you；　here；　the　people　of　one　quarter　of　a　town　are　met　to　decide　upon　the　building　of　a　church；　there；　the　election　of　a　representative　is　going　on；　a　little　further　the　delegates　of　a　district　are　posting　to　the　town　in　order　to　consult　upon　some　local　improvements；　or　in　another　place　the　laborers　of　a　village　quit　their　ploughs　to　deliberate　upon　the　project　of　a　road　or　a　public　school。　　Meetings　are　called　for　the　sole　purpose　of　declaring　their　disapprobation　of　the　line　of　conduct　pursued　by　the　Government；　whilst　in　other　assemblies　the　citizens　salute　the　authorities　of　the　day　as　the　fathers　of　their　country。　　Societies　are　formed　which　regard　drunkenness　as　the　principal　cause　of　the　evils　under　which　the　State　labors；　and　which　solemnly　bind　themselves　to　give　a　constant　example　of　temperance。　*c

＇Footnote　c：　At　the　time　of　my　stay　in　the　United　States　the　temperance　societies　already　consisted　of　more　than　270；000　members；　and　their　effect　had　been　to　diminish　the　consumption　of　fermented　liquors　by　500；000　gallons　per　annum　in　the　State　of　Pennsylvania　alone。＇

The　great　political　agitation　of　the　American　legislative　bodies；　which　is　the　only　kind　of　excitement　that　attracts　the　attention　of　foreign　countries；　is　a　mere　episode　or　a　sort　of　continuation　of　that　universal　movement　which　originates　in　the　lowest　classes　of　the　people　and　extends　successively　to　all　the　ranks　of　society。　　It　is　impossible　to　spend　more　efforts　in　the　pursuit　of　enjoyment。

The　cares　of　political　life　engross　a　most　prominent　place　in　the　occupation　of　a　citizen　in　the　United　States；　and　almost　the　only　pleasure　of　which　an　American　has　any　idea　is　to　take　a　part　in　the　Government；　and　to　discuss　the　part　he　has　taken。　　This　feeling　pervades　the　most　trifling　habits　of　life；　even　the　women　frequently　attend　public　meetings　and　listen　to　political　harangues　as　a　recreation　after　their　household　labors。　Debating　clubs　are　to　a　certain　extent　a　substitute　for　theatrical　entertainments：　an　American　cannot　converse；　but　he　can　discuss；　and　when　he　attempts　to　talk　he　falls　into　a　dissertation。　　He　speaks　to　you　as　if　he　was　addressing　a　meeting；　and　if　he　should　chance　to　warm　in　the　course　of　the　discussion；　he　will　infallibly　say；　〃Gentlemen；〃　to　the　person　with　whom　he　is　conversing。

In　some　countries　the　inhabitants　display　a　certain　repugnance　to　avail　themselves　of　the　political　privileges　with　which　the　law　invests　them；　it　would　seem　that　they　set　too　high　a　value　upon　their　time　to　spend　it　on　the　interests　of　the　community；　and　they　prefer　to　withdraw　within　the　exact　limits　of　a　wholesome　egotism；　marked　out　by　four　sunk　fences　and　a　quickset　hedge。　　But　if　an　American　were　condemned　to　confine　his　activity　to　his　own　affairs；　he　would　be　robbed　of　one　half　of　his　existence；　he　would　feel　an　immense　void　in　the　life　which　he　is　accustomed　to　lead；　and　his　wretchedness　would　be　unbearable。　*d　I　am　persuaded　that；　if　ever　a　despotic　government　is　established　in　America；　it　will　find　it　more　difficult　to　surmount　the　habits　which　free　institutions　have　engendered　than　to　conquer　the　attachment　of　the　citizens　to　freedom。

＇Footnote　d：　The　same　remark　was　made　at　Rome　under　the　first　Caesars。　Montesquieu　somewhere　alludes　to　the　excessive　despondency　of　certain　Roman　citizens　who；　after　the　excitement　of　political　life；　were　all　at　once　flung　back　into　the　stagnation　of　private　life。＇

