Theretheelectionofamajorityofthetrusteesofthepublicmoneyiscontrolledbythemostignorantandviciousofapopulationwhichhascometousfromabroad，whollyunpractisedinself-governmentandincapableofassimilationbyAmericanhabitsandmethods。Butthefinancesofourtowns，wherethenativetraditionisstilldominantandwhoseaffairsarediscussedandsettledinapublicassemblyofthepeople，havebeeningeneralhonestlyandprudentlyadministered。Eveninmanufacturingtowns，whereamajorityofthevoterslivebytheirdailywages，itisnotsooftentherecklessnessasthemoderationofpublicexpenditurethatsurprisesanoldfashionedobserver。
\"Thebeggarisinthesaddleatlast，\"criesProverbialWisdom。\"Why，inthenameofallformerexperience，doesn\'theridetotheDevil？\"Becauseintheveryactofmountingheceasedtobeabeggarandbecamepartownerofthepieceofpropertyhebestrides。Thelastthingweneedbeanxiousaboutisproperty。Italwayshasfriendsorthemeansofmakingthem。Ifricheshavewingstoflyawayfromtheirowner，theyhavewingsalsotoescapedanger。
IhearAmericasometimesplayfullyaccusedofsendingyouallyourstorms，andaminthehabitofparryingthechargebyallegingthatweareenabledtodothisbecause，invirtueofourprotectivesystem，wecanaffordtomakebetterbadweatherthananybodyelse。AndwhatwiserusecouldwemakeofitthantoexportitinreturnforthepauperswhichsomeEuropeancountriesaregoodenoughtosendovertouswhohavenotattainedtothesameskillinthemanufactureofthem？Butbadweatherisnottheworstthingthatislaidatourdoor。AFrenchgentleman，notlongago，forgettingBurke\'smonitionofhowunwiseitistodrawanindictmentagainstawholepeople，haschargeduswiththeresponsibilityofwhateverhefindsdisagreeableinthemoralsormannersofhiscountrymen。IfM。Zolaorsomeothercompetentwitnesswouldonlygointotheboxandtelluswhatthosemoralsandmannerswerebeforeourexamplecorruptedthem！ButIconfessthatIfindlittletointerestandlesstoedifymeintheseinternationalbandyingsof\"You\'reanother。\"
Ishalladdressmyselftoasinglepointonlyinthelonglistofoffencesofwhichwearemoreorlessgravelyaccused，becausethatreallyincludesalltherest。
ItisthatweareinfectingtheOldWorldwithwhatseemstobethoughttheentirelynewdiseaseofDemocracy。Itisgenerallypeoplewhoareinwhatarecalledeasycircumstanceswhocanaffordtheleisuretotreatthemselvestoahandsomecomplaint，andtheseexperienceanimmediatealleviationwhenoncetheyhavefoundasonorousGreeknametoabuseitby。Thereissomethingconsolatoryalso，somethingflatteringtotheirsenseofpersonaldignity，andtothatconceitofsingularitywhichisthenaturalrecoilfromouruneasyconsciousnessofbeingcommonplace，inthinkingourselvesvictimsofamaladybywhichnoonehadeversufferedbefore。Accordinglytheyfinditsimplertoclassunderonecomprehensiveheadingwhatevertheyfindoffensivetotheirnerves，theirtaste，theirinterests，orwhattheysupposetobetheiropinions，andchristenitDemocracy，muchasphysicianslabeleveryobscurediseasegout，orascross-grainedfellowslaytheirill-
tempertotheweather。Butisitreallyanewailment，and，ifitbe，isAmericaanswerableforit？Evenifshewere，woulditaccountforthephylloxera，andhoof-and-
mouthdisease，andbadharvests，andbadEnglish，andtheGermanbands，andtheBoers，andalltheotherdiscomfortswithwhichtheselaterdayshavevexedthesoulsofthemthatgoinchariots？YetIhaveseentheevilexampleofDemocracyinAmericacitedasthesourceandoriginofthingsquiteasheterogeneousandquiteaslittleconnectedwithitbyanysequenceofcauseandeffect。Surelythisfermentisnothingnew。Ithasbeenatworkforcenturies，andwearemoreconsciousofitonlybecauseinthisageofpublicity，wherethenewspapersofferarostrumtowhoeverhasagrievance，orfanciesthathehas，thebubblesandscumthrownupbyitaremorenoticeableonthesurfacethaninthosedumbageswhentherewasacoverofsilenceandsuppressiononthecauldron。BernardoNavagero，speakingoftheProvincesofLowerAustriain1546，tellsusthat\"inthemtherearefivesortsofpersons，Clergy，Barons，Nobles，Burghers，andPeasants。Oftheselastnoaccountismade，becausetheyhavenovoiceintheDiet。\"1
