democracy in america-1-第16部分

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Now；　from　the　moment　that　you　divest　the　landowner　of　that　interest　in　the　preservation　of　his　estate　which　he　derives　from　association；　from　tradition；　and　from　family　pride；　you　may　be　certain　that　sooner　or　later　he　will　dispose　of　it；　for　there　is　a　strong　pecuniary　interest　in　favor　of　selling；　as　floating　capital　produces　higher　interest　than　real　property；　and　is　more　readily　available　to　gratify　the　passions　of　the　moment。

Great　landed　estates　which　have　once　been　divided　never　come　together　again；　for　the　small　proprietor　draws　from　his　land　a　better　revenue；　in　proportion；　than　the　large　owner　does　from　his；　and　of　course　he　sells　it　at　a　higher　rate。　*b　The　calculations　of　gain；　therefore；　which　decide　the　rich　man　to　sell　his　domain　will　still　more　powerfully　influence　him　against　buying　small　estates　to　unite　them　into　a　large　one。

＇Footnote　b：　I　do　not　mean　to　say　that　the　small　proprietor　cultivates　his　land　better；　but　he　cultivates　it　with　more　ardor　and　care；　so　that　he　makes　up　by　his　labor　for　his　want　of　skill。＇　

What　is　called　family　pride　is　often　founded　upon　an　illusion　of　self…love。　　A　man　wishes　to　perpetuate　and　immortalize　himself；　as　it　were；　in　his　great…grandchildren。　　Where　the　esprit　de　famille　ceases　to　act　individual　selfishness　comes　into　play。　　When　the　idea　of　family　becomes　vague；　indeterminate；　and　uncertain；　a　man　thinks　of　his　present　convenience；　he　provides　for　the　establishment　of　his　succeeding　generation；　and　no　more。　Either　a　man　gives　up　the　idea　of　perpetuating　his　family；　or　at　any　rate　he　seeks　to　accomplish　it　by　other　means　than　that　of　a　landed　estate。　　Thus　not　only　does　the　law　of　partible　inheritance　render　it　difficult　for　families　to　preserve　their　ancestral　domains　entire；　but　it　deprives　them　of　the　inclination　to　attempt　it；　and　compels　them　in　some　measure　to　co…operate　with　the　law　in　their　own　extinction。

The　law　of　equal　distribution　proceeds　by　two　methods：　by　acting　upon　things；　it　acts　upon　persons；　by　influencing　persons；　it　affects　things。　　By　these　means　the　law　succeeds　in　striking　at　the　root　of　landed　property；　and　dispersing　rapidly　both　families　and　fortunes。　*c

＇Footnote　c：　Land　being　the　most　stable　kind　of　property；　we　find；　from　time　to　time；　rich　individuals　who　are　disposed　to　make　great　sacrifices　in　order　to　obtain　it；　and　who　willingly　forfeit　a　considerable　part　of　their　income　to　make　sure　of　the　rest。　　But　these　are　accidental　cases。　　The　preference　for　landed　property　is　no　longer　found　habitually　in　any　class　but　among　the　poor。　The　small　landowner；　who　has　less　information；　less　imagination；　and　fewer　passions　than　the　great　one；　is　generally　occupied　with　the　desire　of　increasing　his　estate：　and　it　often　happens　that　by　inheritance；　by　marriage；　or　by　the　chances　of　trade；　he　is　gradually　furnished　with　the　means。　　Thus；　to　balance　the　tendency　which　leads　men　to　divide　their　estates；　there　exists　another；　which　incites　them　to　add　to　them。　　This　tendency；　which　is　sufficient　to　prevent　estates　from　being　divided　ad　infinitum；　is　not　strong　enough　to　create　great　territorial　possessions；　certainly　not　to　keep　them　up　in　the　same　family。＇

