democracy in america-1-第13章

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liance；　and　in　case　of　continued　resistance　society　assumed　the　place　of　the　parent；　took　possession　of　the　child；　and　deprived　the　father　of　those　natural　rights　which　he　used　to　so　bad　a　purpose。　　The　reader　will　undoubtedly　have　remarked　the　preamble　of　these　enactments：　in　America　religion　is　the　road　to　knowledge；　and　the　observance　of　the　divine　laws　leads　man　to　civil　freedom。

＇Footnote　k：　Ibid。；　p。　90。＇

If；　after　having　cast　a　rapid　glance　over　the　state　of　American　society　in　1650；　we　turn　to　the　condition　of　Europe；　and　more　especially　to　that　of　the　Continent；　at　the　same　period；　we　cannot　fail　to　be　struck　with　astonishment。　　On　the　Continent　of　Europe；　at　the　beginning　of　the　seventeenth　century；　absolute　monarchy　had　everywhere　triumphed　over　the　ruins　of　the　oligarchical　and　feudal　liberties　of　the　Middle　Ages。　　Never　were　the　notions　of　right　more　completely　confounded　than　in　the　midst　of　the　splendor　and　literature　of　Europe；　never　was　there　less　political　activity　among　the　people；　never　were　the　principles　of　true　freedom　less　widely　circulated；　and　at　that　very　time　those　principles；　which　were　scorned　or　unknown　by　the　nations　of　Europe；　were　proclaimed　in　the　deserts　of　the　New　World；　and　were　accepted　as　the　future　creed　of　a　great　people。　　The　boldest　theories　of　the　human　reason　were　put　into　practice　by　a　community　so　humble　that　not　a　statesman　condescended　to　attend　to　it；　and　a　legislation　without　a　precedent　was　produced　offhand　by　the　imagination　of　the　citizens。　　In　the　bosom　of　this　obscure　democracy；　which　had　as　yet　brought　forth　neither　generals；　nor　philosophers；　nor　authors；　a　man　might　stand　up　in　the　face　of　a　free　people　and　pronounce　the　following　fine　definition　of　liberty。　*l

＇Footnote　l：　Mather's　〃Magnalia　Christi　Americana；〃　vol。　ii。　p。　13。　　This　speech　was　made　by　Winthrop；　he　was　accused　of　having　committed　arbitrary　actions　during　his　magistracy；　but　after　having　made　the　speech　of　which　the　above　is　a　fragment；　he　was　acquitted　by　acclamation；　and　from　that　time　forwards　he　was　always　re…　elected　governor　of　the　State。　　See　Marshal；　vol。　i。　p。　166。＇　

〃Nor　would　I　have　you　to　mistake　in　the　point　of　your　own　liberty。　There　is　a　liberty　of　a　corrupt　nature　which　is　effected　both　by　men　and　beasts　to　do　what　they　list；　and　this　liberty　is　inconsistent　with　authority；　impatient　of　all　restraint；　by　this　liberty　'sumus　omnes　deteriores'：　'tis　the　grand　enemy　of　truth　and　peace；　and　all　the　ordinances　of　God　are　bent　against　it。　But　there　is　a　civil；　a　moral；　a　federal　liberty　which　is　the　proper　end　and　object　of　authority；　it　is　a　liberty　for　that　only　which　is　just　and　good：　for　this　liberty　you　are　to　stand　with　the　hazard　of　your　very　lives　and　whatsoever　crosses　it　is　not　authority；　but　a　distemper　thereof。　This　liberty　is　maintained　in　a　way　of　subjection　to　authority；　and　the　authority　set　over　you　will；　in　all　administrations　for　your　good；　be　quietly　submitted　unto　by　all　but　such　as　have　a　disposition　to　shake　off　the　yoke　and　lose　their　true　liberty；　by　their　murmuring　at　the　honor　and　power　of　authority。〃

The　remarks　I　have　made　will　suffice　to　display　the　character　of　Anglo…American　civilization　in　its　true　light。　　It　is　the　result　（and　this　should　be　constantly　present　to　the　mind　of　two　distinct　elements；　which　in　other　places　have　been　in　frequent　hostility；　but　which　in　America　have　been　admirably　incorporated　and　combined　with　one　another。　　I　allude　to　the　spirit　of　Religion　and　the　spirit　of　Liberty。

The　settlers　of　New　England　were　at　the　same　time　ardent　sectarians　and　daring　innovators。　　Narrow　as　the　limits　of　some　of　their　religious　opinions　were；　they　were　entirely　free　from　political　prejudices。　　Hence　arose　two　tendencies；　distinct　but　not　opposite；　which　are　constantly　discernible　in　the　manners　as　well　as　in　the　laws　of　the　country。

