第24章

WhatIhavehithertosaidappliestoallnations，buttheremarkIamnowabouttomakeispeculiartotheAmericansandtodemocraticpeoples。Ihavealreadyobservedthatindemocraciesthemembersofthelegalprofessionandthemagistratesconstitutetheonlyaristocraticbodywhichcanchecktheirregularitiesofthepeople。Thisaristocracyisinvestedwithnophysicalpower，butitexercisesitsconservativeinfluenceuponthemindsofmen，andthemostabundantsourceofitsauthorityistheinstitutionoftheciviljury。Incriminalcauses，whensocietyisarmedagainstasingleindividual，thejuryisapttolookuponthejudgeasthepassiveinstrumentofsocialpower，andtomistrusthisadvice。Moreover，criminalcausesareentirelyfoundedupontheevidenceoffactswhichcommonsensecanreadilyappreciate;uponthisgroundthejudgeandthejuryareequal。Such，however，isnotthecaseincivilcauses;thenthejudgeappearsasadisinterestedarbiterbetweentheconflictingpassionsoftheparties。Thejurorslookuptohimwithconfidenceandlistentohimwithrespect，forinthisinstancetheirintelligenceiscompletelyunderthecontrolofhislearning。Itisthejudgewhosumsupthevariousargumentswithwhichtheirmemoryhasbeenweariedout，andwhoguidesthemthroughthedeviouscourseoftheproceedings;hepointstheirattentiontotheexactquestionoffactwhichtheyarecalledupontosolve，andheputstheanswertothequestionoflawintotheirmouths。Hisinfluenceupontheirverdictisalmostunlimited。

IfIamcalledupontoexplainwhyIambutlittlemovedbytheargumentsderivedfromtheignoranceofjurorsincivilcauses，Ireply，thatintheseproceedings，wheneverthequestiontobesolvedisnotamerequestionoffact，thejuryhasonlythesemblanceofajudicialbody。Thejurysanctionsthedecisionofthejudge，theybytheauthorityofsocietywhichtheyrepresent，andhebythatofreasonandoflaw。*h[Footnoteh:SeeAppendix，R。]

InEnglandandinAmericathejudgesexerciseaninfluenceuponcriminaltrialswhichtheFrenchjudgeshaveneverpossessed。Thereasonofthisdifferencemayeasilybediscovered;theEnglishandAmericanmagistratesestablishtheirauthorityincivilcauses，andonlytransferitafterwardstotribunalsofanotherkind，wherethatauthoritywasnotacquired。

Insomecases（andtheyarefrequentlythemostimportantones）

theAmericanjudgeshavetherightofdecidingcausesalone。*iUpontheseoccasionstheyareaccidentallyplacedinthepositionwhichtheFrenchjudgeshabituallyoccupy，buttheyareinvestedwithfarmorepowerthanthelatter;theyarestillsurroundedbythereminiscenceofthejury，andtheirjudgmenthasalmostasmuchauthorityasthevoiceofthecommunityatlarge，representedbythatinstitution。Theirinfluenceextendsbeyondthelimitsofthecourts;intherecreationsofprivatelifeaswellasintheturmoilofpublicbusiness，abroadandinthelegislativeassemblies，theAmericanjudgeisconstantlysurroundedbymenwhoareaccustomedtoregardhisintelligenceassuperiortotheirown，andafterhavingexercisedhispowerinthedecisionofcauses，hecontinuestoinfluencethehabitsofthoughtandthecharactersoftheindividualswhotookapartinhisjudgment。

[Footnotei:TheFederaljudgesdecideupontheirownauthorityalmostallthequestionsmostimportanttothecountry。]

Thejury，then，whichseemstorestricttherightsofmagistracy，doesinrealityconsolidateitspower，andinnocountryarethejudgessopowerfulasthere，wherethepeoplepartakestheirprivileges。ItismoreespeciallybymeansofthejuryincivilcausesthattheAmericanmagistratesimbueallclassesofsocietywiththespiritoftheirprofession。Thusthejury，whichisthemostenergeticmeansofmakingthepeoplerule，isalsothemostefficaciousmeansofteachingittorulewell。

