democracy in america-1-第75章

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o　rises　from　that　obscure　position；　and　who　becomes　possessed　of　riches　and　of　power　in　a　few　years；　the　spectacle　excites　their　surprise　and　their　envy；　and　they　are　led　to　inquire　how　the　person　who　was　yesterday　their　equal　is　to…day　their　ruler。　　To　attribute　his　rise　to　his　talents　or　his　virtues　is　unpleasant；　for　it　is　tacitly　to　acknowledge　that　they　are　themselves　less　virtuous　and　less　talented　than　he　was。　　They　are　therefore　led　（and　not　unfrequently　their　conjecture　is　a　correct　one）　to　impute　his　success　mainly　to　some　one　of　his　defects；　and　an　odious　mixture　is　thus　formed　of　the　ideas　of　turpitude　and　power；　unworthiness　and　success；　utility　and　dishonor。

Efforts　Of　Which　A　Democracy　Is　Capable

The　Union　has　only　had　one　struggle　hitherto　for　its　existence　…　Enthusiasm　at　the　commencement　of　the　war　…　Indifference　towards　its　close　…　Difficulty　of　establishing　military　conscription　or　impressment　of　seamen　in　America　…　Why　a　democratic　people　is　less　capable　of　sustained　effort　than　another。

I　here　warn　the　reader　that　I　speak　of　a　government　which　implicitly　follows　the　real　desires　of　a　people；　and　not　of　a　government　which　simply　commands　in　its　name。　　Nothing　is　so　irresistible　as　a　tyrannical　power　commanding　in　the　name　of　the　people；　because；　whilst　it　exercises　that　moral　influence　which　belongs　to　the　decision　of　the　majority；　it　acts　at　the　same　time　with　the　promptitude　and　the　tenacity　of　a　single　man。

It　is　difficult　to　say　what　degree　of　exertion　a　democratic　government　may　be　capable　of　making　a　crisis　in　the　history　of　the　nation。　　But　no　great　democratic　republic　has　hitherto　existed　in　the　world。　　To　style　the　oligarchy　which　ruled　over　France　in　1793　by　that　name　would　be　to　offer　an　insult　to　the　republican　form　of　government。　　The　United　States　afford　the　first　example　of　the　kind。

The　American　Union　has　now　subsisted　for　half　a　century；　in　the　course　of　which　time　its　existence　has　only　once　been　attacked；　namely；　during　the　War　of　Independence。　　At　the　commencement　of　that　long　war；　various　occurrences　took　place　which　betokened　an　extraordinary　zeal　for　the　service　of　the　country。　*p　But　as　the　contest　was　prolonged；　symptoms　of　private　egotism　began　to　show　themselves。　　No　money　was　poured　into　the　public　treasury；　few　recruits　could　be　raised　to　join　the　army；　the　people　wished　to　acquire　independence；　but　was　very　ill…disposed　to　undergo　the　privations　by　which　alone　it　could　be　obtained。　　〃Tax　laws；〃　says　Hamilton　in　the　〃Federalist〃　（No。　12）；　〃have　in　vain　been　multiplied；　new　methods　to　enforce　the　collection　have　in　vain　been　tried；　the　public　expectation　has　been　uniformly　disappointed　and　the　treasuries　of　the　States　have　remained　empty。　The　popular　system　of　administration　inherent　in　the　nature　of　popular　government；　coinciding　with　the　real　scarcity　of　money　incident　to　a　languid　and　mutilated　state　of　trade；　has　hitherto　defeated　every　experiment　for　extensive　collections；　and　has　at　length　taught　the　different　legislatures　the　folly　of　attempting　them。〃

＇Footnote　p：　One　of　the　most　singular　of　these　occurrences　was　the　resolution　which　the　Americans　took　of　temporarily　abandoning　the　use　of　tea。　　Those　who　know　that　men　usually　cling　more　to　their　habits　than　to　their　life　will　doubtless　admire　this　great　though　obscure　sacrifice　which　was　made　by　a　whole　people。＇

The　United　States　have　not　had　any　serious　war　to　carry　on　ever　since　that　period。　　In　order；　therefore；　to　appreciate　the　sacrifices　which　democratic　nations　may　impose　upon　themselves；　we　must　wait　until　the　American　people　is　obliged　to　put　half　its　entire　income　at　the　disposal　of　the　Government；　as　was　done　by　the　English；　or　until　it　sends　forth　a　twentieth　part　of　its　population　to　the　field　of　battle；　as　was　done　by　France。　*q

＇Footnote　q：　＇The　Civil　War　showed　that　when　the　necessity　arose　the　American　people；　both　in　the　North　and　in　the　South；　are　capable　of　making　the　most　enormous　sacrifices；　both　in　money　and　in　men。＇＇

