democracy in america-1-第69章

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ocracy。　　In　the　United　States；　I　am　not　sure　that　the　people　would　return　the　men　of　superior　abilities　who　might　solicit　its　support；　but　it　is　certain　that　men　of　this　description　do　not　come　forward。

Arbitrary　Power　Of　Magistrates　Under　The　Rule　Of　The　American　Democracy

For　what　reason　the　arbitrary　power　of　Magistrates　is　greater　in　absolute　monarchies　and　in　democratic　republics　than　it　is　in　limited　monarchies　…Arbitrary　power　of　the　Magistrates　in　New　England。

In　two　different　kinds　of　government　the　magistrates　*a　exercise　a　considerable　degree　of　arbitrary　power；　namely；　under　the　absolute　government　of　a　single　individual；　and　under　that　of　a　democracy。　　This　identical　result　proceeds　from　causes　which　are　nearly　analogous。

＇Footnote　a：　I　here　use　the　word　magistrates　in　the　widest　sense　in　which　it　can　be　taken；　I　apply　it　to　all　the　officers　to　whom　the　execution　of　the　laws　is　intrusted。＇

In　despotic　States　the　fortune　of　no　citizen　is　secure；　and　public　officers　are　not　more　safe　than　private　individuals。　　The　sovereign；　who　has　under　his　control　the　lives；　the　property；　and　sometimes　the　honor　of　the　men　whom　he　employs；　does　not　scruple　to　allow　them　a　great　latitude　of　action；　because　he　is　convinced　that　they　will　not　use　it　to　his　prejudice。　　In　despotic　States　the　sovereign　is　so　attached　to　the　exercise　of　his　power；　that　he　dislikes　the　constraint　even　of　his　own　regulations；　and　he　is　well　pleased　that　his　agents　should　follow　a　somewhat　fortuitous　line　of　conduct；　provided　he　be　certain　that　their　actions　will　never　counteract　his　desires。

In　democracies；　as　the　majority　has　every　year　the　right　of　depriving　the　officers　whom　it　has　appointed　of　their　power；　it　has　no　reason　to　fear　any　abuse　of　their　authority。　　As　the　people　is　always　able　to　signify　its　wishes　to　those　who　conduct　the　Government；　it　prefers　leaving　them　to　make　their　own　exertions　to　prescribing　an　invariable　rule　of　conduct　which　would　at　once　fetter　their　activity　and　the　popular　authority。

It　may　even　be　observed；　on　attentive　consideration；　that　under　the　rule　of　a　democracy　the　arbitrary　power　of　the　magistrate　must　be　still　greater　than　in　despotic　States。　　In　the　latter　the　sovereign　has　the　power　of　punishing　all　the　faults　with　which　he　becomes　acquainted；　but　it　would　be　vain　for　him　to　hope　to　become　acquainted　with　all　those　which　are　committed。　In　the　former　the　sovereign　power　is　not　only　supreme；　but　it　is　universally　present。　　The　American　functionaries　are；　in　point　of　fact；　much　more　independent　in　the　sphere　of　action　which　the　law　traces　out　for　them　than　any　public　officer　in　Europe。　　Very　frequently　the　object　which　they　are　to　accomplish　is　simply　pointed　out　to　them；　and　the　choice　of　the　means　is　left　to　their　own　discretion。

In　New　England；　for　instance；　the　selectmen　of　each　township　are　bound　to　draw　up　the　list　of　persons　who　are　to　serve　on　the　jury；　the　only　rule　which　is　laid　down　to　guide　them　in　their　choice　is　that　they　are　to　select　citizens　possessing　the　elective　franchise　and　enjoying　a　fair　reputation。　*b　In　France　the　lives　and　liberties　of　the　subjects　would　be　thought　to　be　in　danger　if　a　public　officer　of　any　kind　was　entrusted　with　so　formidable　a　right。　　In　New　England　the　same　magistrates　are　empowered　to　post　the　names　of　habitual　drunkards　in　public…houses；　and　to　prohibit　the　inhabitants　of　a　town　from　supplying　them　with　liquor。　*c　A　censorial　power　of　this　excessive　kind　would　be　revolting　to　the　population　of　the　most　absolute　monarchies；　here；　however；　it　is　submitted　to　without　difficulty。

＇Footnote　b：　See　the　Act　of　February　27；　1813。　　〃General　Collection　of　the　Laws　of　Massachusetts；〃　vol。　ii。　p。　331。　　It　should　be　added　that　the　jurors　are　afterwards　drawn　from　these　lists　by　lot。＇　

＇Footnote　c：　See　Act　of　February　28；　1787。　　〃General　Collection　of　the　Laws　of　Massachusetts；〃　vol。　i。　p。　302。＇

