democracy in america-1-第4章

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r　talents；　others　by　their　vices。　　Louis　XI　and　Louis　XIV　reduced　every　rank　beneath　the　throne　to　the　same　subjection；　Louis　XV　descended；　himself　and　all　his　Court；　into　the　dust。

As　soon　as　land　was　held　on　any　other　than　a　feudal　tenure；　and　personal　property　began　in　its　turn　to　confer　influence　and　power；　every　improvement　which　was　introduced　in　commerce　or　manufacture　was　a　fresh　element　of　the　equality　of　conditions。　　Henceforward　every　new　discovery；　every　new　want　which　it　engendered；　and　every　new　desire　which　craved　satisfaction；　was　a　step　towards　the　universal　level。　　The　taste　for　luxury；　the　love　of　war；　the　sway　of　fashion；　and　the　most　superficial　as　well　as　the　deepest　passions　of　the　human　heart；　co…operated　to　enrich　the　poor　and　to　impoverish　the　rich。

From　the　time　when　the　exercise　of　the　intellect　became　the　source　of　strength　and　of　wealth；　it　is　impossible　not　to　consider　every　addition　to　science；　every　fresh　truth；　and　every　new　idea　as　a　germ　of　power　placed　within　the　reach　of　the　people。　　Poetry；　eloquence；　and　memory；　the　grace　of　wit；　the　glow　of　imagination；　the　depth　of　thought；　and　all　the　gifts　which　are　bestowed　by　Providence　with　an　equal　hand；　turned　to　the　advantage　of　the　democracy；　and　even　when　they　were　in　the　possession　of　its　adversaries　they　still　served　its　cause　by　throwing　into　relief　the　natural　greatness　of　man；　its　conquests　spread；　therefore；　with　those　of　civilization　and　knowledge；　and　literature　became　an　arsenal　where　the　poorest　and　the　weakest　could　always　find　weapons　to　their　hand。

In　perusing　the　pages　of　our　history；　we　shall　scarcely　meet　with　a　single　great　event；　in　the　lapse　of　seven　hundred　years；　which　has　not　turned　to　the　advantage　of　equality。　　The　Crusades　and　the　wars　of　the　English　decimated　the　nobles　and　divided　their　possessions；　the　erection　of　communities　introduced　an　element　of　democratic　liberty　into　the　bosom　of　feudal　monarchy；　the　invention　of　fire…arms　equalized　the　villein　and　the　noble　on　the　field　of　battle；　printing　opened　the　same　resources　to　the　minds　of　all　classes；　the　post　was　organized　so　as　to　bring　the　same　information　to　the　door　of　the　poor　man's　cottage　and　to　the　gate　of　the　palace；　and　Protestantism　proclaimed　that　all　men　are　alike　able　to　find　the　road　to　heaven。　　The　discovery　of　America　offered　a　thousand　new　paths　to　fortune；　and　placed　riches　and　power　within　the　reach　of　the　adventurous　and　the　obscure。　If　we　examine　what　has　happened　in　France　at　intervals　of　fifty　years；　beginning　with　the　eleventh　century；　we　shall　invariably　perceive　that　a　twofold　revolution　has　taken　place　in　the　state　of　society。　　The　noble　has　gone　down　on　the　social　ladder；　and　the　roturier　has　gone　up；　the　one　descends　as　the　other　rises。　　Every　half　century　brings　them　nearer　to　each　other；　and　they　will　very　shortly　meet。

Nor　is　this　phenomenon　at　all　peculiar　to　France。　　Whithersoever　we　turn　our　eyes　we　shall　witness　the　same　continual　revolution　throughout　the　whole　of　Christendom。　　The　various　occurrences　of　national　existence　have　everywhere　turned　to　the　advantage　of　democracy；　all　men　have　aided　it　by　their　exertions：　those　who　have　intentionally　labored　in　its　cause；　and　those　who　have　served　it　unwittingly；　those　who　have　fought　for　it　and　those　who　have　declared　themselves　its　opponents；　have　all　been　driven　along　in　the　same　track；　have　all　labored　to　one　end；　some　ignorantly　and　some　unwillingly；　all　have　been　blind　instruments　in　the　hands　of　God。

The　gradual　development　of　the　equality　of　conditions　is　therefore　a　providential　fact；　and　it　possesses　all　the　characteristics　of　a　divine　decree：　it　is　universal；　it　is　durable；　it　constantly　eludes　all　human　interference；　and　all　events　as　well　as　all　men　contribute　to　its　progress。　Would　it；　then；　be　wise　to　imagine　that　a　social　impulse　which　dates　from　so　far　back　can　be　checked　by　the　efforts　of　a　generation？　　Is　it　credible　that　the　democracy　which　has　annihilated　the　feudal　system　and　vanquished　kings　will　respect　the　citizen　and　the　capitalist？　　Will　it　stop　now　that　it　has　grown　so　strong　and　its　adversaries　so　weak？　　None　can　say　which　way　we　are　going；　for　all　terms　of　comparison　are　wanting：　the　equality　of　conditions　is　more　complete　in　the　Christian　countries　of　the　present　day　than　it　has　been　at　any　time　or　in　any　part　of　the　world；　so　that　the　extent　of　what　already　exists　prevents　us　from　foreseeing　what　may　be　yet　to　come。　

