democracy in america-1-第104章

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intain　itself　in　peace。　*m

＇Footnote　m：　＇A　remark　which；　since　the　great　Civil　War　of　1861…65；　ceases　to　be　applicable。＇＇

The　territory　of　the　Union　presents　a　boundless　field　to　human　activity；　and　inexhaustible　materials　for　industry　and　labor。　　The　passion　of　wealth　takes　the　place　of　ambition；　and　the　warmth　of　faction　is　mitigated　by　a　sense　of　prosperity。　　But　in　what　portion　of　the　globe　shall　we　meet　with　more　fertile　plains；　with　mightier　rivers；　or　with　more　unexplored　and　inexhaustible　riches　than　in　South　America？

Nevertheless；　South　America　has　been　unable　to　maintain　democratic　institutions。　　If　the　welfare　of　nations　depended　on　their　being　placed　in　a　remote　position；　with　an　unbounded　space　of　habitable　territory　before　them；　the　Spaniards　of　South　America　would　have　no　reason　to　complain　of　their　fate。　And　although　they　might　enjoy　less　prosperity　than　the　inhabitants　of　the　United　States；　their　lot　might　still　be　such　as　to　excite　the　envy　of　some　nations　in　Europe。　　There　are；　however；　no　nations　upon　the　face　of　the　earth　more　miserable　than　those　of　South　America。

Thus；　not　only　are　physical　causes　inadequate　to　produce　results　analogous　to　those　which　occur　in　North　America；　but　they　are　unable　to　raise　the　population　of　South　America　above　the　level　of　European　States；　where　they　act　in　a　contrary　direction。　　Physical　causes　do　not；　therefore；　affect　the　destiny　of　nations　so　much　as　has　been　supposed。

I　have　met　with　men　in　New　England　who　were　on　the　point　of　leaving　a　country；　where　they　might　have　remained　in　easy　circumstances；　to　go　to　seek　their　fortune　in　the　wilds。　　Not　far　from　that　district　I　found　a　French　population　in　Canada；　which　was　closely　crowded　on　a　narrow　territory；　although　the　same　wilds　were　at　hand；　and　whilst　the　emigrant　from　the　United　States　purchased　an　extensive　estate　with　the　earnings　of　a　short　term　of　labor；　the　Canadian　paid　as　much　for　land　as　he　would　have　done　in　France。　Nature　offers　the　solitudes　of　the　New　World　to　Europeans；　but　they　are　not　always　acquainted　with　the　means　of　turning　her　gifts　to　account。　　Other　peoples　of　America　have　the　same　physical　conditions　of　prosperity　as　the　Anglo…Americans；　but　without　their　laws　and　their　manners；　and　these　peoples　are　wretched。　　The　laws　and　manners　of　the　Anglo…Americans　are　therefore　that　efficient　cause　of　their　greatness　which　is　the　object　of　my　inquiry。　

I　am　far　from　supposing　that　the　American　laws　are　preeminently　good　in　themselves；　I　do　not　hold　them　to　be　applicable　to　all　democratic　peoples；　and　several　of　them　seem　to　be　dangerous；　even　in　the　United　States。　Nevertheless；　it　cannot　be　denied　that　the　American　legislation；　taken　collectively；　is　extremely　well　adapted　to　the　genius　of　the　people　and　the　nature　of　the　country　which　it　is　intended　to　govern。　　The　American　laws　are　therefore　good；　and　to　them　must　be　attributed　a　large　portion　of　the　success　which　attends　the　government　of　democracy　in　America：　but　I　do　not　believe　them　to　be　the　principal　cause　of　that　success；　and　if　they　seem　to　me　to　have　more　influence　upon　the　social　happiness　of　the　Americans　than　the　nature　of　the　country；　on　the　other　hand　there　is　reason　to　believe　that　their　effect　is　still　inferior　to　that　produced　by　the　manners　of　the　people。

The　Federal　laws　undoubtedly　constitute　the　most　important　part　of　the　legislation　of　the　United　States。　　Mexico；　which　is　not　less　fortunately　situated　than　the　Anglo…American　Union；　has　adopted　the　same　laws；　but　is　unable　to　accustom　itself　to　the　government　of　democracy。　　Some　other　cause　is　therefore　at　work；　independently　of　those　physical　circumstances　and　peculiar　laws　which　enable　the　democracy　to　rule　in　the　United　States。

