o　governments　carried　on　upon　different　principles。　　Experience；　instruction；　and　habit　may　almost　always　succeed　in　creating　a　species　of　practical　discretion　in　democracies；　and　that　science　of　the　daily　occurrences　of　life　which　is　called　good　sense。　　Good　sense　may　suffice　to　direct　the　ordinary　course　of　society；　and　amongst　a　people　whose　education　has　been　provided　for；　the　advantages　of　democratic　liberty　in　the　internal　affairs　of　the　country　may　more　than　compensate　for　the　evils　inherent　in　a　democratic　government。　But　such　is　not　always　the　case　in　the　mutual　relations　of　foreign　nations。
  Foreign　politics　demand　scarcely　any　of　those　qualities　which　a　democracy　possesses；　and　they　require；　on　the　contrary；　the　perfect　use　of　almost　all　those　faculties　in　which　it　is　deficient。　　Democracy　is　favorable　to　the　increase　of　the　internal　resources　of　the　State；　it　tends　to　diffuse　a　moderate　independence；　it　promotes　the　growth　of　public　spirit；　and　fortifies　the　respect　which　is　entertained　for　law　in　all　classes　of　society；　and　these　are　advantages　which　only　exercise　an　indirect　influence　over　the　relations　which　one　people　bears　to　another。　　But　a　democracy　is　unable　to　regulate　the　details　of　an　important　undertaking；　to　persevere　in　a　design；　and　to　work　out　its　execution　in　the　presence　of　serious　obstacles。　　It　cannot　combine　its　measures　with　secrecy；　and　it　will　not　await　their　consequences　with　patience。　These　are　qualities　which　more　especially　belong　to　an　individual　or　to　an　aristocracy；　and　they　are　precisely　the　means　by　which　an　individual　people　attains　to　a　predominant　position。
  If；　on　the　contrary；　we　observe　the　natural　defects　of　aristocracy；　we　shall　find　that　their　influence　is　comparatively　innoxious　in　the　direction　of　the　external　affairs　of　a　State。　　The　capital　fault　of　which　aristocratic　bodies　may　be　accused　is　that　they　are　more　apt　to　contrive　their　own　advantage　than　that　of　the　mass　of　the　people。　　In　foreign　politics　it　is　rare　for　the　interest　of　the　aristocracy　to　be　in　any　way　distinct　from　that　of　the　people。
  The　propensity　which　democracies　have　to　obey　the　impulse　of　passion　rather　than　the　suggestions　of　prudence；　and　to　abandon　a　mature　design　for　the　gratification　of　a　momentary　caprice；　was　very　clearly　seen　in　America　on　the　breaking　out　of　the　French　Revolution。　　It　was　then　as　evident　to　the　simplest　capacity　as　it　is　at　the　present　time　that　the　interest　of　the　Americans　forbade　them　to　take　any　part　in　the　contest　which　was　about　to　deluge　Europe　with　blood；　but　which　could　by　no　means　injure　the　welfare　of　their　own　country。　　Nevertheless　the　sympathies　of　the　people　declared　themselves　with　so　much　violence　in　behalf　of　France　that　nothing　but　the　inflexible　character　of　Washington；　and　the　immense　popularity　which　he　enjoyed；　could　have　prevented　the　Americans　from　declaring　war　against　England。　　And　even　then；　the　exertions　which　the　austere　reason　of　that　great　man　made　to　repress　the　generous　but　imprudent　passions　of　his　fellow…citizens；　very　nearly　deprived　him　of　the　sole　recompense　which　he　had　ever　claimed　…　that　of　his　country's　love。　　The　majority　then　reprobated　the　line　of　policy　which　he　adopted；　and　which　has　since　been　unanimously　approved　by　the　nation。　*s　If　the　Constitution　and　the　favor　of　the　public　had　not　entrusted　the　direction　of　the　foreign　affairs　of　the　country　to　Washington；　it　is　certain　that　the　American　nation　would　at　that　time　have　taken　the　very　measures　which　it　now　condemns。
  ＇Footnote　s：　See　the　fifth　volume　of　Marshall's　〃Life　of　Washington。〃　In　a　government　constituted　like　that　of　the　United　States；〃　he　says；　〃it　is　impossible　for　the　chief　magistrate；　however　firm　he　may　be；　to　oppose　for　any　length　of　time　the　torrent　of　popular　opinion；　and　the　prevalent　opinion　of　that　day　seemed　to　incline　to　war。　　In　fact；　in　the　session　of　Congress　held　at　the　time；　it　was　frequently　seen　that　Washington　had　lost　the　majority　in　the　House　of　Representatives。〃　The　violence　of　the　language　used　against　him　in　public　was　extreme；　and　in　a　political　meeting　they　did　not　scruple　to　compare　him　indirectly　to　the　treacherous　Arnold。　　〃By　the　opposition；〃　says　Marshall；　〃the　friends　of　the　administration　were　declared　to　be　an　aristocratic　and　corrupt　faction；　who；　from　a　desire　to　introduce　monarchy；　were　hostile　to　France　and　under　the　influence　of　Britain；　that　they　were　a　paper　nobility；　whose　extreme　sensibility　at　every　measure　which　threatened　the　funds；　induced　a　tame　submission　to　injuries　and　insults；　which　the　interests　and　honor　of　the　nation　required　them　to　resist。〃＇
