Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-10-25
FROM OUR PARIS CORRESPONDENT
PARIS, OCTOBER 2, 1851.

FROW OUR PHRIS CORRESPONDENI.
PARIS, OCTOBER 2, 1851.
A revised edition, the ,hrteenth with additions,
Of De TocoUEvILLE's celebrated work, Democracy
IN .4nnerica, has just made its appearance in the
bookstores of Paris. In the absence of interesting
political news from France this week, know not
how may more agreeably occupy a column of the
Intellgencer than by transcribing portion of the
remarks with which our old friend NICKEL CHEvA-
LIER introduces this new edition to the public:
$50 early" saysths writer 1892, when almost tie en-
lire Of the enlightened classes was divided into two par
ties both Of which monsrchica M DE Toe auzvILIE
discerning distinctly the future, understood that the struggle
which was then taking place between the elder aud younger
branches Of the house Of Bourbon was, and in spite Of the
prominence accorded to and the noise made could not be
otherwise than of secondary interest importance He
saw that the star Of democracy the
which gravasng the whole Of modern politics that to
al things TO become subordinate every thing subser
WENT IN order that its being suitably prepared the ari
val Of the masses to power might be effected without
cs and caas!rophes which necessarily accompany unfore
political changes. He announced mos, distinctly that
this was the necessary term Of the agaons Of Europe. 1t
would be eggous mssatemen of the facts if asserted
that the warning passed without notice. No,
than remarked 1t excited the most lively sensation. The
book of M. de Tocquevle had success. Think
lghtened public and became the popular book of the day.
The academies crowned it, and FASTENED press upon
author the hons of membership II was translated into all
the foreign languages But in the conduct Of public affairs
men continued to in the old tracks, Men
ed exactly though the book had been written The
brilliant scroll upon which the author had inscribed his pro-
phec thoughts referred to- The 25ih February,
do not say the 24h, arrived confirm the truth of what
de Tocquevlle had told his contemporaries The 24h
February sedition that might have been avoided
The 25h great event of in
cacuable bearing, in keeping with the designs Of God in
keeping with the Of history il the advent of de-
mocracy In this the 25h February continues yet and
will not end The regime may be- and ought to be,
gulaed. There is crying need that should be regulated
We may hesitate the organic combinations be fitted
it, This is not one of those problems Of which the sou
ton to be found without labor We have been
cropping in the dark We will continue to grope. But one
thing is certain, (says M Chevaer the age democratic,
and will remain. Democracy is the fundamental datum
OF our epoch Laws, customs mora must all conform to it.
The writer is then naturally drawn into refec-
tions upon democracy in the United States. feel
assured that you and the majority of your readers
will cordially approve the following reflections,
emanating from one of the soundest and most saga
cious of the minds which on this side of the Allan
tic occupy themselves occasionally with the United
States and their destinies. For myself, confess
that parsake largely of the apprehensions express
ed by M. Michel CHEvALIER in the conclusion of
the following extract He sayS:
'sThe principle Of the sovereignty Of the people egns in
the United States absolutely and only absolutely but
directly, for is constantly becoming and the rule
to make all powers Immediately from the people
that all powers elective and conferred and
newed by popular election after short intervals Formerly,
that to say, thirty ago, (he third of century COM
poses long period for this young America, judicial unc
onares elected for life. Now the States which
constituting themselves, and the old States which
vsing their Constitutions Gan operation which takes place
there without umult and without the slightest agation)
substituting longer shorter terms of years place Of this
indefinite investure DO perfect this
limited construction Of the sovereignty of the people be-
eve it. the contrary, to be highly pelous. hold
that if the Americans do look they will have
occasion bitterly deploe the adoption Of this rule The
holding all positions constantly the will and beck Of the
majority cannot but affect njurousy the dignity Of character
in public func,ionas. There end Of independence
when every one, they who have need follow
without prejudice bias the dictates of their judgment
and conscience, depends necessarily upon all"
Why is it, asks the writer, that we perceive in
the Democratic Republic of the United States the
freest the most prosperous the most stable people
of the earth In answer to this question, he puts
aside or sinks to an inferior rank of secondary
causes the almost lmitless extent Of territory which
prevents those forced and dangerous agelomera.ons
Of population which mark the surface Of Europe.
IF extent Of territory" he asks triumphantly,
were sufficient cause, would not the Republic
have fourished in Mexico, for instance and would
it have fourished in Switzerland3' Far be it from
me to deny the existence and the importance of the
"moral causes" to which NJ CHEvALIER attributes
our success, prosperity, and happiness as republic
cans; but fear he does not ascribe to "extent of
territory the influence to which it is egitimately
entitled in the production of these glorious results.
Without that superabundance of territory which is
and for at least century yet will continue to be,
the happy privilege Of democracy in America,
doubt if "moral causes" would suffice. Those
moral causes must, it is admitted, exist for the
Republic to be possible at all. But with them, ex
isting to the extent witnessed with us, or to the ex
tent that, without abandoning our character of prac
tical men and becoming mere utopians, we can
count upon their existing in any human society,
can large democracy be safely tolerated where
dense masses are compelled to sustain life and pur
sue happiness with small means in certain small
space Dubifo. Setting forth the causes which,
according to him, have been mainly conducive to
the success and prosperity Of democracy in Anne
rica, M. CHEvALIER says:
North America s, of all countries in the world that in
which the Christian religion has preserved tie greatest
pre Of the minds Of and in passing, remark, with
NJ de Tocqueve that nothing better shows how useful and