Most　certainly　it　is　not　for　us　Frenchmen　of　the　nineteenth　century；　who　daily　witness　the　political　and　social　changes　which　the　law　of　partition　is　bringing　to　pass；　to　question　its　influence。　　It　is　perpetually　conspicuous　in　our　country；　overthrowing　the　walls　of　our　dwellings　and　removing　the　landmarks　of　our　fields。　　But　although　it　has　produced　great　effects　in　France；　much　still　remains　for　it　to　do。　　Our　recollections；　opinions；　and　habits　present　powerful　obstacles　to　its　progress。　

In　the　United　States　it　has　nearly　completed　its　work　of　destruction；　and　there　we　can　best　study　its　results。　　The　English　laws　concerning　the　transmission　of　property　were　abolished　in　almost　all　the　States　at　the　time　of　the　Revolution。　　The　law　of　entail　was　so　modified　as　not　to　interrupt　the　free　circulation　of　property。　*d　The　first　generation　having　passed　away；　estates　began　to　be　parcelled　out；　and　the　change　became　more　and　more　rapid　with　the　progress　of　time。　　At　this　moment；　after　a　lapse　of　a　little　more　than　sixty　years；　the　aspect　of　society　is　totally　altered；　the　families　of　the　great　landed　proprietors　are　almost　all　commingled　with　the　general　mass。　In　the　State　of　New　York；　which　formerly　contained　many　of　these；　there　are　but　two　who　still　keep　their　heads　above　the　stream；　and　they　must　shortly　disappear。　　The　sons　of　these　opulent　citizens　are　become　merchants；　lawyers；　or　physicians。　　Most　of　them　have　lapsed　into　obscurity。　　The　last　trace　of　hereditary　ranks　and　distinctions　is　destroyed　…　the　law　of　partition　has　reduced　all　to　one　level。　＇Footnote　d：　See　Appendix；　G。＇

I　do　not　mean　that　there　is　any　deficiency　of　wealthy　individuals　in　the　United　States；　I　know　of　no　country；　indeed；　where　the　love　of　money　has　taken　stronger　hold　on　the　affections　of　men；　and　where　the　profounder　contempt　is　expressed　for　the　theory　of　the　permanent　equality　of　property。　But　wealth　circulates　with　inconceivable　rapidity；　and　experience　shows　that　it　is　rare　to　find　two　succeeding　generations　in　the　full　enjoyment　of　it。　

This　picture；　which　may　perhaps　be　thought　to　be　overcharged；　still　gives　a　very　imperfect　idea　of　what　is　taking　place　in　the　new　States　of　the　West　and　South…west。　　At　the　end　of　the　last　century　a　few　bold　adventurers　began　to　penetrate　into　the　valleys　of　the　Mississippi；　and　the　mass　of　the　population　very　soon　began　to　move　in　that　direction：　communities　unheard　of　till　then　were　seen　to　emerge　from　the　wilds：　States　whose　names　were　not　in　existence　a　few　years　before　claimed　their　place　in　the　American　Union；　and　in　the　Western　settlements　we　may　behold　democracy　arrived　at　its　utmost　extreme。　In　these　States；　founded　off…hand；　and；　as　it　were；　by　chance；　the　inhabitants　are　but　of　yesterday。　　Scarcely　known　to　one　another；　the　nearest　neighbors　are　ignorant　of　each　other's　history。　　In　this　part　of　the　American　continent；　therefore；　the　population　has　not　experienced　the　influence　of　great　names　and　great　wealth；　nor　even　that　of　the　natural　aristocracy　of　knowledge　and　virtue。　　None　are　there　to　wield　that　respectable　power　which　men　willingly　grant　to　the　remembrance　of　a　life　spent　in　doing　good　before　their　eyes。　　The　new　States　of　the　West　are　already　inhabited；　but　society　has　no　existence　among　them。　*e

＇Footnote　e：　This　may　have　been　true　in　1832；　but　is　not　so　in　1874；　when　great　cities　like　Chicago　and　San　Francisco　have　sprung　up　in　the　Western　States。　　But　as　yet　the　Western　States　exert　no　powerful　influence　on　American　society。　　…　Translator's　Note。＇　

