o　ripen；　and　in　which　they　are　deliberately　discussed；　and　executed　with　mature　judgment。　The　republicans　in　the　United　States　set　a　high　value　upon　morality；　respect　religious　belief；　and　acknowledge　the　existence　of　rights。　They　profess　to　think　that　a　people　ought　to　be　moral；religious；　and　temperate；　in　proportion　as　it　is　free。　　What　is　called　the　republic　in　the　United　States；　is　the　tranquil　rule　of　the　majority；　which；　after　having　had　time　to　examine　itself；　and　to　give　proof　of　its　existence；　is　the　common　source　of　all　the　powers　of　the　State。　　But　the　power　of　the　majority　is　not　of　itself　unlimited。　　In　the　moral　world　humanity；　justice；　and　reason　enjoy　an　undisputed　supremacy；　in　the　political　world　vested　rights　are　treated　with　no　less　deference。　　The　majority　recognizes　these　two　barriers；　and　if　it　now　and　then　overstep　them；　it　is　because；　like　individuals；　it　has　passions；　and；　like　them；　it　is　prone　to　do　what　is　wrong；　whilst　it　discerns　what　is　right。
  But　the　demagogues　of　Europe　have　made　strange　discoveries。　　A　republic　is　not；　according　to　them；　the　rule　of　the　majority；　as　has　hitherto　been　thought；　but　the　rule　of　those　who　are　strenuous　partisans　of　the　majority。　It　is　not　the　people　who　preponderates　in　this　kind　of　government；　but　those　who　are　best　versed　in　the　good　qualities　of　the　people。　　A　happy　distinction；　which　allows　men　to　act　in　the　name　of　nations　without　consulting　them；　and　to　claim　their　gratitude　whilst　their　rights　are　spurned。　　A　republican　government；　moreover；　is　the　only　one　which　claims　the　right　of　doing　whatever　it　chooses；　and　despising　what　men　have　hitherto　respected；　from　the　highest　moral　obligations　to　the　vulgar　rules　of　common…sense。　　It　had　been　supposed；　until　our　time；　that　despotism　was　odious；　under　whatever　form　it　appeared。　But　it　is　a　discovery　of　modern　days　that　there　are　such　things　as　legitimate　tyranny　and　holy　injustice；　provided　they　are　exercised　in　the　name　of　the　people。
  The　ideas　which　the　Americans　have　adopted　respecting　the　republican　form　of　government；　render　it　easy　for　them　to　live　under　it；　and　insure　its　duration。　　If；　in　their　country；　this　form　be　often　practically　bad；　at　least　it　is　theoretically　good；　and；　in　the　end；　the　people　always　acts　in　conformity　to　it。
  It　was　impossible　at　the　foundation　of　the　States；　and　it　would　still　be　difficult；　to　establish　a　central　administration　in　America。　　The　inhabitants　are　dispersed　over　too　great　a　space；　and　separated　by　too　many　natural　obstacles；　for　one　man　to　undertake　to　direct　the　details　of　their　existence。　　America　is　therefore　pre…eminently　the　country　of　provincial　and　municipal　government。　　To　this　cause；　which　was　plainly　felt　by　all　the　Europeans　of　the　New　World；　the　Anglo…Americans　added　several　others　peculiar　to　themselves。
  At　the　time　of　the　settlement　of　the　North　American　colonies；　municipal　liberty　had　already　penetrated　into　the　laws　as　well　as　the　manners　of　the　English；　and　the　emigrants　adopted　it；　not　only　as　a　necessary　thing；　but　as　a　benefit　which　they　knew　how　to　appreciate。　　We　have　already　seen　the　manner　in　which　the　colonies　were　founded：　every　province；　and　almost　every　district；　was　peopled　separately　by　men　who　were　strangers　to　each　other；　or　who　associated　with　very　different　purposes。　　The　English　settlers　in　the　United　States；　therefore；　early　perceived　that　they　were　divided　into　a　great　number　of　small　and　distinct　communities　which　belonged　to　no　common　centre；　and　that　it　was　needful　for　each　of　these　little　communities　to　take　care　of　its　own　affairs；　since　there　did　not　appear　to　be　any　central　authority　which　was　naturally　bound　and　easily　enabled　to　provide　for　them。　　Thus；　the　nature　of　the　country；　the　manner　in　which　the　British　colonies　were　founded；　the　habits　of　the　first　emigrants；　in　short　everything；　united　to　promote；　in　an　extraordinary　degree；　municipal　and　provincial　liberties。
  In　the　United　States；　therefore；　the　mass　of　the　institutions　of　the　country　is　essentially　republican；　and　in　order　permanently　to　destroy　the　laws　which　form　the　basis　of　the　republic；　it　would　be　necessary　to　abolish　all　the　laws　at　once。　　At　the　present　day　it　would　be　even　more　difficult　for　a　party　to　succeed　in　founding　a　monarchy　in　the　United　States　than　for　a　set　of　men　to　proclaim　that　France　should　henceforward　be　a　republic。　　Royalty　would　not　find　a　system　of　legislation　prepared　for　it　beforehand；　and　a　monarchy　would　then　exist；　really　surrounded　by　republican　institutions。　　The　monarchical　principle　would　likewise　have　great　difficulty　in　penetrating　into　the　manners　of　the　Americans。