  Almost　all　the　nations　which　have　ever　exercised　a　powerful　influence　upon　the　destinies　of　the　world　by　conceiving；　following　up；　and　executing　vast　designs　…　from　the　Romans　to　the　English　…　have　been　governed　by　aristocratic　institutions。　　Nor　will　this　be　a　subject　of　wonder　when　we　recollect　that　nothing　in　the　world　has　so　absolute　a　fixity　of　purpose　as　an　aristocracy。　　The　mass　of　the　people　may　be　led　astray　by　ignorance　or　passion；　the　mind　of　a　king　may　be　biased；　and　his　perseverance　in　his　designs　may　be　shaken　…　besides　which　a　king　is　not　immortal　…　but　an　aristocratic　body　is　too　numerous　to　be　led　astray　by　the　blandishments　of　intrigue；　and　yet　not　numerous　enough　to　yield　readily　to　the　intoxicating　influence　of　unreflecting　passion：　it　has　the　energy　of　a　firm　and　enlightened　individual；　added　to　the　power　which　it　derives　from　perpetuity。
  Chapter　XIV：　Advantages　American　Society　Derive　From　Democracy　…　Part　I
  What　The　Real　Advantages　Are　Which　American　Society　Derives　From　The　Government　Of　The　Democracy
  Before　I　enter　upon　the　subject　of　the　present　chapter　I　am　induced　to　remind　the　reader　of　what　I　have　more　than　once　adverted　to　in　the　course　of　this　book。　　The　political　institutions　of　the　United　States　appear　to　me　to　be　one　of　the　forms　of　government　which　a　democracy　may　adopt；　but　I　do　not　regard　the　American　Constitution　as　the　best；　or　as　the　only　one；　which　a　democratic　people　may　establish。　　In　showing　the　advantages　which　the　Americans　derive　from　the　government　of　democracy；　I　am　therefore　very　far　from　meaning；　or　from　believing；　that　similar　advantages　can　only　be　obtained　from　the　same　laws。
  General　Tendency　Of　The　Laws　Under　The　Rule　Of　The　American　Democracy；　And　Habits　Of　Those　Who　Apply　Them
  Defects　of　a　democratic　government　easy　to　be　discovered　…　Its　advantages　only　to　be　discerned　by　long　observation　…　Democracy　in　America　often　inexpert；　but　the　general　tendency　of　the　laws　advantageous　…　In　the　American　democracy　public　officers　have　no　permanent　interests　distinct　from　those　of　the　majority　…　Result　of　this　state　of　things。
  The　defects　and　the　weaknesses　of　a　democratic　government　may　very　readily　be　discovered；　they　are　demonstrated　by　the　most　flagrant　instances；　whilst　its　beneficial　influence　is　less　perceptibly　exercised。　　A　single　glance　suffices　to　detect　its　evil　consequences；　but　its　good　qualities　can　only　be　discerned　by　long　observation。　　The　laws　of　the　American　democracy　are　frequently　defective　or　incomplete；　they　sometimes　attack　vested　rights；　or　give　a　sanction　to　others　which　are　dangerous　to　the　community；　but　even　if　they　were　good；　the　frequent　changes　which　they　undergo　would　be　an　evil。　How　comes　it；　then；　that　the　American　republics　prosper　and　maintain　their　position？
  In　the　consideration　of　laws　a　distinction　must　be　carefully　observed　between　the　end　at　which　they　aim　and　the　means　by　which　they　are　directed　to　that　end；　between　their　absolute　and　their　relative　excellence。　　If　it　be　the　intention　of　the　legislator　to　favor　the　interests　of　the　minority　at　the　expense　of　the　majority；　and　if　the　measures　he　takes　are　so　combined　as　to　accomplish　the　object　he　has　in　view　with　the　least　possible　expense　of　time　and　exertion；　the　law　may　be　well　drawn　up；　although　its　purpose　be　bad；　and　the　more　efficacious　it　is；　the　greater　is　the　mischief　which　it　causes。
  Democratic　laws　generally　tend　to　promote　the　welfare　of　the　greatest　possible　number；　for　they　emanate　from　the　majority　of　the　citizens；　who　are　subject　to　error；　but　who　cannot　have　an　interest　opposed　to　their　own　advantage。　　The　laws　of　an　aristocracy　tend；　on　the　contrary；　to　concentrate　wealth　and　power　in　the　hands　of　the　minority；　because　an　aristocracy；　by　its　very　nature；　constitutes　a　minority。　　It　may　therefore　be　asserted；　as　a　general　proposition；　that　the　purpose　of　a　democracy　in　the　conduct　of　its　legislation　is　useful　to　a　greater　number　of　citizens　than　that　of　an　aristocracy。　　This　is；　however；　the　sum　total　of　its　advantages。
  Aristocracies　are　infinitely　more　expert　in　the　science　of　legislation　than　democracies　ever　can　be。　　They　are　possessed　of　a　self…control　which　protects　them　from　the　errors　of　temporary　excitement；　and　they　form　lasting　designs　which　they　mature　with　the　assistance　of　favorable　opportunities。　Aristocratic　government　proceeds　with　the　dexterity　of　art；　it　understands　how　to　make　the　collective　force　of　all　its　laws　converge　at　the　same　time　to　a　given　point。　　Such　is　not　the　case　with　democracies；　whose　laws　are　almost　always　ineffective　or　inopportune。　　The　means