It　might　be　imagined　that　men　who　sacrificed　their　friends；　their　family；　and　their　native　land　to　a　religious　conviction　were　absorbed　in　the　pursuit　of　the　intellectual　advantages　which　they　purchased　at　so　dear　a　rate。　　The　energy；　however；　with　which　they　strove　for　the　acquirement　of　wealth；　moral　enjoyment；　and　the　comforts　as　well　as　liberties　of　the　world；　is　scarcely　inferior　to　that　with　which　they　devoted　themselves　to　Heaven。

Political　principles　and　all　human　laws　and　institutions　were　moulded　and　altered　at　their　pleasure；　the　barriers　of　the　society　in　which　they　were　born　were　broken　down　before　them；　the　old　principles　which　had　governed　the　world　for　ages　were　no　more；　a　path　without　a　turn　and　a　field　without　an　horizon　were　opened　to　the　exploring　and　ardent　curiosity　of　man：　but　at　the　limits　of　the　political　world　he　checks　his　researches；　he　discreetly　lays　aside　the　use　of　his　most　formidable　faculties；　he　no　longer　consents　to　doubt　or　to　innovate；　but　carefully　abstaining　from　raising　the　curtain　of　the　sanctuary；　he　yields　with　submissive　respect　to　truths　which　he　will　not　discuss。　　Thus；　in　the　moral　world　everything　is　classed；　adapted；　decided；　and　foreseen；　in　the　political　world　everything　is　agitated；　uncertain；　and　disputed：　in　the　one　is　a　passive；　though　a　voluntary；　obedience；　in　the　other　an　independence　scornful　of　experience　and　jealous　of　authority。　

These　two　tendencies；　apparently　so　discrepant；　are　far　from　conflicting；　they　advance　together；　and　mutually　support　each　other。　Religion　perceives　that　civil　liberty　affords　a　noble　exercise　to　the　faculties　of　man；　and　that　the　political　world　is　a　field　prepared　by　the　Creator　for　the　efforts　of　the　intelligence。　　Contented　with　the　freedom　and　the　power　which　it　enjoys　in　its　own　sphere；　and　with　the　place　which　it　occupies；　the　empire　of　religion　is　never　more　surely　established　than　when　it　reigns　in　the　hearts　of　men　unsupported　by　aught　beside　its　native　strength。　　Religion　is　no　less　the　companion　of　liberty　in　all　its　battles　and　its　triumphs；　the　cradle　of　its　infancy；　and　the　divine　source　of　its　claims。　　The　safeguard　of　morality　is　religion；　and　morality　is　the　best　security　of　law　and　the　surest　pledge　of　freedom。　*m

＇Footnote　m：　See　Appendix；　F。＇

Reasons　Of　Certain　Anomalies　Which　The　Laws　And　Customs　Of　The　Anglo…Americans　Present

Remains　of　aristocratic　institutions　in　the　midst　of　a　complete　democracy　…Why？　…　Distinction　carefully　to　be　drawn　between　what　is　of　Puritanical　and　what　is　of　English　origin。

The　reader　is　cautioned　not　to　draw　too　general　or　too　absolute　an　inference　from　what　has　been　said。　　The　social　condition；　the　religion；　and　the　manners　of　the　first　emigrants　undoubtedly　exercised　an　immense　influence　on　the　destiny　of　their　new　country。　　Nevertheless　they　were　not　in　a　situation　to　found　a　state　of　things　solely　dependent　on　themselves：　no　man　can　entirely　shake　off　the　influence　of　the　past；　and　the　settlers；　intentionally　or　involuntarily；　mingled　habits　and　notions　derived　from　their　education　and　from　the　traditions　of　their　country　with　those　habits　and　notions　which　were　exclusively　their　own。　　To　form　a　judgment　on　the　Anglo…Americans　of　the　present　day　it　is　therefore　necessary　to　distinguish　what　is　of　Puritanical　and　what　is　of　English　origin。

Laws　and　customs　are　frequently　to　be　met　with　in　the　United　States　which　contrast　strongly　with　all　that　surrounds　them。　　These　laws　seem　to　be　drawn　up　in　a　spirit　contrary　to　the　prevailing　tenor　of　the　American　legislation；　and　these　customs　are　no　less　opposed　to　the　tone　of　society。　If　the　English　colonies　had　been　founded　in　an　age　of　darkness；　or　if　their　origin　was　already　lost　in　the　lapse　of　years；　the　problem　would　be　insoluble。

