democracy in america-1-第32章

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nd　that　the　readiness　of　the　one　and　the　incapacity　of　the　others　must　become　more　and　more　prominent。　　But　I　deny　that　such　is　the　case　when　the　people　is　as　enlightened；　as　awake　to　its　interests；　and　as　accustomed　to　reflect　on　them；　as　the　Americans　are。　　I　am　persuaded；　on　the　contrary；　that　in　this　case　the　collective　strength　of　the　citizens　will　always　conduce　more　efficaciously　to　the　public　welfare　than　the　authority　of　the　Government。　　It　is　difficult　to　point　out　with　certainty　the　means　of　arousing　a　sleeping　population；　and　of　giving　it　passions　and　knowledge　which　it　does　not　possess；　it　is；　I　am　well　aware；　an　arduous　task　to　persuade　men　to　busy　themselves　about　their　own　affairs；　and　it　would　frequently　be　easier　to　interest　them　in　the　punctilios　of　court　etiquette　than　in　the　repairs　of　their　common　dwelling。　　But　whenever　a　central　administration　affects　to　supersede　the　persons　most　interested；　I　am　inclined　to　suppose　that　it　is　either　misled　or　desirous　to　mislead。　　However　enlightened　and　however　skilful　a　central　power　may　be；　it　cannot　of　itself　embrace　all　the　details　of　the　existence　of　a　great　nation。　　Such　vigilance　exceeds　the　powers　of　man。　　And　when　it　attempts　to　create　and　set　in　motion　so　many　complicated　springs；　it　must　submit　to　a　very　imperfect　result；　or　consume　itself　in　bootless　efforts。

Centralization　succeeds　more　easily；　indeed；　in　subjecting　the　external　actions　of　men　to　a　certain　uniformity；　which　at　least　commands　our　regard；　independently　of　the　objects　to　which　it　is　applied；　like　those　devotees　who　worship　the　statue　and　forget　the　deity　it　represents。　　Centralization　imparts　without　difficulty　an　admirable　regularity　to　the　routine　of　business；　provides　for　the　details　of　the　social　police　with　sagacity；　represses　the　smallest　disorder　and　the　most　petty　misdemeanors；　maintains　society　in　a　status　quo　alike　secure　from　improvement　and　decline；　and　perpetuates　a　drowsy　precision　in　the　conduct　of　affairs；　which　is　hailed　by　the　heads　of　the　administration　as　a　sign　of　perfect　order　and　public　tranquillity：　*s　in　short；　it　excels　more　in　prevention　than　in　action。　　Its　force　deserts　it　when　society　is　to　be　disturbed　or　accelerated　in　its　course；　and　if　once　the　co…operation　of　private　citizens　is　necessary　to　the　furtherance　of　its　measures；　the　secret　of　its　impotence　is　disclosed。　　Even　whilst　it　invokes　their　assistance；　it　is　on　the　condition　that　they　shall　act　exactly　as　much　as　the　Government　chooses；　and　exactly　in　the　manner　it　appoints。　　They　are　to　take　charge　of　the　details；　without　aspiring　to　guide　the　system；　they　are　to　work　in　a　dark　and　subordinate　sphere；　and　only　to　judge　the　acts　in　which　they　have　themselves　cooperated　by　their　results。：　These；　however；　are　not　conditions　on　which　the　alliance　of　the　human　will　is　to　be　obtained；　its　carriage　must　be　free　and　its　actions　responsible；　or　（such　is　the　constitution　of　man）　the　citizen　had　rather　remain　a　passive　spectator　than　a　dependent　actor　in　schemes　with　which　he　is　unacquainted。

＇Footnote　s：　China　appears　to　me　to　present　the　most　perfect　instance　of　that　species　of　well…being　which　a　completely　central　administration　may　furnish　to　the　nations　among　which　it　exists。　　Travellers　assure　us　that　the　Chinese　have　peace　without　happiness；　industry　without　improvement；　stability　without　strength；　and　public　order　without　public　morality。　　The　condition　of　society　is　always　tolerable；　never　excellent。　　I　am　convinced　that；　when　China　is　opened　to　European　observation；　it　will　be　found　to　contain　the　most　perfect　model　of　a　central　administration　which　exists　in　the　universe。＇

