not　the　case　with　democracies；　whose　laws　are　almost　always　ineffective　or　inopportune。　　The　means　of　democracy　are　therefore　more　imperfect　than　those　of　aristocracy；　and　the　measures　which　it　unwittingly　adopts　are　frequently　opposed　to　its　own　cause；　but　the　object　it　has　in　view　is　more　useful。
  Let　us　now　imagine　a　community　so　organized　by　nature；　or　by　its　constitution；　that　it　can　support　the　transitory　action　of　bad　laws；　and　that　it　can　await；　without　destruction；　the　general　tendency　of　the　legislation：　we　shall　then　be　able　to　conceive　that　a　democratic　government；　notwithstanding　its　defects；　will　be　most　fitted　to　conduce　to　the　prosperity　of　this　community。　　This　is　precisely　what　has　occurred　in　the　United　States；　and　I　repeat；　what　I　have　before　remarked；　that　the　great　advantage　of　the　Americans　consists　in　their　being　able　to　commit　faults　which　they　may　afterward　repair。
  An　analogous　observation　may　be　made　respecting　public　officers。　　It　is　easy　to　perceive　that　the　American　democracy　frequently　errs　in　the　choice　of　the　individuals　to　whom　it　entrusts　the　power　of　the　administration；　but　it　is　more　difficult　to　say　why　the　State　prospers　under　their　rule。　　In　the　first　place　it　is　to　be　remarked；　that　if　in　a　democratic　State　the　governors　have　less　honesty　and　less　capacity　than　elsewhere；　the　governed；　on　the　other　hand；　are　more　enlightened　and　more　attentive　to　their　interests。　　As　the　people　in　democracies　is　more　incessantly　vigilant　in　its　affairs　and　more　jealous　of　its　rights；　it　prevents　its　representatives　from　abandoning　that　general　line　of　conduct　which　its　own　interest　prescribes。　　In　the　second　place；　it　must　be　remembered　that　if　the　democratic　magistrate　is　more　apt　to　misuse　his　power；　he　possesses　it　for　a　shorter　period　of　time。　　But　there　is　yet　another　reason　which　is　still　more　general　and　conclusive。　　It　is　no　doubt　of　importance　to　the　welfare　of　nations　that　they　should　be　governed　by　men　of　talents　and　virtue；　but　it　is　perhaps　still　more　important　that　the　interests　of　those　men　should　not　differ　from　the　interests　of　the　community　at　large；　for；　if　such　were　the　case；　virtues　of　a　high　order　might　become　useless；　and　talents　might　be　turned　to　a　bad　account。　　I　say　that　it　is　important　that　the　interests　of　the　persons　in　authority　should　not　conflict　with　or　oppose　the　interests　of　the　community　at　large；　but　I　do　not　insist　upon　their　having　the　same　interests　as　the　whole　population；　because　I　am　not　aware　that　such　a　state　of　things　ever　existed　in　any　country。
  No　political　form　has　hitherto　been　discovered　which　is　equally　favorable　to　the　prosperity　and　the　development　of　all　the　classes　into　which　society　is　divided。　　These　classes　continue　to　form；　as　it　were；　a　certain　number　of　distinct　nations　in　the　same　nation；　and　experience　has　shown　that　it　is　no　less　dangerous　to　place　the　fate　of　these　classes　exclusively　in　the　hands　of　any　one　of　them　than　it　is　to　make　one　people　the　arbiter　of　the　destiny　of　another。　　When　the　rich　alone　govern；　the　interest　of　the　poor　is　always　endangered；　and　when　the　poor　make　the　laws；　that　of　the　rich　incurs　very　serious　risks。　　The　advantage　of　democracy　does　not　consist；　therefore；　as　has　sometimes　been　asserted；　in　favoring　the　prosperity　of　all；　but　simply　in　contributing　to　the　well…being　of　the　greatest　possible　number。
  The　men　who　are　entrusted　with　the　direction　of　public　affairs　in　the　United　States　are　frequently　inferior；　both　in　point　of　capacity　and　of　morality；　to　those　whom　aristocratic　institutions　would　raise　to　power。　　But　their　interest　is　identified　and　confounded　with　that　of　the　majority　of　their　fellow…citizens。　　They　may　frequently　be　faithless　and　frequently　mistaken；　but　they　will　never　systematically　adopt　a　line　of　conduct　opposed　to　the　will　of　the　majority；　and　it　is　impossible　that　they　should　give　a　dangerous　or　an　exclusive　tendency　to　the　government。
  The　mal…administration　of　a　democratic　magistrate　is　a　mere　isolated　fact；　which　only　occurs　during　the　short　period　for　which　he　is　elected。　Corruption　and　incapacity　do　not　act　as　common　interests；　which　may　connect　men　permanently　with　one　another。　　A　corrupt　or　an　incapable　magistrate　will　not　concert　his　measures　with　another　magistrate；　simply　because　that　individual　is　as　corrupt　and　as　incapable　as　himself；　and　these　two　men　will　never　unite　their　endeavors　to　promote　the　corruption　and　inaptitude　of　their　remote　posterity。　　The　ambition　and　the　manoeuvres　of　the　one　will　serve；　on　the　contrary；　to　unmask　the　other。　　The　vices　of　a　magistrate；　in　democratic　states；　are　usually　peculiar　to　his　own　person。