  In　the　United　States；　the　sovereignty　of　the　people　is　not　an　isolated　doctrine　bearing　no　relation　to　the　prevailing　manners　and　ideas　of　the　people：　it　may；　on　the　contrary；　be　regarded　as　the　last　link　of　a　chain　of　opinions　which　binds　the　whole　Anglo…　American　world。　　That　Providence　has　given　to　every　human　being　the　degree　of　reason　necessary　to　direct　himself　in　the　affairs　which　interest　him　exclusively　…　such　is　the　grand　maxim　upon　which　civil　and　political　society　rests　in　the　United　States。　　The　father　of　a　family　applies　it　to　his　children；　the　master　to　his　servants；　the　township　to　its　officers；　the　province　to　its　townships；　the　State　to　its　provinces；　the　Union　to　the　States；　and　when　extended　to　the　nation；　it　becomes　the　doctrine　of　the　sovereignty　of　the　people。
  Thus；　in　the　United　States；　the　fundamental　principle　of　the　republic　is　the　same　which　governs　the　greater　part　of　human　actions；　republican　notions　insinuate　themselves　into　all　the　ideas；　opinions；　and　habits　of　the　Americans；　whilst　they　are　formerly　recognized　by　the　legislation：　and　before　this　legislation　can　be　altered　the　whole　community　must　undergo　very　serious　changes。　　In　the　United　States；　even　the　religion　of　most　of　the　citizens　is　republican；　since　it　submits　the　truths　of　the　other　world　to　private　judgment：　as　in　politics　the　care　of　its　temporal　interests　is　abandoned　to　the　good　sense　of　the　people。　　Thus　every　man　is　allowed　freely　to　take　that　road　which　he　thinks　will　lead　him　to　heaven；　just　as　the　law　permits　every　citizen　to　have　the　right　of　choosing　his　government。
  It　is　evident　that　nothing　but　a　long　series　of　events；　all　having　the　same　tendency；　can　substitute　for　this　combination　of　laws；　opinions；　and　manners；　a　mass　of　opposite　opinions；　manners；　and　laws。
  If　republican　principles　are　to　perish　in　America；　they　can　only　yield　after　a　laborious　social　process；　often　interrupted；　and　as　often　resumed；　they　will　have　many　apparent　revivals；　and　will　not　become　totally　extinct　until　an　entirely　new　people　shall　have　succeeded　to　that　which　now　exists。　Now；　it　must　be　admitted　that　there　is　no　symptom　or　presage　of　the　approach　of　such　a　revolution。　　There　is　nothing　more　striking　to　a　person　newly　arrived　in　the　United　States；　than　the　kind　of　tumultuous　agitation　in　which　he　finds　political　society。　　The　laws　are　incessantly　changing；　and　at　first　sight　it　seems　impossible　that　a　people　so　variable　in　its　desires　should　avoid　adopting；　within　a　short　space　of　time；　a　completely　new　form　of　government。　　Such　apprehensions　are；　however；　premature；　the　instability　which　affects　political　institutions　is　of　two　kinds；　which　ought　not　to　be　confounded：　the　first；　which　modifies　secondary　laws；　is　not　incompatible　with　a　very　settled　state　of　society；　the　other　shakes　the　very　foundations　of　the　Constitution；　and　attacks　the　fundamental　principles　of　legislation；　this　species　of　instability　is　always　followed　by　troubles　and　revolutions；　and　the　nation　which　suffers　under　it　is　in　a　state　of　violent　transition。
  Experience　shows　that　these　two　kinds　of　legislative　instability　have　no　necessary　connection；　for　they　have　been　found　united　or　separate；　according　to　times　and　circumstances。　　The　first　is　common　in　the　United　States；　but　not　the　second：　the　Americans　often　change　their　laws；　but　the　foundation　of　the　Constitution　is　respected。
  In　our　days　the　republican　principle　rules　in　America；　as　the　monarchical　principle　did　in　France　under　Louis　XIV。　　The　French　of　that　period　were　not　only　friends　of　the　monarchy；　but　they　thought　it　impossible　to　put　anything　in　its　place；　they　received　it　as　we　receive　the　rays　of　the　sun　and　the　return　of　the　seasons。　　Amongst　them　the　royal　power　had　neither　advocates　nor　opponents。　　In　like　manner　does　the　republican　government　exist　in　America；　without　contention　or　opposition；　without　proofs　and　arguments；　by　a　tacit　agreement；　a　sort　of　consensus　universalis。　　It　is；　however；　my　opinion　that　by　changing　their　administrative　forms　as　often　as　they　do；　the　inhabitants　of　the　United　States　compromise　the　future　stability　of　their　government。
  It　may　be　apprehended　that　men；　perpetually　thwarted　in　their　designs　by　the　mutability　of　the　legislation；　will　learn　to　look　upon　republican　institutions　as　an　inconvenient　form　of　society；　the　evil　resulting　from　the　instability　of　the　secondary　enactments　might　then　raise　a　doubt　as　to　the　nature　of　the　fundamental　principles　of　the　Constitution；　and　indirectly　bring　about　a　revolution；　but　this　epoch　is　still　very　remote。
  It　may；　however；　be