democracy in america-1-第16章

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o　the　south　of　the　Hudson　（as　I　have　shown　in　the　preceding　chapter）；　long　exercised　a　sort　of　aristocratic　influence；　which　tended　to　retain　the　exercise　of　social　authority　in　the　hands　of　a　few。　　The　public　functionaries　were　not　universally　elected；　and　the　citizens　were　not　all　of　them　electors。　The　electoral　franchise　was　everywhere　placed　within　certain　limits；　and　made　dependent　on　a　certain　qualification；　which　was　exceedingly　low　in　the　North　and　more　considerable　in　the　South。

The　American　revolution　broke　out；　and　the　doctrine　of　the　sovereignty　of　the　people；　which　had　been　nurtured　in　the　townships　and　municipalities；　took　possession　of　the　State：　every　class　was　enlisted　in　its　cause；　battles　were　fought；　and　victories　obtained　for　it；　until　it　became　the　law　of　laws。

A　no　less　rapid　change　was　effected　in　the　interior　of　society；　where　the　law　of　descent　completed　the　abolition　of　local　influences。

At　the　very　time　when　this　consequence　of　the　laws　and　of　the　revolution　was　apparent　to　every　eye；　victory　was　irrevocably　pronounced　in　favor　of　the　democratic　cause。　　All　power　was；　in　fact；　in　its　hands；　and　resistance　was　no　longer　possible。　　The　higher　orders　submitted　without　a　murmur　and　without　a　struggle　to　an　evil　which　was　thenceforth　inevitable。　　The　ordinary　fate　of　falling　powers　awaited　them；　each　of　their　several　members　followed　his　own　interests；　and　as　it　was　impossible　to　wring　the　power　from　the　hands　of　a　people　which　they　did　not　detest　sufficiently　to　brave；　their　only　aim　was　to　secure　its　good…will　at　any　price。　　The　most　democratic　laws　were　consequently　voted　by　the　very　men　whose　interests　they　impaired；　and　thus；　although　the　higher　classes　did　not　excite　the　passions　of　the　people　against　their　order；　they　accelerated　the　triumph　of　the　new　state　of　things；　so　that　by　a　singular　change　the　democratic　impulse　was　found　to　be　most　irresistible　in　the　very　States　where　the　aristocracy　had　the　firmest　hold。　　The　State　of　Maryland；　which　had　been　founded　by　men　of　rank；　was　the　first　to　proclaim　universal　suffrage；　and　to　introduce　the　most　democratic　forms　into　the　conduct　of　its　government。

When　a　nation　modifies　the　elective　qualification；　it　may　easily　be　foreseen　that　sooner　or　later　that　qualification　will　be　entirely　abolished。　There　is　no　more　invariable　rule　in　the　history　of　society：　the　further　electoral　rights　are　extended；　the　greater　is　the　need　of　extending　them；　for　after　each　concession　the　strength　of　the　democracy　increases；　and　its　demands　increase　with　its　strength。　　The　ambition　of　those　who　are　below　the　appointed　rate　is　irritated　in　exact　proportion　to　the　great　number　of　those　who　are　above　it。　　The　exception　at　last　becomes　the　rule；　concession　follows　concession；　and　no　stop　can　be　made　short　of　universal　suffrage。

At　the　present　day　the　principle　of　the　sovereignty　of　the　people　has　acquired；　in　the　United　States；　all　the　practical　development　which　the　imagination　can　conceive。　　It　is　unencumbered　by　those　fictions　which　have　been　thrown　over　it　in　other　countries；　and　it　appears　in　every　possible　form　according　to　the　exigency　of　the　occasion。　　Sometimes　the　laws　are　made　by　the　people　in　a　body；　as　at　Athens；　and　sometimes　its　representatives；　chosen　by　universal　suffrage；　transact　business　in　its　name；　and　almost　under　its　immediate　control。