The　whole　book　which　is　here　offered　to　the　public　has　been　written　under　the　impression　of　a　kind　of　religious　dread　produced　in　the　author's　mind　by　the　contemplation　of　so　irresistible　a　revolution；　which　has　advanced　for　centuries　in　spite　of　such　amazing　obstacles；　and　which　is　still　proceeding　in　the　midst　of　the　ruins　it　has　made。　　It　is　not　necessary　that　God　himself　should　speak　in　order　to　disclose　to　us　the　unquestionable　signs　of　His　will；　we　can　discern　them　in　the　habitual　course　of　nature；　and　in　the　invariable　tendency　of　events：　I　know；　without　a　special　revelation；　that　the　planets　move　in　the　orbits　traced　by　the　Creator's　finger。　　If　the　men　of　our　time　were　led　by　attentive　observation　and　by　sincere　reflection　to　acknowledge　that　the　gradual　and　progressive　development　of　social　equality　is　at　once　the　past　and　future　of　their　history；　this　solitary　truth　would　confer　the　sacred　character　of　a　Divine　decree　upon　the　change。　　To　attempt　to　check　democracy　would　be　in　that　case　to　resist　the　will　of　God；　and　the　nations　would　then　be　constrained　to　make　the　best　of　the　social　lot　awarded　to　them　by　Providence。

The　Christian　nations　of　our　age　seem　to　me　to　present　a　most　alarming　spectacle；　the　impulse　which　is　bearing　them　along　is　so　strong　that　it　cannot　be　stopped；　but　it　is　not　yet　so　rapid　that　it　cannot　be　guided：　their　fate　is　in　their　hands；　yet　a　little　while　and　it　may　be　so　no　longer。　　The　first　duty　which　is　at　this　time　imposed　upon　those　who　direct　our　affairs　is　to　educate　the　democracy；　to　warm　its　faith；　if　that　be　possible；　to　purify　its　morals；　to　direct　its　energies；　to　substitute　a　knowledge　of　business　for　its　inexperience；　and　an　acquaintance　with　its　true　interests　for　its　blind　propensities；　to　adapt　its　government　to　time　and　place；　and　to　modify　it　in　compliance　with　the　occurrences　and　the　actors　of　the　age。　A　new　science　of　politics　is　indispensable　to　a　new　world。　　This；　however；　is　what　we　think　of　least；　launched　in　the　middle　of　a　rapid　stream；　we　obstinately　fix　our　eyes　on　the　ruins　which　may　still　be　described　upon　the　shore　we　have　left；　whilst　the　current　sweeps　us　along；　and　drives　us　backwards　towards　the　gulf。

In　no　country　in　Europe　has　the　great　social　revolution　which　I　have　been　describing　made　such　rapid　progress　as　in　France；　but　it　has　always　been　borne　on　by　chance。　　The　heads　of　the　State　have　never　had　any　forethought　for　its　exigencies；　and　its　victories　have　been　obtained　without　their　consent　or　without　their　knowledge。　　The　most　powerful；　the　most　intelligent；　and　the　most　moral　classes　of　the　nation　have　never　attempted　to　connect　themselves　with　it　in　order　to　guide　it。　　The　people　has　consequently　been　abandoned　to　its　wild　propensities；　and　it　has　grown　up　like　those　outcasts　who　receive　their　education　in　the　public　streets；　and　who　are　unacquainted　with　aught　but　the　vices　and　wretchedness　of　society。　　The　existence　of　a　democracy　was　seemingly　unknown；　when　on　a　sudden　it　took　possession　of　the　supreme　power。　Everything　was　then　submitted　to　its　caprices；　it　was　worshipped　as　the　idol　of　strength；　until；　when　it　was　enfeebled　by　its　own　excesses；　the　legislator　conceived　the　rash　project　of　annihilating　its　power；　instead　of　instructing　it　and　correcting　its　vices；　no　attempt　was　made　to　fit　it　to　govern；　but　all　were　bent　on　excluding　it　from　the　government。

The　consequence　of　this　has　been　that　the　democratic　revolution　has　been　effected　only　in　the　material　parts　of　society；　without　that　concomitant　change　in　laws；　ideas；　customs；　and　manners　which　was　necessary　to　render　such　a　revolution　beneficial。　　We　have　gotten　a　democracy；　but　without　the　conditions　which　lessen　its　vices　and　render　its　natural　advantages　more　prominent；　and　al