Another　still　more　striking　proof　may　be　adduced。　　Almost　all　the　inhabitants　of　the　territory　of　the　Union　are　the　descendants　of　a　common　stock；　they　speak　the　same　language；　they　worship　God　in　the　same　manner；　they　are　affected　by　the　same　physical　causes；　and　they　obey　the　same　laws。　Whence；　then；　do　their　characteristic　differences　arise？　　Why；　in　the　Eastern　States　of　the　Union；　does　the　republican　government　display　vigor　and　regularity；　and　proceed　with　mature　deliberation？　　Whence　does　it　derive　the　wisdom　and　the　durability　which　mark　its　acts；　whilst　in　the　Western　States；　on　the　contrary；　society　seems　to　be　ruled　by　the　powers　of　chance？　　There；　public　business　is　conducted　with　an　irregularity　and　a　passionate　and　feverish　excitement；　which　does　not　announce　a　long　or　sure　duration。

I　am　no　longer　comparing　the　Anglo…American　States　to　foreign　nations；　but　I　am　contrasting　them　with　each　other；　and　endeavoring　to　discover　why　they　are　so　unlike。　　The　arguments　which　are　derived　from　the　nature　of　the　country　and　the　difference　of　legislation　are　here　all　set　aside。　　Recourse　must　be　had　to　some　other　cause；　and　what　other　cause　can　there　be　except　the　manners　of　the　people？

It　is　in　the　Eastern　States　that　the　Anglo…Americans　have　been　longest　accustomed　to　the　government　of　democracy；　and　that　they　have　adopted　the　habits　and　conceived　the　notions　most　favorable　to　its　maintenance。　Democracy　has　gradually　penetrated　into　their　customs；　their　opinions；　and　the　forms　of　social　intercourse；　it　is　to　be　found　in　all　the　details　of　daily　life　equally　as　in　the　laws。　　In　the　Eastern　States　the　instruction　and　practical　education　of　the　people　have　been　most　perfected；　and　religion　has　been　most　thoroughly　amalgamated　with　liberty。　　Now　these　habits；　opinions；　customs；　and　convictions　are　precisely　the　constituent　elements　of　that　which　I　have　denominated　manners。

In　the　Western　States；　on　the　contrary；　a　portion　of　the　same　advantages　is　still　wanting。　　Many　of　the　Americans　of　the　West　were　born　in　the　woods；　and　they　mix　the　ideas　and　the　customs　of　savage　life　with　the　civilization　of　their　parents。　　Their　passions　are　more　intense；　their　religious　morality　less　authoritative；　and　their　convictions　less　secure。　　The　inhabitants　exercise　no　sort　of　control　over　their　fellow…citizens；　for　they　are　scarcely　acquainted　with　each　other。　　The　nations　of　the　West　display；　to　a　certain　extent；　the　inexperience　and　the　rude　habits　of　a　people　in　its　infancy；　for　although　they　are　composed　of　old　elements；　their　assemblage　is　of　recent　date。

The　manners　of　the　Americans　of　the　United　States　are；　then；　the　real　cause　which　renders　that　people　the　only　one　of　the　American　nations　that　is　able　to　support　a　democratic　government；　and　it　is　the　influence　of　manners　which　produces　the　different　degrees　of　order　and　of　prosperity　that　may　be　distinguished　in　the　several　Anglo…American　democracies。　　Thus　the　effect　which　the　geographical　position　of　a　country　may　have　upon　the　duration　of　democratic　institutions　is　exaggerated　in　Europe。　　Too　much　importance　is　attributed　to　legislation；　too　little　to　manners。　　These　three　great　causes　serve；　no　doubt；　to　regulate　and　direct　the　American　democracy；　but　if　they　were　to　be　classed　in　their　proper　order；　I　should　say　that　the　physical　circumstances　are　less　efficient　than　the　laws；　and　the　laws　very　subordinate　to　the　manners　of　the　people。　　I　am　convinced　that　the　most　advantageous　situation　and　the　best　possible　laws　cannot　maintain　a　constitution　in　spite　of　the　manners　of　a　country；　whilst　the　latter　may　turn　the　most　unfavorable　positions　and　the　worst　laws　to　some　advantage。　　The　importance　of　manners　is　a　common　truth　to　which　study　and　experience　incessantly　direct　our　attention。　It　may　be　regarded　as　a　central　point　in　the　range　of　human　observation；　and　the　common　termination　of　all　inquiry。　　So　seriously　do　I　insist　upon　this　head；　that　if　I　have　hitherto　failed　in　making　the　reader　feel　the　important　influence　which　I　attribute　to　the　practical　experience；　the　habits；　the　opinions；　in　short；　to　the　manners　of　the　Americans；　upon　the　maintenance　of　their　institutions；　I　have　failed　in　the　principal　object　of　my　work。

Whether　Laws　And　Manners　Are　Sufficient　To　Maintain　Democratic　Institutions　In　Other　Countries　Besides　America

The　Anglo…Americans；　if　transported　into　Europe；　would　be　obliged　to　modify　their　laws　…　Distinction　to　be　made　between　democratic　institutions　an