第2章

Theretheelectionofamajorityofthetrusteesofthepublicmoneyiscontrolledbythemostignorantandviciousofapopulationwhichhascometousfromabroad，whollyunpractisedinself-governmentandincapableofassimilationbyAmericanhabitsandmethods。Butthefinancesofourtowns，wherethenativetraditionisstilldominantandwhoseaffairsarediscussedandsettledinapublicassemblyofthepeople，havebeeningeneralhonestlyandprudentlyadministered。Eveninmanufacturingtowns，whereamajorityofthevoterslivebytheirdailywages，itisnotsooftentherecklessnessasthemoderationofpublicexpenditurethatsurprisesanoldfashionedobserver。

"Thebeggarisinthesaddleatlast，"criesProverbialWisdom。"Why，inthenameofallformerexperience，doesn"theridetotheDevil？"Becauseintheveryactofmountingheceasedtobeabeggarandbecamepartownerofthepieceofpropertyhebestrides。Thelastthingweneedbeanxiousaboutisproperty。Italwayshasfriendsorthemeansofmakingthem。Ifricheshavewingstoflyawayfromtheirowner，theyhavewingsalsotoescapedanger。

IhearAmericasometimesplayfullyaccusedofsendingyouallyourstorms，andaminthehabitofparryingthechargebyallegingthatweareenabledtodothisbecause，invirtueofourprotectivesystem，wecanaffordtomakebetterbadweatherthananybodyelse。AndwhatwiserusecouldwemakeofitthantoexportitinreturnforthepauperswhichsomeEuropeancountriesaregoodenoughtosendovertouswhohavenotattainedtothesameskillinthemanufactureofthem？Butbadweatherisnottheworstthingthatislaidatourdoor。AFrenchgentleman，notlongago，forgettingBurke"smonitionofhowunwiseitistodrawanindictmentagainstawholepeople，haschargeduswiththeresponsibilityofwhateverhefindsdisagreeableinthemoralsormannersofhiscountrymen。IfM。Zolaorsomeothercompetentwitnesswouldonlygointotheboxandtelluswhatthosemoralsandmannerswerebeforeourexamplecorruptedthem！ButIconfessthatIfindlittletointerestandlesstoedifymeintheseinternationalbandyingsof"You"reanother。"

Ishalladdressmyselftoasinglepointonlyinthelonglistofoffencesofwhichwearemoreorlessgravelyaccused，becausethatreallyincludesalltherest。

ItisthatweareinfectingtheOldWorldwithwhatseemstobethoughttheentirelynewdiseaseofDemocracy。Itisgenerallypeoplewhoareinwhatarecalledeasycircumstanceswhocanaffordtheleisuretotreatthemselvestoahandsomecomplaint，andtheseexperienceanimmediatealleviationwhenoncetheyhavefoundasonorousGreeknametoabuseitby。Thereissomethingconsolatoryalso，somethingflatteringtotheirsenseofpersonaldignity，andtothatconceitofsingularitywhichisthenaturalrecoilfromouruneasyconsciousnessofbeingcommonplace，inthinkingourselvesvictimsofamaladybywhichnoonehadeversufferedbefore。Accordinglytheyfinditsimplertoclassunderonecomprehensiveheadingwhatevertheyfindoffensivetotheirnerves，theirtaste，theirinterests，orwhattheysupposetobetheiropinions，andchristenitDemocracy，muchasphysicianslabeleveryobscurediseasegout，orascross-grainedfellowslaytheirill-

tempertotheweather。Butisitreallyanewailment，and，ifitbe，isAmericaanswerableforit？Evenifshewere，woulditaccountforthephylloxera，andhoof-and-

mouthdisease，andbadharvests，andbadEnglish，andtheGermanbands，andtheBoers，andalltheotherdiscomfortswithwhichtheselaterdayshavevexedthesoulsofthemthatgoinchariots？YetIhaveseentheevilexampleofDemocracyinAmericacitedasthesourceandoriginofthingsquiteasheterogeneousandquiteaslittleconnectedwithitbyanysequenceofcauseandeffect。Surelythisfermentisnothingnew。Ithasbeenatworkforcenturies，andwearemoreconsciousofitonlybecauseinthisageofpublicity，wherethenewspapersofferarostrumtowhoeverhasagrievance，orfanciesthathehas，thebubblesandscumthrownupbyitaremorenoticeableonthesurfacethaninthosedumbageswhentherewasacoverofsilenceandsuppressiononthecauldron。BernardoNavagero，speakingoftheProvincesofLowerAustriain1546，tellsusthat"inthemtherearefivesortsofpersons，Clergy，Barons，Nobles，Burghers，andPeasants。Oftheselastnoaccountismade，becausetheyhavenovoiceintheDiet。"1