ChapterXVII:PrincipalCausesMaintainingTheDemocraticRepublic—PartI

PrincipalCausesWhichTendToMaintainTheDemocraticRepublicInTheUnitedStatesAdemocraticrepublicsubsistsintheUnitedStates，andtheprincipalobjectofthisbookhasbeentoaccountforthefactofitsexistence。SeveralofthecauseswhichcontributetomaintaintheinstitutionsofAmericahavebeeninvoluntarilypassedbyoronlyhintedatasIwasbornealongbymysubject。OthersIhavebeenunabletodiscuss，andthoseonwhichIhavedweltmostare，asitwere，buriedinthedetailsoftheformerpartsofthiswork。Ithink，therefore，thatbeforeIproceedtospeakofthefuture，Icannotdobetterthancollectwithinasmallcompassthereasonswhichbestexplainthepresent。InthisretrospectivechapterIshallbesuccinct，forIshalltakecaretoremindthereaderverysummarilyofwhathealreadyknows;andIshallonlyselectthemostprominentofthosefactswhichI

havenotyetpointedout。

AllthecauseswhichcontributetothemaintenanceofthedemocraticrepublicintheUnitedStatesarereducibletothreeheads:—

I。ThepeculiarandaccidentalsituationinwhichProvidencehasplacedtheAmericans。

II。Thelaws。

III。Themannersandcustomsofthepeople。

AccidentalOrProvidentialCausesWhichContributeToTheMaintenanceOfTheDemocraticRepublicInTheUnitedStatesTheUnionhasnoneighbors—Nometropolis—TheAmericanshavehadthechancesofbirthintheirfavor—Americaanemptycountry—HowthiscircumstancecontributespowerfullytothemaintenanceofthedemocraticrepublicinAmerica—HowtheAmericanwildsarepeopled—AvidityoftheAnglo—AmericansintakingpossessionofthesolitudesoftheNewWorld—InfluenceofphysicalprosperityuponthepoliticalopinionsoftheAmericans。

Athousandcircumstances，independentofthewillofman，concurtofacilitatethemaintenanceofademocraticrepublicintheUnitedStates。Someofthesepeculiaritiesareknown，theothersmayeasilybepointedout;butIshallconfinemyselftothemostprominentamongstthem。

TheAmericanshavenoneighbors，andconsequentlytheyhavenogreatwars，orfinancialcrises，orinroads，orconquesttodread;theyrequireneithergreattaxes，norgreatarmies，norgreatgenerals;andtheyhavenothingtofearfromascourgewhichismoreformidabletorepublicsthanalltheseevilscombined，namely，militaryglory。Itisimpossibletodenytheinconceivableinfluencewhichmilitarygloryexercisesuponthespiritofanation。GeneralJackson，whomtheAmericanshavetwiceelectedtotheheadoftheirGovernment，isamanofaviolenttemperandmediocretalents;noonecircumstanceinthewholecourseofhiscareereverprovedthatheisqualifiedtogovernafreepeople，andindeedthemajorityoftheenlightenedclassesoftheUnionhasalwaysbeenopposedtohim。ButhewasraisedtothePresidency，andhasbeenmaintainedinthatloftystation，solelybytherecollectionofavictorywhichhegainedtwentyyearsagounderthewallsofNewOrleans，avictorywhichwas，however，averyordinaryachievement，andwhichcouldonlyberememberedinacountrywherebattlesarerare。Nowthepeoplewhichisthuscarriedawaybytheillusionsofgloryisunquestionablythemostcoldandcalculating，themostunmilitary（ifImayusetheexpression），andthemostprosaicofallthepeoplesoftheearth。