This　ceaseless　agitation　which　democratic　government　has　introduced　into　the　political　world　influences　all　social　intercourse。　　I　am　not　sure　that　upon　the　whole　this　is　not　the　greatest　advantage　of　democracy。　　And　I　am　much　less　inclined　to　applaud　it　for　what　it　does　than　for　what　it　causes　to　be　done。　　It　is　incontestable　that　the　people　frequently　conducts　public　business　very　ill；　but　it　is　impossible　that　the　lower　orders　should　take　a　part　in　public　business　without　extending　the　circle　of　their　ideas；　and　without　quitting　the　ordinary　routine　of　their　mental　acquirements。　　The　humblest　individual　who　is　called　upon　to　co…operate　in　the　government　of　society　acquires　a　certain　degree　of　self…respect；　and　as　he　possesses　authority；　he　can　command　the　services　of　minds　much　more　enlightened　than　his　own。　　He　is　canvassed　by　a　multitude　of　applicants；　who　seek　to　deceive　him　in　a　thousand　different　ways；　but　who　instruct　him　by　their　deceit。　　He　takes　a　part　in　political　undertakings　which　did　not　originate　in　his　own　conception；　but　which　give　him　a　taste　for　undertakings　of　the　kind。　　New　ameliorations　are　daily　pointed　out　in　the　property　which　he　holds　in　common　with　others；　and　this　gives　him　the　desire　of　improving　that　property　which　is　more　peculiarly　his　own。　　He　is　perhaps　neither　happier　nor　better　than　those　who　came　before　him；　but　he　is　better　informed　and　more　active。　　I　have　no　doubt　that　the　democratic　institutions　of　the　United　States；　joined　to　the　physical　constitution　of　the　country；　are　the　cause　（not　the　direct；　as　is　so　often　asserted；　but　the　indirect　cause）　of　the　prodigious　commercial　activity　of　the　inhabitants。　　It　is　not　engendered　by　the　laws；　but　the　people　learns　how　to　promote　it　by　the　experience　derived　from　legislation。

When　the　opponents　of　democracy　assert　that　a　single　individual　performs　the　duties　which　he　undertakes　much　better　than　the　government　of　the　community；　it　appears　to　me　that　they　are　perfectly　right。　　The　government　of　an　individual；　supposing　an　equality　of　instruction　on　either　side；　is　more　consistent；　more　persevering；　and　more　accurate　than　that　of　a　multitude；　and　it　is　much　better　qualified　judiciously　to　discriminate　the　characters　of　the　men　it　employs。　　If　any　deny　what　I　advance；　they　have　certainly　never　seen　a　democratic　government；　or　have　formed　their　opinion　upon　very　partial　evidence。　　It　is　true　that　even　when　local　circumstances　and　the　disposition　of　the　people　allow　democratic　institutions　to　subsist；　they　never　display　a　regular　and　methodical　system　of　government。　　Democratic　liberty　is　far　from　accomplishing　all　the　projects　it　undertakes；　with　the　skill　of　an　adroit　despotism。　　It　frequently　abandons　them　before　they　have　borne　their　fruits；　or　risks　them　when　the　consequences　may　prove　dangerous；　but　in　the　end　it　produces　more　than　any　absolute　government；　and　if　it　do　fewer　things　well；　it　does　a　greater　number　of　things。　　Under　its　sway　the　transactions　of　the　public　administration　are　not　nearly　so　important　as　what　is　done　by　private　exertion。　　Democracy　does　not　confer　the　most　skilful　kind　of　government　upon　the　people；　but　it　produces　that　which　the　most　skilful　governments　are　frequently　unable　to　awaken；　namely；　an　all…pervading　and　restless　activity；　a　superabundant　force；　and　an　energy　which　is　inseparable　from　it；　and　which　may；　under　favorable　circumstances；　beget　the　most　amazing　benefits。　　These　are　the　true　advantages　of　democracy。

In　the　present　ag