democracy in america-1-第111部分

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　has　not　been　so　imprudent　as　to　make　any　such　attempt。

Far　from　wishing　to　extend　the　federal　power；　the　President　belongs　to　the　party　which　is　desirous　of　limiting　that　power　to　the　bare　and　precise　letter　of　the　Constitution；　and　which　never　puts　a　construction　upon　that　act　favorable　to　the　Government　of　the　Union；　far　from　standing　forth　as　the　champion　of　centralization；　General　Jackson　is　the　agent　of　all　the　jealousies　of　the　States；　and　he　was　placed　in　the　lofty　station　he　occupies　by　the　passions　of　the　people　which　are　most　opposed　to　the　central　Government。　　It　is　by　perpetually　flattering　these　passions　that　he　maintains　his　station　and　his　popularity。　　General　Jackson　is　the　slave　of　the　majority：　he　yields　to　its　wishes；　its　propensities；　and　its　demands；　say　rather；　that　he　anticipates　and　forestalls　them。

Whenever　the　governments　of　the　States　come　into　collision　with　that　of　the　Union；　the　President　is　generally　the　first　to　question　his　own　rights：　he　almost　always　outstrips　the　legislature；　and　when　the　extent　of　the　federal　power　is　controverted；　he　takes　part；　as　it　were；　against　himself；　he　conceals　his　official　interests；　and　extinguishes　his　own　natural　inclinations。　　Not　indeed　that　he　is　naturally　weak　or　hostile　to　the　Union；　for　when　the　majority　decided　against　the　claims　of　the　partisans　of　nullification；　he　put　himself　at　its　head；　asserted　the　doctrines　which　the　nation　held　distinctly　and　energetically；　and　was　the　first　to　recommend　forcible　measures；　but　General　Jackson　appears　to　me；　if　I　may　use　the　American　expressions；　to　be　a　Federalist　by　taste；　and　a　Republican　by　calculation。

General　Jackson　stoops　to　gain　the　favor　of　the　majority；　but　when　he　feels　that　his　popularity　is　secure；　he　overthrows　all　obstacles　in　the　pursuit　of　the　objects　which　the　community　approves；　or　of　those　which　it　does　not　look　upon　with　a　jealous　eye。　　He　is　supported　by　a　power　with　which　his　predecessors　were　unacquainted；　and　he　tramples　on　his　personal　enemies　whenever　they　cross　his　path　with　a　facility　which　no　former　President　ever　enjoyed；　he　takes　upon　himself　the　responsibility　of　measures　which　no　one　before　him　would　have　ventured　to　attempt：　he　even　treats　the　national　representatives　with　disdain　approaching　to　insult；　he　puts　his　veto　upon　the　laws　of　Congress；　and　frequently　neglects　to　reply　to　that　powerful　body。　He　is　a　favorite　who　sometimes　treats　his　master　roughly。　　The　power　of　General　Jackson　perpetually　increases；　but　that　of　the　President　declines；　in　his　hands　the　Federal　Government　is　strong；　but　it　will　pass　enfeebled　into　the　hands　of　his　successor。

I　am　strangely　mistaken　if　the　Federal　Government　of　the　United　States　be　not　constantly　losing　strength；　retiring　gradually　from　public　affairs；　and　narrowing　its　circle　of　action　more　and　more。　　It　is　naturally　feeble；　but　it　now　abandons　even　its　pretensions　to　strength。　　On　the　other　hand；　I　thought　that　I　remarked　a　more　lively　sense　of　independence；　and　a　more　decided　attachment　to　provincial　government　in　the　States。　　The　Union　is　to　subsist；　but　to　subsist　as　a　shadow；　it　is　to　be　strong　in　certain　cases；　and　weak　in　all　others；　in　time　of　warfare；　it　is　to　be　able　to　concentrate　all　the　forces　of　the　nation　and　all　the　resources　of　the　country　in　its　hands；　and　in　time　of　peace　its　existence　is　to　be　scarcely　perceptible：　as　if　this　alternate　debility　and　vigor　were　natural　or　possible。