It　is　undeniable　that　the　want　of　those　uniform　regulations　which　control　the　conduct　of　every　inhabitant　of　France　is　not　unfrequently　felt　in　the　United　States。　　Gross　instances　of　social　indifference　and　neglect　are　to　be　met　with；　and　from　time　to　time　disgraceful　blemishes　are　seen　in　complete　contrast　with　the　surrounding　civilization。　　Useful　undertakings　which　cannot　succeed　without　perpetual　attention　and　rigorous　exactitude　are　very　frequently　abandoned　in　the　end；　for　in　America；　as　well　as　in　other　countries；　the　people　is　subject　to　sudden　impulses　and　momentary　exertions。　The　European　who　is　accustomed　to　find　a　functionary　always　at　hand　to　interfere　with　all　he　undertakes　has　some　difficulty　in　accustoming　himself　to　the　complex　mechanism　of　the　administration　of　the　townships。　　In　general　it　may　be　affirmed　that　the　lesser　details　of　the　police；　which　render　life　easy　and　comfortable；　are　neglected　in　America；　but　that　the　essential　guarantees　of　man　in　society　are　as　strong　there　as　elsewhere。　　In　America　the　power　which　conducts　the　Government　is　far　less　regular；　less　enlightened；　and　less　learned；　but　an　hundredfold　more　authoritative　than　in　Europe。　　In　no　country　in　the　world　do　the　citizens　make　such　exertions　for　the　common　weal；　and　I　am　acquainted　with　no　people　which　has　established　schools　as　numerous　and　as　efficacious；　places　of　public　worship　better　suited　to　the　wants　of　the　inhabitants；　or　roads　kept　in　better　repair。　Uniformity　or　permanence　of　design；　the　minute　arrangement　of　details；　*t　and　the　perfection　of　an　ingenious　administration；　must　not　be　sought　for　in　the　United　States；　but　it　will　be　easy　to　find；　on　the　other　hand；　the　symptoms　of　a　power　which；　if　it　is　somewhat　barbarous；　is　at　least　robust；　and　of　an　existence　which　is　checkered　with　accidents　indeed；　but　cheered　at　the　same　time　by　animation　and　effort。

＇Footnote　t：　A　writer　of　talent；　who；　in　the　comparison　which　he　has　drawn　between　the　finances　of　France　and　those　of　the　United　States；　has　proved　that　ingenuity　cannot　always　supply　the　place　of　a　knowledge　of　facts；　very　justly　reproaches　the　Americans　for　the　sort　of　confusion　which　exists　in　the　accounts　of　the　expenditure　in　the　townships；　and　after　giving　the　model　of　a　departmental　budget　in　France；　he　adds：　…　〃We　are　indebted　to　centralization；　that　admirable　invention　of　a　great　man；　for　the　uniform　order　and　method　which　prevail　alike　in　all　the　municipal　budgets；　from　the　largest　town　to　the　humblest　commune。〃　Whatever　may　be　my　admiration　of　this　result；　when　I　see　the　communes　of　France；　with　their　excellent　system　of　accounts；　plunged　into　the　grossest　ignorance　of　their　true　interests；　and　abandoned　to　so　incorrigible　an　apathy　that　they　seem　to　vegetate　rather　than　to　live；　when；　on　the　other　hand；　I　observe　the　activity；　the　information；　and　the　spirit　of　enterprise　which　keep　society　in　perpetual　labor；　in　those　American　townships　whose　budgets　are　drawn　up　with　small　method　and　with　still　less　uniformity；　I　am　struck　by　the　spectacle；　for　to　my　mind　the　end　of　a　good　government　is　to　ensure　the　welfare　of　a　people；　and　not　to　establish　order　and　regularity　in　the　midst　of　its　misery　and　its　distress。　I　am　therefore　led　to　suppose　that　the　prosperity　of　the　American　townships　and　the　apparent　confusion　of　their　accounts；　the　distress　of　the　French　communes　and　the　perfection　of　their　budget；　may　be　attributable　to　the　same　cause。　　At　any　rate　I　am　suspicious　of　a　benefit　which　is　united　to　so　many　evils；　and　I　am　not　averse　to　an　evil　which　is　compensated　by　so　many　benefits。＇

Granting　for　an　instant　that　the　villages　and　counties　of　the　United　States　would　be　more　usefully　governed　by　a　remote　authority　which　they　had　never　seen　than　by　functionaries　taken　from　the　midst　of　them　…　admitting；　for　the　sake　of　argument；　that　the　country　would　be　more　secure；　and　the　resources　of　society　better　employed；　if　the　whole　administration　centred　in　a　single　arm　…　still　the　political　advantages　which　the　Americans　derive　from　their　system　would　induce　me　to　prefer　it　to　the　contrary　plan。　　It　profits　me　but　little；　after　all；　that　a　vigilant　authority　should　protect　the　tranquillity　of　my　pleasures　and　constantly　avert　all　dangers　from　my　path；　without　my　care　or　my　concern；　if　this　same　authority　is　the　absolute　mistress　of　my　liberty　and　of　my　life；　and　if　it　so　monopolizes　all　the　energy　of　existence　that　when　it　languishes　everything　languishes　around　it；　that　when　it　sleeps　everything　must　sleep；　that　when　it　dies　the　State　itself　must　perish。

In　certain