In　some　countries　a　power　exists　which；　though　it　is　in　a　degree　foreign　to　the　social　body；　directs　it；　and　forces　it　to　pursue　a　certain　track。　　In　others　the　ruling　force　is　divided；　being　partly　within　and　partly　without　the　ranks　of　the　people。　　But　nothing　of　the　kind　is　to　be　seen　in　the　United　States；　there　society　governs　itself　for　itself。　　All　power　centres　in　its　bosom；　and　scarcely　an　individual　is　to　be　meet　with　who　would　venture　to　conceive；　or；　still　less；　to　express；　the　idea　of　seeking　it　elsewhere。　　The　nation　participates　in　the　making　of　its　laws　by　the　choice　of　its　legislators；　and　in　the　execution　of　them　by　the　choice　of　the　agents　of　the　executive　government；　it　may　almost　be　said　to　govern　itself；　so　feeble　and　so　restricted　is　the　share　left　to　the　administration；　so　little　do　the　authorities　forget　their　popular　origin　and　the　power　from　which　they　emanate。　*a　　＇Footnote　a：　See　Appendix；　H。＇


Chapter　V：　Necessity　Of　Examining　The　Condition　Of　The　States　…　Part　I

Necessity　Of　Examining　The　Condition　Of　The　States　Before　That　Of　The　Union　At　Large

It　is　proposed　to　examine　in　the　following　chapter　what　is　the　form　of　government　established　in　America　on　the　principle　of　the　sovereignty　of　the　people；　what　are　its　resources；　its　hindrances；　its　advantages；　and　its　dangers。　　The　first　difficulty　which　presents　itself　arises　from　the　complex　nature　of　the　constitution　of　the　United　States；　which　consists　of　two　distinct　social　structures；　connected　and；　as　it　were；　encased　one　within　the　other；　two　governments；　completely　separate　and　almost　independent；　the　one　fulfilling　the　ordinary　duties　and　responding　to　the　daily　and　indefinite　calls　of　a　community；　the　other　circumscribed　within　certain　limits；　and　only　exercising　an　exceptional　authority　over　the　general　interests　of　the　country。　In　short；　there　are　twenty…　four　small　sovereign　nations；　whose　agglomeration　constitutes　the　body　of　the　Union。　　To　examine　the　Union　before　we　have　studied　the　States　would　be　to　adopt　a　method　filled　with　obstacles。　The　form　of　the　Federal　Government　of　the　United　States　was　the　last　which　was　adopted；　and　it　is　in　fact　nothing　more　than　a　modification　or　a　summary　of　those　republican　principles　which　were　current　in　the　whole　community　before　it　existed；　and　independently　of　its　existence。　　Moreover；　the　Federal　Government　is；　as　I　have　just　observed；　the　exception；　the　Government　of　the　States　is　the　rule。　　The　author　who　should　attempt　to　exhibit　the　picture　as　a　whole　before　he　had　explained　its　details　would　necessarily　fall　into　obscurity　and　repetition。

The　great　political　principles　which　govern　American　society　at　this　day　undoubtedly　took　their　origin　and　their　growth　in　the　State。　　It　is　therefore　necessary　to　become　acquainted　with　the　State　in　order　to　possess　a　clue　to　the　remainder。　　The　States　which　at　present　compose　the　American　Union　all　present　the　same　features；　as　far　as　regards　the　external　aspect　of　their　institutions。　　Their　political　or　administrative　existence　is　centred　in　three　focuses　of　action；　which　may　not　inaptly　be　compared　to　the　different　nervous　centres　which　convey　motion　to　the　human　body。　　The　township　is　the　lowest　in　order；　then　the　county；　and　lastly　the　State；　and　I　propose　to　devote　the　following　chapter　to　the　examination　of　these　three　divisions。

The　American　System　Of　Townships　And　Municipal　Bodies

Why　the　Author　begins　the　examination　of　the　political　institutions　with　the　township　…　Its　existence　in　all　nations　…　Difficulty　of　establishing　and　preserving　municipal　independence　…　Its　importance　…　Why　the　Author　has　selected　the　township　system　of　New　England　as　the　main　topic　of　his　discussion。

It　is　not　undesignedly　that　I　begin　this　subject　with　the　Township。　　The　village　or　township　is　the　only　association　which　is　so　perfectly　natural　that　wherever　a　number　of　men　are　collected　it　seems　to　constitute　itself。

