第22章

WhenIrefusetoobeyanunjustlaw，Idonotcontesttherightwhichthemajorityhasofcommanding，butIsimplyappealfromthesovereigntyofthepeopletothesovereigntyofmankind。

Ithasbeenassertedthatapeoplecanneverentirelyoutsteptheboundariesofjusticeandofreasoninthoseaffairswhicharemorepeculiarlyitsown，andthatconsequently，fullpowermayfearlesslybegiventothemajoritybywhichitisrepresented。

Butthislanguageisthatofaslave。

Amajoritytakencollectivelymayberegardedasabeingwhoseopinions，andmostfrequentlywhoseinterests，areopposedtothoseofanotherbeing，whichisstyledaminority。Ifitbeadmittedthataman，possessingabsolutepower，maymisusethatpowerbywronginghisadversaries，whyshouldamajoritynotbeliabletothesamereproach？Menarenotapttochangetheircharactersbyagglomeration;nordoestheirpatienceinthepresenceofobstaclesincreasewiththeconsciousnessoftheirstrength。*cAndforthesereasonsIcanneverwillinglyinvestanynumberofmyfellow—creatureswiththatunlimitedauthoritywhichIshouldrefusetoanyoneofthem。

[Footnotec:Noonewillassertthatapeoplecannotforciblywronganotherpeople;butpartiesmaybelookeduponaslessernationswithinagreaterone，andtheyarealienstoeachother:

if，therefore，itbeadmittedthatanationcanacttyrannicallytowardsanothernation，itcannotbedeniedthatapartymaydothesametowardsanotherparty。]

Idonotthinkthatitispossibletocombineseveralprinciplesinthesamegovernment，soasatthesametimetomaintainfreedom，andreallytoopposethemtooneanother。Theformofgovernmentwhichisusuallytermedmixedhasalwaysappearedtometobeamerechimera。Accuratelyspeakingthereisnosuchthingasamixedgovernment（withthemeaningusuallygiventothatword），becauseinallcommunitiessomeoneprincipleofactionmaybediscoveredwhichpreponderatesovertheothers。Englandinthelastcentury，whichhasbeenmoreespeciallycitedasanexampleofthisformofGovernment，wasinpointoffactanessentiallyaristocraticState，althoughitcomprisedverypowerfulelementsofdemocracy;forthelawsandcustomsofthecountryweresuchthatthearistocracycouldnotbutpreponderateintheend，andsubjectthedirectionofpublicaffairstoitsownwill。Theerrorarosefromtoomuchattentionbeingpaidtotheactualstrugglewhichwasgoingonbetweenthenoblesandthepeople，withoutconsideringtheprobableissueofthecontest，whichwasinrealitytheimportantpoint。Whenacommunityreallyhasamixedgovernment，thatistosay，whenitisequallydividedbetweentwoadverseprinciples，itmusteitherpassthrougharevolutionorfallintocompletedissolution。

Iamthereforeofopinionthatsomeonesocialpowermustalwaysbemadetopredominateovertheothers;butIthinkthatlibertyisendangeredwhenthispowerischeckedbynoobstacleswhichmayretarditscourse，andforceittomoderateitsownvehemence。

Unlimitedpowerisinitselfabadanddangerousthing;

humanbeingsarenotcompetenttoexerciseitwithdiscretion，andGodalonecanbeomnipotent，becauseHiswisdomandHisjusticearealwaysequaltoHispower。Butnopoweruponearthissoworthyofhonorforitself，orofreverentialobediencetotherightswhichitrepresents，thatIwouldconsenttoadmititsuncontrolledandall—predominantauthority。WhenIseethattherightandthemeansofabsolutecommandareconferredonapeopleoruponaking，uponanaristocracyorademocracy，amonarchyorarepublic，Irecognizethegermoftyranny，andIjourneyonwardtoalandofmorehopefulinstitutions。

InmyopinionthemainevilofthepresentdemocraticinstitutionsoftheUnitedStatesdoesnotarise，asisoftenassertedinEurope，fromtheirweakness，butfromtheiroverpoweringstrength;andIamnotsomuchalarmedattheexcessivelibertywhichreignsinthatcountryasattheveryinadequatesecuritieswhichexistagainsttyranny。

WhenanindividualorapartyiswrongedintheUnitedStates，towhomcanheapplyforredress？Iftopublicopinion，publicopinionconstitutesthemajority;iftothelegislature，itrepresentsthemajority，andimplicitlyobeysitsinjunctions;

iftotheexecutivepower，itisappointedbythemajority，andremainsapassivetoolinitshands;thepublictroopsconsistofthemajorityunderarms;thejuryisthemajorityinvestedwiththerightofhearingjudicialcases;andincertainStateseventhejudgesareelectedbythemajority。Howeveriniquitousorabsurdtheevilofwhichyoucomplainmaybe，youmustsubmittoitaswellasyoucan。*d[Footnoted:AstrikinginstanceoftheexcesseswhichmaybeoccasionedbythedespotismofthemajorityoccurredatBaltimoreintheyear1812。AtthattimethewarwasverypopularinBaltimore。Ajournalwhichhadtakentheothersideofthequestionexcitedtheindignationoftheinhabitantsbyitsopposition。Thepopulaceassembled，broketheprinting—presses，andattackedthehousesofthenewspapereditors。Themilitiawascalledout，butnooneobeyedthecall;andtheonlymeansofsavingthepoorwretcheswhowerethreatenedbythefrenzyofthemobwastothrowthemintoprisonascommonmalefactors。Buteventhisprecautionwasineffectual;themobcollectedagainduringthenight，themagistratesagainmadeavainattempttocalloutthemilitia，theprisonwasforced，oneofthenewspapereditorswaskilleduponthespot，andtheotherswereleftfordead;theguiltypartieswereacquittedbythejurywhentheywerebroughttotrial。

