ntages　of　democracy。
  In　the　present　age；　when　the　destinies　of　Christendom　seem　to　be　in　suspense；　some　hasten　to　assail　democracy　as　its　foe　whilst　it　is　yet　in　its　early　growth；　and　others　are　ready　with　their　vows　of　adoration　for　this　new　deity　which　is　springing　forth　from　chaos：　but　both　parties　are　very　imperfectly　acquainted　with　the　object　of　their　hatred　or　of　their　desires；　they　strike　in　the　dark；　and　distribute　their　blows　by　mere　chance。
  We　must　first　understand　what　the　purport　of　society　and　the　aim　of　government　is　held　to　be。　　If　it　be　your　intention　to　confer　a　certain　elevation　upon　the　human　mind；　and　to　teach　it　to　regard　the　things　of　this　world　with　generous　feelings；　to　inspire　men　with　a　scorn　of　mere　temporal　advantage；　to　give　birth　to　living　convictions；　and　to　keep　alive　the　spirit　of　honorable　devotedness；　if　you　hold　it　to　be　a　good　thing　to　refine　the　habits；　to　embellish　the　manners；　to　cultivate　the　arts　of　a　nation；　and　to　promote　the　love　of　poetry；　of　beauty；　and　of　renown；　if　you　would　constitute　a　people　not　unfitted　to　act　with　power　upon　all　other　nations；　nor　unprepared　for　those　high　enterprises　which；　whatever　be　the　result　of　its　efforts；　will　leave　a　name　forever　famous　in　time　…　if　you　believe　such　to　be　the　principal　object　of　society；　you　must　avoid　the　government　of　democracy；　which　would　be　a　very　uncertain　guide　to　the　end　you　have　in　view。
  But　if　you　hold　it　to　be　expedient　to　divert　the　moral　and　intellectual　activity　of　man　to　the　production　of　comfort；　and　to　the　acquirement　of　the　necessaries　of　life；　if　a　clear　understanding　be　more　profitable　to　man　than　genius；　if　your　object　be　not　to　stimulate　the　virtues　of　heroism；　but　to　create　habits　of　peace；　if　you　had　rather　witness　vices　than　crimes　and　are　content　to　meet　with　fewer　noble　deeds；　provided　offences　be　diminished　in　the　same　proportion；　if；　instead　of　living　in　the　midst　of　a　brilliant　state　of　society；　you　are　contented　to　have　prosperity　around　you；　if；　in　short；　you　are　of　opinion　that　the　principal　object　of　a　Government　is　not　to　confer　the　greatest　possible　share　of　power　and　of　glory　upon　the　body　of　the　nation；　but　to　ensure　the　greatest　degree　of　enjoyment　and　the　least　degree　of　misery　to　each　of　the　individuals　who　compose　it　…　if　such　be　your　desires；　you　can　have　no　surer　means　of　satisfying　them　than　by　equalizing　the　conditions　of　men；　and　establishing　democratic　institutions。
  But　if　the　time　be　passed　at　which　such　a　choice　was　possible；　and　if　some　superhuman　power　impel　us　towards　one　or　the　other　of　these　two　governments　without　consulting　our　wishes；　let　us　at　least　endeavor　to　make　the　best　of　that　which　is　allotted　to　us；　and　let　us　so　inquire　into　its　good　and　its　evil　propensities　as　to　be　able　to　foster　the　former　and　repress　the　latter　to　the　utmost。
  Chapter　XV：　Unlimited　Power　Of　Majority；　And　Its　Consequences　…　Part　I
  Chapter　Summary
  Natural　strength　of　the　majority　in　democracies　…　Most　of　the　American　Constitutions　have　increased　this　strength　by　artificial　means　…　How　this　has　been　done　…　Pledged　delegates　…　Moral　power　of　the　majority　…　Opinion　as　to　its　infallibility　…　Respect　for　its　rights；　how　augmented　in　the　United　States。
  Unlimited　Power　Of　The　Majority　In　The　United　States；　And　Its　Consequences
  The　very　essence　of　democratic　government　consists　in　the　absolute　sovereignty　of　the　majority；　for　there　is　nothing　in　democratic　States　which　is　capable　of　resisting　it。　　Most　of　the　American　Constitutions　have　sought　to　increase　this　natural　strength　of　the　majority　by　artificial　means。　*a
  ＇Footnote　a：　We　observed；　in　examining　the　Federal　Constitution；　that　the　efforts　of　the　legislators　of　the　Union　had　been　diametrically　opposed　to　the　present　tendency。　　The　consequence　has　been　that　the　Federal　Government　is　more　independent　in　its　sphere　than　that　of　the　States。　　But　the　Federal　Government　scarcely　ever　interferes　in　any　but　external　affairs；　and　the　governments　of　the　State　are　in　the　governments　of　the　States　are　in　reality　the　authorities　which　direct　society　in　America。＇
  The　legislature　is；　of　all　political　institutions；　the　one　which　is　most　easily　swayed　by　the　wishes　of　the　majority。　　The　Americans　determined　that　the　members　of　the　legislature　should　be　elected　by　the　people　immediately；　and　for　a　very　brief　term；　in　order　to　subject　them；　not　only　to　the　general　convictions；　but　even　to　the　daily　passion；　of　their　constituents。　　The　members　of　both　houses　are　taken　from　the　same　class　in　society；　and　are　nominated　in　the　same　manner；　so　that　the　modifications　of　the　legislative　bodies　are　almost　as　rapid　and　quite　as　irresistible　as　those　of　a　single　assembly。　　It　is　to　a　legislature　thus　constituted　that　almost　all　the　authority　of　the　government　has　been　entrusted。