It　is　not　only　the　fortunes　of　men　which　are　equal　in　America；　even　their　requirements　partake　in　some　degree　of　the　same　uniformity。　　I　do　not　believe　that　there　is　a　country　in　the　world　where；　in　proportion　to　the　population；　there　are　so　few　uninstructed　and　at　the　same　time　so　few　learned　individuals。　Primary　instruction　is　within　the　reach　of　everybody；　superior　instruction　is　scarcely　to　be　obtained　by　any。　　This　is　not　surprising；　it　is　in　fact　the　necessary　consequence　of　what　we　have　advanced　above。　　Almost　all　the　Americans　are　in　easy　circumstances；　and　can　therefore　obtain　the　first　elements　of　human　knowledge。

In　America　there　are　comparatively　few　who　are　rich　enough　to　live　without　a　profession。　　Every　profession　requires　an　apprenticeship；　which　limits　the　time　of　instruction　to　the　early　years　of　life。　　At　fifteen　they　enter　upon　their　calling；　and　thus　their　education　ends　at　the　age　when　ours　begins。　　Whatever　is　done　afterwards　is　with　a　view　to　some　special　and　lucrative　object；　a　science　is　taken　up　as　a　matter　of　business；　and　the　only　branch　of　it　which　is　attended　to　is　such　as　admits　of　an　immediate　practical　application。　　In　America　most　of　the　rich　men　were　formerly　poor；　most　of　those　who　now　enjoy　leisure　were　absorbed　in　business　during　their　youth；　the　consequence　of　which　is；　that　when　they　might　have　had　a　taste　for　study　they　had　no　time　for　it；　and　when　time　is　at　their　disposal　they　have　no　longer　the　inclination。　

There　is　no　class；　then；　in　America；　in　which　the　taste　for　intellectual　pleasures　is　transmitted　with　hereditary　fortune　and　leisure；　and　by　which　the　labors　of　the　intellect　are　held　in　honor。　　Accordingly　there　is　an　equal　want　of　the　desire　and　the　power　of　application　to　these　objects。

A　middle　standard　is　fixed　in　America　for　human　knowledge。　　All　approach　as　near　to　it　as　they　can；　some　as　they　rise；　others　as　they　descend。　　Of　course；　an　immense　multitude　of　persons　are　to　be　found　who　entertain　the　same　number　of　ideas　on　religion；　history；　science；　political　economy；　legislation；　and　government。　　The　gifts　of　intellect　proceed　directly　from　God；　and　man　cannot　prevent　their　unequal　distribution。　　But　in　consequence　of　the　state　of　things　which　we　have　here　represented　it　happens　that；　although　the　capacities　of　men　are　widely　different；　as　the　Creator　has　doubtless　intended　they　should　be；　they　are　submitted　to　the　same　method　of　treatment。

In　America　the　aristocratic　element　has　always　been　feeble　from　its　birth；　and　if　at　the　present　day　it　is　not　actually　destroyed；　it　is　at　any　rate　so　completely　disabled　that　we　can　scarcely　assign　to　it　any　degree　of　influence　in　the　course　of　affairs。　　The　democratic　principle；　on　the　contrary；　has　gained　so　much　strength　by　time；　by　events；　and　by　legislation；　as　to　have　become　not　only　predominant　but　all…powerful。　　There　is　no　family　or　corporate　authority；　and　it　is　rare　to　find　even　the　influence　of　individual　character　enjoy　any　durability。

America；　then；　exhibits　in　her　social　state　a　most　extraordinary　phenomenon。　　Men　are　there　seen　on　a　greater　equality　in　point　of　fortune　and　intellect；　or；　in　other　words；　more　equal　in　their　strength；　than　in　any　other　country　of　the　world；　or　in　any　age　of　which　history　has　preserved　the　remembrance。

Political　Consequences　Of　The　Social　Condition　Of　The　Anglo…　Americans

The　political　consequences　of　such　a　social　condition　as　this　are　easily　deducible。　　It　is　impossible　to　believe　that　equality　will　not　eventually　find　its　way　i