I　shall　quote　a　single　example　to　illustrate　what　I　advance。　　The　civil　and　criminal　procedure　of　the　Americans　has　only　two　means　of　action　…committal　and　bail。　　The　first　measure　taken　by　the　magistrate　is　to　exact　security　from　the　defendant；　or；　in　case　of　refusal；　to　incarcerate　him：　the　ground　of　the　accusation　and　the　importance　of　the　charges　against　him　are　then　discussed。　　It　is　evident　that　a　legislation　of　this　kind　is　hostile　to　the　poor　man；　and　favorable　only　to　the　rich。　　The　poor　man　has　not　always　a　security　to　produce；　even　in　a　civil　cause；　and　if　he　is　obliged　to　wait　for　justice　in　prison；　he　is　speedily　reduced　to　distress。　　The　wealthy　individual；　on　the　contrary；　always　escapes　imprisonment　in　civil　causes；　nay；　more；　he　may　readily　elude　the　punishment　which　awaits　him　for　a　delinquency　by　breaking　his　bail。　　So　that　all　the　penalties　of　the　law　are；　for　him；　reducible　to　fines。　*n　Nothing　can　be　more　aristocratic　than　this　system　of　legislation。　　Yet　in　America　it　is　the　poor　who　make　the　law；　and　they　usually　reserve　the　greatest　social　advantages　to　themselves。　　The　explanation　of　the　phenomenon　is　to　be　found　in　England；　the　laws　of　which　I　speak　are　English；　*o　and　the　Americans　have　retained　them；　however　repugnant　they　may　be　to　the　tenor　of　their　legislation　and　the　mass　of　their　ideas。　　Next　to　its　habits；　the　thing　which　a　nation　is　least　apt　to　change　is　its　civil　legislation。　Civil　laws　are　only　familiarly　known　to　legal　men；　whose　direct　interest　it　is　to　maintain　them　as　they　are；　whether　good　or　bad；　simply　because　they　themselves　are　conversant　with　them。　　The　body　of　the　nation　is　scarcely　acquainted　with　them；　it　merely　perceives　their　action　in　particular　cases；　but　it　has　some　difficulty　in　seizing　their　tendency；　and　obeys　them　without　premeditation。　　I　have　quoted　one　instance　where　it　would　have　been　easy　to　adduce　a　great　number　of　others。　　The　surface　of　American　society　is；　if　I　may　use　the　expression；　covered　with　a　layer　of　democracy；　from　beneath　which　the　old　aristocratic　colors　sometimes　peep。

＇Footnote　n：　Crimes　no　doubt　exist　for　which　bail　is　inadmissible；　but　they　are　few　in　number。＇

＇Footnote　o：　See　Blackstone；　and　Delolme；　book　I　chap。　x。＇　

Chapter　III：　Social　Conditions　Of　The　Anglo…Americans

Chapter　Summary

A　Social　condition　is　commonly　the　result　of　circumstances；　sometimes　of　laws；　oftener　still　of　these　two　causes　united；　but　wherever　it　exists；　it　may　justly　be　considered　as　the　source　of　almost　all　the　laws；　the　usages；　and　the　ideas　which　regulate　the　conduct　of　nations；　whatever　it　does　not　produce　it　modifies。　　It　is　therefore　necessary；　if　we　would　become　acquainted　with　the　legislation　and　the　manners　of　a　nation；　to　begin　by　the　study　of　its　social　condition。

The　Striking　Characteristic　Of　The　Social　Condition　Of　The　Anglo…　Americans　In　Its　Essential　Democracy

The　first　emigrants　of　New　England　…　Their　equality　…　Aristocratic　laws　introduced　in　the　South　…　Period　of　the　Revolution　…　Change　in　the　law　of　descent　…　Effects　produced　by　this　change　…　Democracy　carried　to　its　utmost　limits　in　the　new　States　of　the　West　…　Equality　of　education。

Many　important　observations　suggest　themselves　upon　the　social　condition　of　the　Anglo…Americans；　but　there　is　one　which　takes　precedence　of　all　the　rest。　　The　social　condition　of　the　Americans　is　eminently　democratic；　this　was　its　character　at　the　foundation　of　the　Colonies；　and　is　still　more　strongly　marked　at　the　present　day。　　I　have　stated　in　the　preceding　chapter　that　great　equality　existed　among　the　emigrants　who　settled　on　the　shores　of　New　England。