  But　whilst　the　law　increased　the　strength　of　those　authorities　which　of　themselves　were　strong；　it　enfeebled　more　and　more　those　which　were　naturally　weak。　　It　deprived　the　representatives　of　the　executive　of　all　stability　and　independence；　and　by　subjecting　them　completely　to　the　caprices　of　the　legislature；　it　robbed　them　of　the　slender　influence　which　the　nature　of　a　democratic　government　might　have　allowed　them　to　retain。　　In　several　States　the　judicial　power　was　also　submitted　to　the　elective　discretion　of　the　majority；　and　in　all　of　them　its　existence　was　made　to　depend　on　the　pleasure　of　the　legislative　authority；　since　the　representatives　were　empowered　annually　to　regulate　the　stipend　of　the　judges。
  Custom；　however；　has　done　even　more　than　law。　　A　proceeding　which　will　in　the　end　set　all　the　guarantees　of　representative　government　at　naught　is　becoming　more　and　more　general　in　the　United　States；　it　frequently　happens　that　the　electors；　who　choose　a　delegate；　point　out　a　certain　line　of　conduct　to　him；　and　impose　upon　him　a　certain　number　of　positive　obligations　which　he　is　pledged　to　fulfil。　　With　the　exception　of　the　tumult；　this　comes　to　the　same　thing　as　if　the　majority　of　the　populace　held　its　deliberations　in　the　market…place。
  Several　other　circumstances　concur　in　rendering　the　power　of　the　majority　in　America　not　only　preponderant；　but　irresistible。　　The　moral　authority　of　the　majority　is　partly　based　upon　the　notion　that　there　is　more　intelligence　and　more　wisdom　in　a　great　number　of　men　collected　together　than　in　a　single　individual；　and　that　the　quantity　of　legislators　is　more　important　than　their　quality。　　The　theory　of　equality　is　in　fact　applied　to　the　intellect　of　man：　and　human　pride　is　thus　assailed　in　its　last　retreat　by　a　doctrine　which　the　minority　hesitate　to　admit；　and　in　which　they　very　slowly　concur。　　Like　all　other　powers；　and　perhaps　more　than　all　other　powers；　the　authority　of　the　many　requires　the　sanction　of　time；　at　first　it　enforces　obedience　by　constraint；　but　its　laws　are　not　respected　until　they　have　long　been　maintained。
  The　right　of　governing　society；　which　the　majority　supposes　itself　to　derive　from　its　superior　intelligence；　was　introduced　into　the　United　States　by　the　first　settlers；　and　this　idea；　which　would　be　sufficient　of　itself　to　create　a　free　nation；　has　now　been　amalgamated　with　the　manners　of　the　people　and　the　minor　incidents　of　social　intercourse。
  The　French；　under　the　old　monarchy；　held　it　for　a　maxim　（which　is　still　a　fundamental　principle　of　the　English　Constitution）　that　the　King　could　do　no　wrong；　and　if　he　did　do　wrong；　the　blame　was　imputed　to　his　advisers。　This　notion　was　highly　favorable　to　habits　of　obedience；　and　it　enabled　the　subject　to　complain　of　the　law　without　ceasing　to　love　and　honor　the　lawgiver。　　The　Americans　entertain　the　same　opinion　with　respect　to　the　majority。
  The　moral　power　of　the　majority　is　founded　upon　yet　another　principle；　which　is；　that　the　interests　of　the　many　are　to　be　preferred　to　those　of　the　few。　　It　will　readily　be　perceived　that　the　respect　here　professed　for　the　rights　of　the　majority　must　naturally　increase　or　diminish　according　to　the　state　of　parties。　　When　a　nation　is　divided　into　several　irreconcilable　factions；　the　privilege　of　the　majority　is　often　overlooked；　because　it　is　intolerable　to　comply　with　its　demands。
  If　there　existed　in　America　a　class　of　citizens　whom　the　legislating　majority　sought　to　deprive　of　exclusive　privileges　which　they　had　possessed　for　ages；　and　to　bring　down　from　an　elevated　station　to　the　level　of　the　ranks　of　the　multitude；　it　is　probable　that　the　minority　would　be　less　ready　to　comply　with　its　laws。　　But　as　the　United　States　were　colonized　by　men　holding　equal　rank　amongst　themselves；　there　is　as　yet　no　natural　or　permanent　source　of　dissension　between　the　interests　of　its　different　inhabitants。
  There　are　certain　communities　in　which　the　persons　who　constitute　the　minority　can　never　hope　to　draw　over　the　majority　to　their　side；　because　they　must　then　give　up　the　very　point　which　is　at　issue　between　them。　　Thus；　an　aristocracy　can　never　become　a　majority　whilst　it　retains　its　exclusive　privileges；　and　it　cannot　cede　its　privileges　without　ceasing　to　be　an　aristocracy。
  In　the　United　States　political　questions　cannot　be　taken　up　in　so　general　and　absolute　a　manner；　and　all　parties　are　willing　to　recognize　the　right　of　t