  But　under　aristocratic　governments　public　men　are　swayed　by　the　interest　of　their　order；　which；　if　it　is　sometimes　confounded　with　the　interests　of　the　majority；　is　very　frequently　distinct　from　them。　　This　interest　is　the　common　and　lasting　bond　which　unites　them　together；　it　induces　them　to　coalesce；　and　to　combine　their　efforts　in　order　to　attain　an　end　which　does　not　always　ensure　the　greatest　happiness　of　the　greatest　number；　and　it　serves　not　only　to　connect　the　persons　in　authority；　but　to　unite　them　to　a　considerable　portion　of　the　community；　since　a　numerous　body　of　citizens　belongs　to　the　aristocracy；　without　being　invested　with　official　functions。　The　aristocratic　magistrate　is　therefore　constantly　supported　by　a　portion　of　the　community；　as　well　as　by　the　Government　of　which　he　is　a　member。
  The　common　purpose　which　connects　the　interest　of　the　magistrates　in　aristocracies　with　that　of　a　portion　of　their　contemporaries　identifies　it　with　that　of　future　generations；　their　influence　belongs　to　the　future　as　much　as　to　the　present。　　The　aristocratic　magistrate　is　urged　at　the　same　time　toward　the　same　point　by　the　passions　of　the　community；　by　his　own；　and　I　may　almost　add　by　those　of　his　posterity。　　Is　it；　then；　wonderful　that　he　does　not　resist　such　repeated　impulses？　　And　indeed　aristocracies　are　often　carried　away　by　the　spirit　of　their　order　without　being　corrupted　by　it；　and　they　unconsciously　fashion　society　to　their　own　ends；　and　prepare　it　for　their　own　descendants。
  The　English　aristocracy　is　perhaps　the　most　liberal　which　ever　existed；　and　no　body　of　men　has　ever；　uninterruptedly；　furnished　so　many　honorable　and　enlightened　individuals　to　the　government　of　a　country。　　It　cannot；　however；　escape　observation　that　in　the　legislation　of　England　the　good　of　the　poor　has　been　sacrificed　to　the　advantage　of　the　rich；　and　the　rights　of　the　majority　to　the　privileges　of　the　few。　　The　consequence　is；　that　England；　at　the　present　day；　combines　the　extremes　of　fortune　in　the　bosom　of　her　society；　and　her　perils　and　calamities　are　almost　equal　to　her　power　and　her　renown。　*a
  ＇Footnote　a：　＇The　legislation　of　England　for　the　forty　years　is　certainly　not　fairly　open　to　this　criticism；　which　was　written　before　the　Reform　Bill　of　1832；　and　accordingly　Great　Britain　has　thus　far　escaped　and　surmounted　the　perils　and　calamities　to　which　she　seemed　to　be　exposed。＇＇
  In　the　United　States；　where　the　public　officers　have　no　interests　to　promote　connected　with　their　caste；　the　general　and　constant　influence　of　the　Government　is　beneficial；　although　the　individuals　who　conduct　it　are　frequently　unskilful　and　sometimes　contemptible。　　There　is　indeed　a　secret　tendency　in　democratic　institutions　to　render　the　exertions　of　the　citizens　subservient　to　the　prosperity　of　the　community；　notwithstanding　their　private　vices　and　mistakes；　whilst　in　aristocratic　institutions　there　is　a　secret　propensity　which；　notwithstanding　the　talents　and　the　virtues　of　those　who　conduct　the　government；　leads　them　to　contribute　to　the　evils　which　oppress　their　fellow…creatures。　　In　aristocratic　governments　public　men　may　frequently　do　injuries　which　they　do　not　intend；　and　in　democratic　states　they　produce　advantages　which　they　never　thought　of。
  Public　Spirit　In　The　United　States
  Patriotism　of　instinct　…　Patriotism　of　reflection　…　Their　different　characteristics　…　Nations　ought　to　strive　to　acquire　the　second　when　the　first　has　disappeared　…　Efforts　of　the　Americans　to　it　…　Interest　of　the　individual　intimately　connected　with　that　of　the　country。
  There　is　one　sort　of　patriotic　attachment　which　principally　arises　from　that　instinctive；　disinterested；　and　undefinable　feeling　which　connects　the　affections　of　man　with　his　birthplace。　　This　natural　fondness　is　united　to　a　taste　for　ancient　customs；　and　to　a　reverence　for　ancestral　traditions　of　the　past；　those　who　cherish　it　love　their　country　as　they　love　the　mansions　of　their　fathers。　　They　enjoy　the　tranquillity　which　it　affords　them；　they　cling　to　the　peaceful　habits　which　they　have　contracted　within　its　bosom；　they　are　attached　to　the　reminiscences　which　it　awakens；　and　they　are　even　pleased　by　the　state　of　obedience　in　which　they　are　placed。　　This　patriotism　is　sometimes　stimulated　by　religious　enthusiasm；　and　then　it　is　capable　of　making　the　most　prodigious　efforts。　　It　is　in　itself　a　kind　of　religion；　it　does　not　reason；　but　it　acts　from　the　impulse　of　faith　and　of　sentiment。　　By　some　nations　the　monarch　has　been　regarded　as　a　personification　of　the　country；　and　the　fervor　of　patriotism　being　conver