Americahasnogreatcapital*acity，whoseinfluenceisdirectlyorindirectlyfeltoverthewholeextentofthecountry，whichIholdtobeoneofthefirstcausesofthemaintenanceofrepublicaninstitutionsintheUnitedStates。Incitiesmencannotbepreventedfromconcertingtogether，andfromawakeningamutualexcitementwhichpromptssuddenandpassionateresolutions。Citiesmaybelookeduponaslargeassemblies，ofwhichalltheinhabitantsaremembers;theirpopulaceexercisesaprodigiousinfluenceuponthemagistrates，andfrequentlyexecutesitsownwisheswithouttheirintervention。

[Footnotea:TheUnitedStateshavenometropolis，buttheyalreadycontainseveralverylargecities。Philadelphiareckoned161，000inhabitantsandNewYork202，000intheyear1830。ThelowerorderswhichinhabitthesecitiesconstitutearabbleevenmoreformidablethanthepopulaceofEuropeantowns。Theyconsistoffreedblacksinthefirstplace，whoarecondemnedbythelawsandbypublicopiniontoahereditarystateofmiseryanddegradation。TheyalsocontainamultitudeofEuropeanswhohavebeendriventotheshoresoftheNewWorldbytheirmisfortunesortheirmisconduct;andthesemeninoculatetheUnitedStateswithallourvices，withoutbringingwiththemanyofthoseinterestswhichcounteracttheirbanefulinfluence。Asinhabitantsofacountrywheretheyhavenocivilrights，theyarereadytoturnallthepassionswhichagitatethecommunitytotheirownadvantage;thus，withinthelastfewmonthsseriousriotshavebrokenoutinPhiladelphiaandinNewYork。

Disturbancesofthiskindareunknownintherestofthecountry，whichisnowisealarmedbythem，becausethepopulationofthecitieshashithertoexercisedneitherpowernorinfluenceovertheruraldistricts。Nevertheless，IlookuponthesizeofcertainAmericancities，andespeciallyonthenatureoftheirpopulation，asarealdangerwhichthreatensthefuturesecurityofthedemocraticrepublicsoftheNewWorld;andIventuretopredictthattheywillperishfromthiscircumstanceunlessthegovernmentsucceedsincreatinganarmedforce，which，whilstitremainsunderthecontrolofthemajorityofthenation，willbeindependentofthetownpopulation，andabletorepressitsexcesses。

[ThepopulationofthecityofNewYorkhadrisen，in1870，to942，292，andthatofPhiladelphiato674，022。Brooklyn，whichmaybesaidtoformpartofNewYorkcity，hasapopulationof396，099，inadditiontothatofNewYork。ThefrequentdisturbancesinthegreatcitiesofAmerica，andtheexcessivecorruptionoftheirlocalgovernments—overwhichthereisnoeffectualcontrol—areamongstthegreatestevilsanddangersofthecountry。]]

Tosubjecttheprovincestothemetropolisisthereforenotonlytoplacethedestinyoftheempireinthehandsofaportionofthecommunity，whichmaybereprobatedasunjust，buttoplaceitinthehandsofapopulaceactingunderitsownimpulses，whichmustbeavoidedasdangerous。Thepreponderanceofcapitalcitiesisthereforeaseriousblowupontherepresentativesystem，anditexposesmodernrepublicstothesamedefectastherepublicsofantiquity，whichallperishedfromnothavingbeenacquaintedwiththatformofgovernment。

Itwouldbeeasyformetoadduceagreatnumberofsecondarycauseswhichhavecontributedtoestablish，andwhichconcurtomaintain，thedemocraticrepublicoftheUnitedStates。

ButIdiscerntwoprincipalcircumstancesamongstthesefavorableelements，whichIhastentopointout。IhavealreadyobservedthattheoriginoftheAmericansettlementsmaybelookeduponasthefirstandmostefficaciouscausetowhichthepresentprosperityoftheUnitedStatesmaybeattributed。TheAmericanshadthechancesofbirthintheirfavor，andtheirforefather