Nowhere　has　so　much　been　left　by　the　law　to　the　arbitrary　determination　of　the　magistrate　as　in　democratic　republics；　because　this　arbitrary　power　is　unattended　by　any　alarming　consequences。　　It　may　even　be　asserted　that　the　freedom　of　the　magistrate　increases　as　the　elective　franchise　is　extended；　and　as　the　duration　of　the　time　of　office　is　shortened。　　Hence　arises　the　great　difficulty　which　attends　the　conversion　of　a　democratic　republic　into　a　monarchy。　　The　magistrate　ceases　to　be　elective；　but　he　retains　the　rights　and　the　habits　of　an　elected　officer；　which　lead　directly　to　despotism。

It　is　only　in　limited　monarchies　that　the　law；　which　prescribes　the　sphere　in　which　public　officers　are　to　act；　superintends　all　their　measures。　The　cause　of　this　may　be　easily　detected。　　In　limited　monarchies　the　power　is　divided　between　the　King　and　the　people；　both　of　whom　are　interested　in　the　stability　of　the　magistrate。　　The　King　does　not　venture　to　place　the　public　officers　under　the　control　of　the　people；　lest　they　should　be　tempted　to　betray　his　interests；　on　the　other　hand；　the　people　fears　lest　the　magistrates　should　serve　to　oppress　the　liberties　of　the　country；　if　they　were　entirely　dependent　upon　the　Crown；　they　cannot　therefore　be　said　to　depend　on　either　one　or　the　other。　　The　same　cause　which　induces　the　king　and　the　people　to　render　public　officers　independent　suggests　the　necessity　of　such　securities　as　may　prevent　their　independence　from　encroaching　upon　the　authority　of　the　former　and　the　liberties　of　the　latter。　　They　consequently　agree　as　to　the　necessity　of　restricting　the　functionary　to　a　line　of　conduct　laid　down　beforehand；　and　they　are　interested　in　confining　him　by　certain　regulations　which　he　cannot　evade。　

Chapter　XIII：　Government　Of　The　Democarcy　In　America　…　Part　II　　Instability　Of　The　Administration　In　The　United　States

In　America　the　public　acts　of　a　community　frequently　leave　fewer　traces　than　the　occurrences　of　a　family　…　Newspapers　the　only　historical　remains　…Instability　of　the　administration　prejudicial　to　the　art　of　government。

The　authority　which　public　men　possess　in　America　is　so　brief；　and　they　are　so　soon　commingled　with　the　ever…changing　population　of　the　country；　that　the　acts　of　a　community　frequently　leave　fewer　traces　than　the　occurrences　of　a　private　family。　　The　public　administration　is；　so　to　speak；　oral　and　traditionary。　　But　little　is　committed　to　writing；　and　that　little　is　wafted　away　forever；　like　the　leaves　of　the　Sibyl；　by　the　smallest　breeze。

The　only　historical　remains　in　the　United　States　are　the　newspapers；　but　if　a　number　be　wanting；　the　chain　of　time　is　broken；　and　the　present　is　severed　from　the　past。　　I　am　convinced　that　in　fifty　years　it　will　be　more　difficult　to　collect　authentic　documents　concerning　the　social　condition　of　the　Americans　at　the　present　day　than　it　is　to　find　remains　of　the　administration　of　France　during　the　Middle　Ages；　and　if　the　United　States　were　ever　invaded　by　barbarians；　it　would　be　necessary　to　have　recourse　to　the　history　of　other　nations　in　order　to　learn　anything　of　the　people　which　now　inhabits　them。

The　instability　of　the　administration　has　penetrated　into　the　habits　of　the　people：　it　even　appears　to　suit　the　general　taste；　and　no　one　cares　for　what　occurred　before　his　time。　　No　methodical　system　is　pursued；　no　archives　are　formed；　and　no　documents　are　brought　together　when　it　would　be　very　easy　to　do　so。　　Where　they　exist；　little　store　is　set　upon　them；　and　I　have　amongst　my　papers　several　original　public　documents　which　were　given　to　me　in　answer　to　some　of　my　inquiries。　　In　America　society　seems　to　live　from　hand　to　mouth；　like　an　army　in　the　field。　　Nevertheless；　the　art　of　administration　may　undoubtedly　be　ranked　as　a　science；　and　no　sciences　can　be　improved　if　the　discoveries　and　observations　of　successive　generations　are　not　connected　together　in　the　order　in　which　they　occur。　　One　man；　in　the　short　space　of　his　life　remarks　a　fact；　another　conceives　an　idea；　the　former　invents　a　means　of　execution；　the　latter　reduces　a　truth　to　a　fixed　proposition；　and　mankind　gathers　the　fruits　of　individual　experience　upon　its　way　and　gradually　forms　the　sciences。　　But　the　persons　who　conduct　the　administration　in　America　can　seldom　afford　any　instruction　to　each　ot