The native American., 1839-04-06

is indicated by the thousand minu,ia Of habits,
customs, and doings of private life. The nation
al features as they are expressed i'll the laws and
general principles OF government, like the as
pect OF a man in some official capacity, wearing
the index of statelness and gravity. In the
''manners" of a people, as that term is used by
M. De Tocquevile, are to be seen the expressions
of the natural countenance at ease, with every
muscle in unguarded play, and every lineament
varying with each changing emotion. When the
quality of mans spirit is known, il is easy to
appreciate his language and to interpret his ac-
tions; so the laws, institutions, and whole out
ward paraphernalia OF a people, existing in the
letter, derive their real force and meaning from
the intellectual spirit which created and which up
holds Them To read the letter, one must first
comprehend the spirit, otherwise the former will
be unintelligibc.
1.-The manners of the Americans of the United
States" says NJ. de Tocqueville, 'are then the
real cause which renders that people the only
one of the American nations that is able to sup
port democratic governments; and it is the inau-
ence of manners which produces the different de-
grees Of order and of prosperity, that may be dis
tinguished in the several Ango-American demo-
craces. Thus the effect which the geographical po-
stion OF a country may have upon the duration of
democratic institutions, is exaggerated in Europe
Too much importance is attributed to legislation
too little to manners. These three great causes
serve, no doubt, to regulate and direct the Anlcr-
can democracy, but if they were to be classed in
their proper order, should say, that the physical
membranes are less efficient than the laws, and
the laws very subservient 10 the manners of the
people. | am convinced that the most advanta-
geous situations and the best possible laws, can
not maintain constitution in spite Of the manners
of country, whilst the latter may turn the most I'M
favorable positions and the worst laws to some adj
vantage. The importance of manners is common
truth in which study and experience necessarily
direct our attention. 1t may be regarded as
central point in the range of human observations,
and the common termination of all inquiry. So
seriously do insist upon this head, that if have
hitherto failed in making the reader feel the I'M
porant influence which attribute to the practical
experience, the habits, the opinions, in short, to
the manners of the Americans, upon the main
tainance of their Institutions, have failed in the
principal object of my work. y PIP. 1904.
With the author we full concur in attaching so
much importance to the manners of people; US
ing the word manners in the same sense in which
he emplovsit, to denote the spirit and genius of
the nation 1t is here that the principle of life re-
sdes,-statutes, ordinances, Institutions, are but
the members and limbs whereby it moves and acts.
That 'too much importance is attributed to legis-
lation, too little to Manners, is truth that might
well be subec Of consideration with statesmen.
How frequently, in grave histories, or in still gra-
yer essays, do we find the downfall of the Roman
republic for example, ascribed to adventtous cir
cumstances which had little to do with so great
a matter! Bv some we are told that the empire
fell by reason Of its extensive dominions, which
constituted a body all too unwiedly, -others af-
firm that the overthrow of Carthage was the be-
ginning of the downward course; for having now
no great enemy to keep them watchlul, to slim
ulae to eXerlion, to exercise them in the practice
OF herosm, the Romans, elated with their supe-
rIority, gave way to pride and arrogance. Again,
the great increase of wealth is pronounced to have
been the ruin of the commonwealth; for with
wealth came luxury, with luxury efeminacy,
which led to corruption. Some date the period
of decenson from the times Of the Gracchi, when
sediton ragged openly between patrcians and pie
beans. Then we have the predominancy of the
populace, dominaio plebis, whereby the balance
of power was destroyed in the government, or the
ambition of Cesar, who OF course is tyrant, an
usurper, trampling upon the liberties of the peo-
pie. And some are barbarous enough to say, that
the introduction of Grecan letters and references,
was the cause Of it all, and that old Cato was
right when he urged the Senate to drive certain
philosophers out OF the city, who would fain bring
in new-fangled notions to corrupt the youth Ly-
sander is reproached for the ruin of Sparta, be-
he introduced gold and silver into circu-
lation as money, in place of the iron coin; while
no less writer than Sir William Blackstone init
mates with much seriousness, that because Scion
made slight alteration in the law of Athens con-
corning wills and testaments, permitting citizens
g though only on failure of ISSUE to dispose of
their lands by testament, and devise away estates
from the collateral heir this soon produced an ex-
cess of wealth in some, and of poverty in others,
which, by natural progression, first produced
popular tumuts and dissentions; and these at
length ended in tyranny, and the utter extinction
of liberty, which are quickly followed by total
subversion of their state and nation" What an
unfortunate law!
In despotic countries, where the power of the
monarch pervades all parts of the system, both of
government and private life, and directs in some
measure the opinions Of the people well as the
course of legislation, it may happen that laws
shall have efficacy in shaping the body polite by
intrinsic power of their own. Although, to speak
our minds, we believe that usually the most des-
potic monarch that ever swayed sceptrc, is, in
all his leading actions, the unconscious and unin-
territorial interpreter of the general spirit of the