I　do　not　foresee　anything　for　the　present　which　may　be　able　to　check　this　general　impulse　of　public　opinion；　the　causes　in　which　it　originated　do　not　cease　to　operate　with　the　same　effect。　　The　change　will　therefore　go　on；　and　it　may　be　predicted　that；　unless　some　extraordinary　event　occurs；　the　Government　of　the　Union　will　grow　weaker　and　weaker　every　day。

I　think；　however；　that　the　period　is　still　remote　at　which　the　federal　power　will　be　entirely　extinguished　by　its　inability　to　protect　itself　and　to　maintain　peace　in　the　country。　　The　Union　is　sanctioned　by　the　manners　and　desires　of　the　people；　its　results　are　palpable；　its　benefits　visible。　　When　it　is　perceived　that　the　weakness　of　the　Federal　Government　compromises　the　existence　of　the　Union；　I　do　not　doubt　that　a　reaction　will　take　place　with　a　view　to　increase　its　strength。

The　Government　of　the　United　States　is；　of　all　the　federal　governments　which　have　hitherto　been　established；　the　one　which　is　most　naturally　destined　to　act。　　As　long　as　it　is　only　indirectly　assailed　by　the　interpretation　of　its　laws；　and　as　long　as　its　substance　is　not　seriously　altered；　a　change　of　opinion；　an　internal　crisis；　or　a　war；　may　restore　all　the　vigor　which　it　requires。　　The　point　which　I　have　been　most　anxious　to　put　in　a　clear　light　is　simply　this：　Many　people；　especially　in　France；　imagine　that　a　change　in　opinion　is　going　on　in　the　United　States；　which　is　favorable　to　a　centralization　of　power　in　the　hands　of　the　President　and　the　Congress。　I　hold　that　a　contrary　tendency　may　distinctly　be　observed。　　So　far　is　the　Federal　Government　from　acquiring　strength；　and　from　threatening　the　sovereignty　of　the　States；　as　it　grows　older；　that　I　maintain　it　to　be　growing　weaker　and　weaker；　and　that　the　sovereignty　of　the　Union　alone　is　in　danger。　　Such　are　the　facts　which　the　present　time　discloses。　　The　future　conceals　the　final　result　of　this　tendency；　and　the　events　which　may　check；　retard；　or　accelerate　the　changes　I　have　described；　but　I　do　not　affect　to　be　able　to　remove　the　veil　which　hides　them　from　our　sight。

Of　The　Republican　Institutions　Of　The　United　States；　And　What　Their　Chances　Of　Duration　Are

The　Union　is　accidental　…　The　Republican　institutions　have　more　prospect　of　permanence　…　A　republic　for　the　present　the　natural　state　of　the　Anglo…Americans　…　Reason　of　this　…　In　order　to　destroy　it；　all　the　laws　must　be　changed　at　the　same　time；　and　a　great　alteration　take　place　in　manners　…Difficulties　experienced　by　the　Americans　in　creating　an　aristocracy。

The　dismemberment　of　the　Union；　by　the　introduction　of　war　into　the　heart　of　those　States　which　are　now　confederate；　with　standing　armies；　a　dictatorship；　and　a　heavy　taxation；　might；　eventually；　compromise　the　fate　of　the　republican　institutions。　　But　we　ought　not　to　confound　the　future　prospects　of　the　republic　with　those　of　the　Union。　　The　Union　is　an　accident；　which　will　only　last　as　long　as　circumstances　are　favorable　to　its　existence；　but　a　republican　form　of　government　seems　to　me　to　be　the　natural　state　of　the　Americans；　which　nothing　but　the　continued　action　of　hostile　causes；　always　acting　in　the　same　direction；　could　change　into　a　monarchy。　　The　Union　exists　principally　in　the　law　which　formed　it；　one　revolution；　one　change　in　public　opinion；　might　destroy　it　forever；　but　the　republic　has　a　much　deeper　foundation　to　rest　upon。