The　town；　or　tithing；　as　the　smallest　division　of　a　community；　must　necessarily　exist　in　all　nations；　whatever　their　laws　and　customs　may　be：　if　man　makes　monarchies　and　establishes　republics；　the　first　association　of　mankind　seems　constituted　by　the　hand　of　God。　　But　although　the　existence　of　the　township　is　coeval　with　that　of　man；　its　liberties　are　not　the　less　rarely　respected　and　easily　destroyed。　　A　nation　is　always　able　to　establish　great　political　assemblies；　because　it　habitually　contains　a　certain　number　of　individuals　fitted　by　their　talents；　if　not　by　their　habits；　for　the　direction　of　affairs。　　The　township　is；　on　the　contrary；　composed　of　coarser　materials；　which　are　less　easily　fashioned　by　the　legislator。　　The　difficulties　which　attend　the　consolidation　of　its　independence　rather　augment　than　diminish　with　the　increasing　enlightenment　of　the　people。　　A　highly　civilized　community　spurns　the　attempts　of　a　local　independence；　is　disgusted　at　its　numerous　blunders；　and　is　apt　to　despair　of　success　before　the　experiment　is　completed。　Again；　no　immunities　are　so　ill　protected　from　the　encroachments　of　the　supreme　power　as　those　of　municipal　bodies　in　general：　they　are　unable　to　struggle；　single…　handed；　against　a　strong　or　an　enterprising　government；　and　they　cannot　defend　their　cause　with　success　unless　it　be　identified　with　the　customs　of　the　nation　and　supported　by　public　opinion。　　Thus　until　the　independence　of　townships　is　amalgamated　with　the　manners　of　a　people　it　is　easily　destroyed；　and　it　is　only　after　a　long　existence　in　the　laws　that　it　can　be　thus　amalgamated。　　Municipal　freedom　is　not　the　fruit　of　human　device；　it　is　rarely　created；　but　it　is；　as　it　were；　secretly　and　spontaneously　engendered　in　the　midst　of　a　semi…barbarous　state　of　society。　　The　constant　action　of　the　laws　and　the　national　habits；　peculiar　circumstances；　and　above　all　time；　may　consolidate　it；　but　there　is　certainly　no　nation　on　the　continent　of　Europe　which　has　experienced　its　advantages。　　Nevertheless　local　assemblies　of　citizens　constitute　the　strength　of　free　nations。　　Town…meetings　are　to　liberty　what　primary　schools　are　to　science；　they　bring　it　within　the　people's　reach；　they　teach　men　how　to　use　and　how　to　enjoy　it。　　A　nation　may　establish　a　system　of　free　government；　but　without　the　spirit　of　municipal　institutions　it　cannot　have　the　spirit　of　liberty。　　The　transient　passions　and　the　interests　of　an　hour；　or　the　chance　of　circumstances；　may　have　created　the　external　forms　of　independence；　but　the　despotic　tendency　which　has　been　repelled　will；　sooner　or　later；　inevitably　reappear　on　the　surface。

In　order　to　explain　to　the　reader　the　general　principles　on　which　the　political　organization　of　the　counties　and　townships　of　the　United　States　rests；　I　have　thought　it　expedient　to　choose　one　of　the　States　of　New　England　as　an　example；　to　examine　the　mechanism　of　its　constitution；　and　then　to　cast　a　general　glance　over　the　country。　　The　township　and　the　county　are　not　organized　in　the　same　manner　in　every　part　of　the　Union；　it　is；　however；　easy　to　perceive　that　the　same　principles　have　guided　the　formation　of　both　of　them　throughout　the　Union。　　I　am　inclined　to　believe　that　these　principles　have　been　carried　further　in　New　England　than　elsewhere；　and　consequently　that　they　offer　greater　facilities　to　the　observations　of　a　stranger。　　The　institutions　of　New　England　form　a　complete　and　regular　whole；　they　have　received　the　sanction　of　time；　they　have　the　support　of　the　laws；　and　the　still　stronger　support　of　the　manners　of　the　community；　over　which　they　exercise　the　most　prodigious　influence；　they　consequently　deserve　our　attention　on　every　account。

Limits　Of　The　Township

The　township　of　New　England　is　a　division　which　stands　between　the　commune　and　the　canton　of　France；　and　which　corresponds　in　general　to　the　English　tithing；　or　town。　　Its　average　population　is　from　two　to　three　thousand；　*a　so　that；　on　the　one　hand；　the　interes