In　America　the　use　of　conscription　is　unknown；　and　men　are　induced　to　enlist　by　bounties。　　The　notions　and　habits　of　the　people　of　the　United　States　are　so　opposed　to　compulsory　enlistment　that　I　do　not　imagine　it　can　ever　be　sanctioned　by　the　laws。　　What　is　termed　the　conscription　in　France　is　assuredly　the　heaviest　tax　upon　the　population　of　that　country；　yet　how　could　a　great　continental　war　be　carried　on　without　it？　　The　Americans　have　not　adopted　the　British　impressment　of　seamen；　and　they　have　nothing　which　corresponds　to　the　French　system　of　maritime　conscription；　the　navy；　as　well　as　the　merchant　service；　is　supplied　by　voluntary　service。　　But　it　is　not　easy　to　conceive　how　a　people　can　sustain　a　great　maritime　war　without　having　recourse　to　one　or　the　other　of　these　two　systems。　　Indeed；　the　Union；　which　has　fought　with　some　honor　upon　the　seas；　has　never　possessed　a　very　numerous　fleet；　and　the　equipment　of　the　small　number　of　American　vessels　has　always　been　excessively　expensive。

I　have　heard　American　statesmen　confess　that　the　Union　will　have　great　difficulty　in　maintaining　its　rank　on　the　seas　without　adopting　the　system　of　impressment　or　of　maritime　conscription；　but　the　difficulty　is　to　induce　the　people；　which　exercises　the　supreme　authority；　to　submit　to　impressment　or　any　compulsory　system。　

It　is　incontestable　that　in　times　of　danger　a　free　people　displays　far　more　energy　than　one　which　is　not　so。　　But　I　incline　to　believe　that　this　is　more　especially　the　case　in　those　free　nations　in　which　the　democratic　element　preponderates。　　Democracy　appears　to　me　to　be　much　better　adapted　for　the　peaceful　conduct　of　society；　or　for　an　occasional　effort　of　remarkable　vigor；　than　for　the　hardy　and　prolonged　endurance　of　the　storms　which　beset　the　political　existence　of　nations。　　The　reason　is　very　evident；　it　is　enthusiasm　which　prompts　men　to　expose　themselves　to　dangers　and　privations；　but　they　will　not　support　them　long　without　reflection。　　There　is　more　calculation；　even　in　the　impulses　of　bravery；　than　is　generally　attributed　to　them；　and　although　the　first　efforts　are　suggested　by　passion；　perseverance　is　maintained　by　a　distinct　regard　of　the　purpose　in　view。　　A　portion　of　what　we　value　is　exposed；　in　order　to　save　the　remainder。

But　it　is　this　distinct　perception　of　the　future；　founded　upon　a　sound　judgment　and　an　enlightened　experience；　which　is　most　frequently　wanting　in　democracies。　　The　populace　is　more　apt　to　feel　than　to　reason；　and　if　its　present　sufferings　are　great；　it　is　to　be　feared　that　the　still　greater　sufferings　attendant　upon　defeat　will　be　forgotten。

Another　cause　tends　to　render　the　efforts　of　a　democratic　government　less　persevering　than　those　of　an　aristocracy。　　Not　only　are　the　lower　classes　less　awakened　than　the　higher　orders　to　the　good　or　evil　chances　of　the　future；　but　they　are　liable　to　suffer　far　more　acutely　from　present　privations。　　The　noble　exposes　his　life；　indeed；　but　the　chance　of　glory　is　equal　to　the　chance　of　harm。　　If　he　sacrifices　a　large　portion　of　his　income　to　the　State；　he　deprives　himself　for　a　time　of　the　pleasures　of　affluence；　but　to　the　poor　man　death　is　embellished　by　no　pomp　or　renown；　and　the　imposts　which　are　irksome　to　the　rich　are　fatal　to　him。

This　relative　impotence　of　democratic　republics　is；　perhaps；　the　greatest　obstacle　to　the　foundation　of　a　republic　of　this　kind　in　Europe。　In　order　that　such　a　State　should　subsist　in　one　country　of　the　Old　World；　it　would　be　necessary　that　similar　institutions　should　be　introduced　into　all　the　other　nations。

I　am　of　opinion　that　a　democratic　government　tends　in　the　end　to　increase　the　real　strength　of　society；　but　it　can　never　combine；　upon　a　single　point　and　at　a　given　time；　so　much　power　as　an　aristocracy　or　a　monarchy。　　If　a　democratic　country　remained　during　a　whole　century　subject　to　a　republican　government；　it　would　probably　at　the　end　of　that　period　be　more　populous　and　more　prosperous　than　the　neighboring　despotic　States。　　But　it　would　have　incurred　the　risk　of　being　conquered　much　oftener　than　they　would　in　that　lapse　of　years。

Self…Control　Of　The　American　Democracy

The　American　people　acquiesces　slowly；　or　frequently　does