[Footnote1:BelowthePeasants，itshouldberemembered，wasstillanotherevenmorehelplessclass，theservilefarm-laborers。
ThesamewitnessinformsusthatoftheextraordinaryimpoststhePeasantspaidnearlytwiceasmuchinproportiontotheirestimatedpropertyastheBarons，Nobles，andBurgherstogether。Moreover，theupperclasseswereassessedattheirownvaluation，whiletheyarbitrarilyfixedthatofthePeasants，whohadnovoice，（\"RelazionidegliAmbasciatoriVeneti，\"SerieI。，tomoi。，pp。378，379，389。）]
Norwasitamongthepeoplethatsubversiveormistakendoctrineshadtheirrise。AFatheroftheChurchsaidthatpropertywastheftmanycenturiesbeforeProudhonwasborn。Bourdalouereaffirmedit。Montesquieuwastheinventorofnationalworkshops，andofthetheorythattheStateowedeverymanaliving。Nay，wasnottheChurchherselfthefirstorganizedDemocracy？
Afewcenturiesagothechiefendofmanwastokeephissoulalive，andthenthelittlekernelofleaventhatsetsthegasesatworkwasreligious，andproducedtheReformation。Eveninthat，far-sightedpersonsliketheEmperorCharlesV。sawthegermofpoliticalandsocialrevolution。
Nowthatthechiefendofmanseemstohavebecomethekeepingofthebodyalive，andascomfortablyaliveaspossible，theleavenalsohasbecomewhollypoliticalandsocial。ButtherehadalsobeensocialupheavalsbeforetheReformationandcontemporaneouslywithit，especiallyamongmenofTeutonicrace。TheReformationgaveoutletanddirectiontoanunrestalreadyexisting。Formerlytheimmensemajorityofmen-ourbrothers-knewonlytheirsufferings，theirwants，andtheirdesires。Theyarebeginningnowtoknowtheiropportunityandtheirpower。AllpersonswhoseedeeperthantheirplatesareratherinclinedtothankGodforitthantobewailit，forthesoresofLazarushaveapoisoninthemagainstwhichDiveshasnoantidote。
TherecanbenodoubtthatthespectacleofagreatandprosperousDemocracyontheothersideoftheAtlanticmustreactpowerfullyontheaspirationsandpoliticaltheoriesofmenintheOldWorldwhodonotfindthingstotheirmind；but，whetherforgoodorevil，itshouldnotbeoverlookedthattheacornfromwhichitsprangwasripenedontheBritishoak。
Everysuccessiveswarmthathasgoneoutfromthisofficinagentiumhas，whenlefttoitsowninstincts-mayInotcallthemhereditaryinstincts？assumedamoreorlessthoroughlydemocraticform。Thiswouldseemtoshow，whatIbelievetobethefact，thattheBritishConstitution，underwhateverdisguisesofprudenceordecorum，isessentiallydemocratic。England，indeed，maybecalledamonarchywithdemocratictendencies，theUnitedStatesademocracywithconservativeinstincts。PeoplearecontinuallysayingthatAmericaisintheair，andIamgladtothinkitis，sincethismeansonlythataclearerconceptionofhumanclaimsandhumandutiesisbeginningtobeprevalent。Thediscontentwiththeexistingorderofthings，however，pervadedtheatmospherewherevertheconditionswerefavorable，longbeforeColumbus，seekingthebackdoorofAsia，foundhimselfknockingatthefrontdoorofAmerica。Isaywherevertheconditionswerefavorable，foritiscertainthatthegermsofdiseasedonotstickorfindaprosperousfieldfortheirdevelopmentandnoxiousactivityunlesswherethesimplestsanitaryprecautionshavebeenneglected。
\"Forthiseffectdefectivecomesbycause，\"asPoloniussaidlongago。ItisonlybyinstigationofthewrongsofmenthatwhatarecalledtheRightsofManbecometurbulentanddangerous。Itisthenonlythattheysyllogizeunwelcometruths。Itisnottheinsurrectionsofignorancethataredangerous，buttherevoltsofintelligence:
\"Thewickedandtheweakrebelinvain，Slavesbytheirowncompulsion。\"
