Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-05-08

fhe eagles win then be distributed by the head of the
tate after which the troops win file off and thus win
end this grand day which win certainly leave profound
Impression upon the minds Of all those who able to
be present.
Isl The Academy Of Moral and Political Sciences
held its annual sitting few days since under the
presidency OF Nj. DE TocQUEyILLE. think that
the name OF the illustrous president so deseryedy
popular IN the United States as a political writer
and philosopher, will cause M. DE TocoUEvILLE's
opening address to be welcome to the columns of the
htelligencer. You will find it an able assertion of
the uses OF political economy, and Of the raison
detye OF the academy that teaches it:
GENTLEMEN: The Academy in the name of which
hsye the honor to speak to-day has been exposed from
y, birth TO singular judgments Every thing concerning
been contested even to the for its existence
Il IS admitted that the actions Of private individuals
should be governed by permanent rules and that morals
constitute science But is it the same with those coll
q s men which VI make u j. called society
gone so far as to deny this and which singular
nough the men who take such liberties with this science
are generally politicians in other words, the very men
VINO ought TO put IT In practice And yet they have at
times allowed themselves to call it chierca or at least
vain To imagine that there peculiar art which teaches
how TO govern is little puerile The field of politics is
varied and too changeu to admit Of laying there the
foundations OF science The facts which wonld consti
tute the material of this science have but false and do
cepye connection The epoch when they occur the con-
dton Of the people among whom they observed the
character OF the men who produce subject to them
renders them SO profoundly dssmar that Of them
can be considered except apart from the prince
who should attempt govern his people by the aid Of
theories and maxms which he had made in the course Of
his philosophical and historic studies would find that he
had undertaken very difficult task. 1t is probable that
simple good sense weuld prove much more useful.
Such is the language little pretentous, which have
at tines politicians about sciences which treat
Of politics, and about the men who cultivate them,
have ilWays f0nud mn n he
There in politics two distinct parts the per-
mant the other transient, which ought not to be
founded The first, founded upon the very nature Of
man. upon his interests his faculties upon his wants as
revealed by philosophy and history; upon his instincts
whh change their object according to events but with
outthangng their nature, and which are as mmor-
tai IS his race the first say, teaches what laws the
mot suitable to the general and permanent condition Of
humanity. This is science.
Then there are practical politics, politics militant,
which struggle against daily emergencies which vary ac
COOLING to circumstances, which provide for the passing
wts of the moment and which take advantage Of ephe-
mra and contemporaneous passions This is the art Of
government
Art certainly differs from science practice often de-
pfs from theory; do not denyit. will go further, if
y please and concede that in my view have excelled
iIthe one is no reason for success in the other
do not know, gent men, if in country which among
i'll great authors has unted many eminent statesmen
tits quite permissible to say that to make fine books
even upon politics kindred subjects is but poor pre-
praon for the government of and the management
Of affairs. permit myself nevertheless, to believe it
aid to think that the eminent writer's who have also been
ALE statesmen have shone in the affairs of State be-
cause they were eminent writer's but notwithstanding
they were.
In fact those who have pracsed the art of literature
for long time acquire habits of mind but little favorable
tothe Of business 1t ensaves them to the
logic of ideas, while the follow only the logic Of
the passions 1t gives to them taste fer the refined,
the delicate the ingenious, and the original, while the
world is led only by commonplace Even the study of
history which often enghtens the field Of events
sometimes obscures it.
How often do we encounter among persons whose
minds surrounded by learned darkness have 1910
in 1884, and 1858 in 1880; and who, always revou
ton behindhand have wished to apply to the second the
treatment of the first like those learned doctors who
perfectly familiar with all the ancient maladies Of the hui
man system, but always ignorant Of the particular
disease by which their patient is attacked rarely fail to
have sometimes heard it regretted that Montesqueu
lived in age when he had opportunity put in
practice that political science which he had much adj
yaneed have always found much appropriateness in
these regrets.
Perhaps putting his theories into practice the some
what subtle deicacy Of his mind would have made him
fail at the very point which usually decides success and
in that case instead of being the best of authors he
might have been but Indifferent minister; very COM
mon occurrence
Let recognise then, gentlemen that political science
and the art of governing two things very distinct
But does it follow that political science does exist
that it is vain
If seek to discover what prevents certain minds from
perceving any such science find that very great
The science which treats of the guidance of society
covers in fact the immense field which extends from phi
losophy to the elementary studies of civil law. Being
nearly without limits forms distinct obecto regard
1t is COMPOUNDED with every kind Of knowledge connected
directly or indirectly with man, and in this immensely
one loses sight Of it. But If seek to consider this
grand science attentiveyif put aside every thing
which does strictly belong to 1.-THE various parts
which really compose il viii appear, and shall finish
by getting distinct idea of the whole We then
our way by regular steps from the general to the parcu
lar and from pure theory towards written laws and facts
To those who consider the subject thus the authors
who have distinguished themselves in treating it
form confused crowd and divide themselves into very
distinct groups each Of which can be examined apart
Some Of them awaiting themselves whether Of the de-
tailed narratives Of history the abstract study Of man.
seek what are the natural rights of society," and what
the rights of the individual what laws best suited
communities and best adapted to the forms which these
communities received at their origin, or have subse-
quenty adopted and also what systems Of government
are applicable to peculiar cases. localities and periods
These are the pubicsts Plato Aristotle Mchiave Mon
tesquieu Rousseau, to cite only prominent
Others engage in the studies in respect to this
Society of Nations of which each separate people may
be considered as citizen society always little bar
barous even in the civilized ages whatever efforts
may be made to refine and regulate the communities Of
which it is composed These authors discover and ind
cate what the nature of international Law independent
Of private treaties Such the work Of Grotius and
Puffendorf. 4g s8gEais asa er
Others again. while maintaining for political science
its general and theoretical character confne themselves
to single portion of the great field which it embraces
Such was Beccara establishing what should be the rules
Of criminal justice among all nations; such was Adam
Smith, seeking to discover the foundations Of national