IsaidonedaytoaninhabitantofPennsylvania，"BesogoodastoexplaintomehowithappensthatinaStatefoundedbyQuakers，andcelebratedforitstoleration，freedblacksarenotallowedtoexercisecivilrights。Theypaythetaxes;isitnotfairthattheyshouldhaveavote？"

"Youinsultus，"repliedmyinformant，"ifyouimaginethatourlegislatorscouldhavecommittedsogrossanactofinjusticeandintolerance。"

"What！thentheblackspossesstherightofvotinginthiscounty？"

"Withoutthesmallestdoubt。"

"Howcomesit，then，thatatthepolling—booththismorningIdidnotperceiveasinglenegrointhewholemeeting？"

"Thisisnotthefaultofthelaw:thenegroeshaveanundisputedrightofvoting，buttheyvoluntarilyabstainfrommakingtheirappearance。"

"Averyprettypieceofmodestyontheirparts！"rejoinedI。

"Why，thetruthis，thattheyarenotdisinclinedtovote，buttheyareafraidofbeingmaltreated;inthiscountrythelawissometimesunabletomaintainitsauthoritywithoutthesupportofthemajority。Butinthiscasethemajorityentertainsverystrongprejudicesagainsttheblacks，andthemagistratesareunabletoprotectthemintheexerciseoftheirlegalprivileges。"

"What！thenthemajorityclaimstherightnotonlyofmakingthelaws，butofbreakingthelawsithasmade？"]

If，ontheotherhand，alegislativepowercouldbesoconstitutedastorepresentthemajoritywithoutnecessarilybeingtheslaveofitspassions;anexecutive，soastoretainacertaindegreeofuncontrolledauthority;andajudiciary，soastoremainindependentofthetwootherpowers;agovernmentwouldbeformedwhichwouldstillbedemocraticwithoutincurringanyriskoftyrannicalabuse。

IdonotsaythattyrannicalabusesfrequentlyoccurinAmericaatthepresentday，butImaintainthatnosurebarrierisestablishedagainstthem，andthatthecauseswhichmitigatethegovernmentaretobefoundinthecircumstancesandthemannersofthecountrymorethaninitslaws。

EffectsOfTheUnlimitedPowerOfTheMajorityUponTheArbitraryAuthorityOfTheAmericanPublicOfficersLibertyleftbytheAmericanlawstopublicofficerswithinacertainsphere—Theirpower。

Adistinctionmustbedrawnbetweentyrannyandarbitrarypower。Tyrannymaybeexercisedbymeansofthelaw，andinthatcaseitisnotarbitrary;arbitrarypowermaybeexercisedforthegoodofthecommunityatlarge，inwhichcaseitisnottyrannical。Tyrannyusuallyemploysarbitrarymeans，but，ifnecessary，itcanrulewithoutthem。

IntheUnitedStatestheunboundedpowerofthemajority，whichisfavorabletothelegaldespotismofthelegislature，islikewisefavorabletothearbitraryauthorityofthemagistrate。

Themajorityhasanentirecontroloverthelawwhenitismadeandwhenitisexecuted;andasitpossessesanequalauthorityoverthosewhoareinpowerandthecommunityatlarge，itconsiderspublicofficersasitspassiveagents，andreadilyconfidesthetaskofservingitsdesignstotheirvigilance。Thedetailsoftheirofficeandtheprivilegeswhichtheyaretoenjoyarerarelydefinedbeforehand;butthemajoritytreatsthemasamasterdoeshisservantswhentheyarealwaysatworkinhissight，andhehasthepowerofdirectingorreprimandingthemateveryinstant。

IngeneraltheAmericanfunctionariesarefarmoreindependentthantheFrenchcivilofficerswithinthespherewhichisprescribedtothem。Sometimes，even，theyareallowedbythepopularauthoritytoexceedthosebounds;andastheyareprotectedbytheopinion，andbackedbytheco—operation，ofthemajority，theyventureuponsuchmanifestationsoftheirpowerasastonishaEuropean。Bythismeanshabitsareformedintheheartofafreecountrywhichmaysomedayprovefataltoitsliberties。

PowerExercisedByTheMajorityInAmericaUponOpinionInAmerica，whenthemajorityhasonceirrevocablydecidedaquestion，alldiscussionceases—Reasonofthis—Moralpowerexercisedbythemajorityuponopinion—Democraticrepublicshavedepriveddespotismofitsphysicalinstruments—Theirdespotismswaysthemindsofmen。

ItisintheexaminationofthedisplayofpublicopinionintheUnitedStatesthatweclearlyperceivehowfarthepowerofthemajoritysurpassesallthepowerswithwhichweareacquaintedinEurope。Intellectualprinciplesexerciseaninfluencewhichissoinvisible，andoftensoinappreciable，thattheybafflethetoilsofoppression。AtthepresenttimethemostabsolutemonarchsinEuropeareunabletopreventcertainnotions，whichareopposedtotheirauthority，fromcirculatinginsecretthroughouttheirdominions，andevenintheircourts。

SuchisnotthecaseinAmerica;aslongasthemajorityisstillundecided，discussioniscarriedon;butassoonasitsdecisionisirrevocablypronounced，asubmissivesilenceisobserved，andthefriends，aswellastheopponents，ofthemeasureuniteinassentingtoitspropriety。Thereasonofthisisperfectlyclear:nomonarchissoabsoluteastocombineallthepowersofsocietyinhisownhands，andtoconqueralloppositionwiththeenergyofamajoritywhichisinvestedwiththerightofm