[Footnote1:BelowthePeasants，itshouldberemembered，wasstillanotherevenmorehelplessclass，theservilefarm-laborers。

ThesamewitnessinformsusthatoftheextraordinaryimpoststhePeasantspaidnearlytwiceasmuchinproportiontotheirestimatedpropertyastheBarons，Nobles，andBurgherstogether。Moreover，theupperclasseswereassessedattheirownvaluation，whiletheyarbitrarilyfixedthatofthePeasants，whohadnovoice，（"RelazionidegliAmbasciatoriVeneti，"SerieI。，tomoi。，pp。378，379，389。）]

Norwasitamongthepeoplethatsubversiveormistakendoctrineshadtheirrise。AFatheroftheChurchsaidthatpropertywastheftmanycenturiesbeforeProudhonwasborn。Bourdalouereaffirmedit。Montesquieuwastheinventorofnationalworkshops，andofthetheorythattheStateowedeverymanaliving。Nay，wasnottheChurchherselfthefirstorganizedDemocracy？

Afewcenturiesagothechiefendofmanwastokeephissoulalive，andthenthelittlekernelofleaventhatsetsthegasesatworkwasreligious，andproducedtheReformation。Eveninthat，far-sightedpersonsliketheEmperorCharlesV。sawthegermofpoliticalandsocialrevolution。

Nowthatthechiefendofmanseemstohavebecomethekeepingofthebodyalive，andascomfortablyaliveaspossible，theleavenalsohasbecomewhollypoliticalandsocial。ButtherehadalsobeensocialupheavalsbeforetheReformationandcontemporaneouslywithit，especiallyamongmenofTeutonicrace。TheReformationgaveoutletanddirectiontoanunrestalreadyexisting。Formerlytheimmensemajorityofmen-ourbrothers-knewonlytheirsufferings，theirwants，andtheirdesires。Theyarebeginningnowtoknowtheiropportunityandtheirpower。AllpersonswhoseedeeperthantheirplatesareratherinclinedtothankGodforitthantobewailit，forthesoresofLazarushaveapoisoninthemagainstwhichDiveshasnoantidote。

TherecanbenodoubtthatthespectacleofagreatandprosperousDemocracyontheothersideoftheAtlanticmustreactpowerfullyontheaspirationsandpoliticaltheoriesofmenintheOldWorldwhodonotfindthingstotheirmind；but，whetherforgoodorevil，itshouldnotbeoverlookedthattheacornfromwhichitsprangwasripenedontheBritishoak。

Everysuccessiveswarmthathasgoneoutfromthisofficinagentiumhas，whenlefttoitsowninstincts-mayInotcallthemhereditaryinstincts？assumedamoreorlessthoroughlydemocraticform。Thiswouldseemtoshow，whatIbelievetobethefact，thattheBritishConstitution，underwhateverdisguisesofprudenceordecorum，isessentiallydemocratic。England，indeed，maybecalledamonarchywithdemocratictendencies，theUnitedStatesademocracywithconservativeinstincts。PeoplearecontinuallysayingthatAmericaisintheair，andIamgladtothinkitis，sincethismeansonlythataclearerconceptionofhumanclaimsandhumandutiesisbeginningtobeprevalent。Thediscontentwiththeexistingorderofthings，however，pervadedtheatmospherewherevertheconditionswerefavorable，longbeforeColumbus，seekingthebackdoorofAsia，foundhimselfknockingatthefrontdoorofAmerica。Isaywherevertheconditionswerefavorable，foritiscertainthatthegermsofdiseasedonotstickorfindaprosperousfieldfortheirdevelopmentandnoxiousactivityunlesswherethesimplestsanitaryprecautionshavebeenneglected。

"Forthiseffectdefectivecomesbycause，"asPoloniussaidlongago。ItisonlybyinstigationofthewrongsofmenthatwhatarecalledtheRightsofManbecometurbulentanddangerous。Itisthenonlythattheysyllogizeunwelcometruths。Itisnottheinsurrectionsofignorancethataredangerous，buttherevoltsofintelligence:

"Thewickedandtheweakrebelinvain，Slavesbytheirowncompulsion。"