What　is　understood　by　a　republican　government　in　the　United　States　is　the　slow　and　quiet　action　of　society　upon　itself。　　It　is　a　regular　state　of　things　really　founded　upon　the　enlightened　will　of　the　people。　　It　is　a　conciliatory　government　under　which　resolutions　are　allowed　time　to　ripen；　and　in　which　they　are　deliberately　discussed；　and　executed　with　mature　judgment。　The　republicans　in　the　United　States　set　a　high　value　upon　morality；　respect　religious　belief；　and　acknowledge　the　existence　of　rights。　They　profess　to　think　that　a　people　ought　to　be　moral；religious；　and　temperate；　in　proportion　as　it　is　free。　　What　is　called　the　republic　in　the　United　States；　is　the　tranquil　rule　of　the　majority；　which；　after　having　had　time　to　examine　itself；　and　to　give　proof　of　its　existence；　is　the　common　source　of　all　the　powers　of　the　State。　　But　the　power　of　the　majority　is　not　of　itself　unlimited。　　In　the　moral　world　humanity；　justice；　and　reason　enjoy　an　undisputed　supremacy；　in　the　political　world　vested　rights　are　treated　with　no　less　deference。　　The　majority　recognizes　these　two　barriers；　and　if　it　now　and　then　overstep　them；　it　is　because；　like　individuals；　it　has　passions；　and；　like　them；　it　is　prone　to　do　what　is　wrong；　whilst　it　discerns　what　is　right。

But　the　demagogues　of　Europe　have　made　strange　discoveries。　　A　republic　is　not；　according　to　them；　the　rule　of　the　majority；　as　has　hitherto　been　thought；　but　the　rule　of　those　who　are　strenuous　partisans　of　the　majority。　It　is　not　the　people　who　preponderates　in　this　kind　of　government；　but　those　who　are　best　versed　in　the　good　qualities　of　the　people。　　A　happy　distinction；　which　allows　men　to　act　in　the　name　of　nations　without　consulting　them；　and　to　claim　their　gratitude　whilst　their　rights　are　spurned。　　A　republican　government；　moreover；　is　the　only　one　which　claims　the　right　of　doing　whatever　it　chooses；　and　despising　what　men　have　hitherto　respected；　from　the　highest　moral　obligations　to　the　vulgar　rules　of　common…sense。　　It　had　been　supposed；　until　our　time；　that　despotism　was　odious；　under　whatever　form　it　appeared。　But　it　is　a　discovery　of　modern　days　that　there　are　such　things　as　legitimate　tyranny　and　holy　injustice；　provided　they　are　exercised　in　the　name　of　the　people。

The　ideas　which　the　Americans　have　adopted　respecting　the　republican　form　of　government；　render　it　easy　for　them　to　live　under　it；　and　insure　its　duration。　　If；　in　their　country；　this　form　be　often　practically　bad；　at　least　it　is　theoretically　good；　and；　in　the　end；　the　people　always　acts　in　conformity　to　it。

It　was　impossible　at　the　foundation　of　the　States；　and　it　would　still　be　difficult；　to　establish　a　central　administration　in　America。　　The　inhabitants　are　dispersed　over　too　great　a　space；　and　separated　by　too　many　natural　obstacles；　for　one　man　to　undertake　to　direct　the　details　of　their　existence。　　America　is　therefore　pre…eminently　the　country　of　provincial　and　municipal　government。　　To　this　cause；　which　was　plainly　felt　by　all　the　Europeans　of　the　New　World；　the　Anglo…Americans　added　several　others　peculiar　to　themselves。

At　the　time　of　the　settlement　of　the　North　American　colonies；　municipal　liberty　had　already　penetrated　into　the　laws　as　well　as　the　manners　of　the　English；　and　the　emigrants　adopted　it；　not　only　as　a　necessary　thing；　but　as　a　benefit　which　they　knew　how　to　appreciate。　　We　have　already　seen　the　manner　in　which　the　colonies　were　f