Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1861-02-08
DeTocquevillc On Disunion.


MEssRs. EDl1oRs.-The following ex-
tract is taken from the work Of DE Toe
queyille on Democracy in America. As
tho opinion OF a foreigner well acquaint-
ed with our government aud its work !
ings, it is worthy OF attention, and you
will oblige one Of your subscriber by
inserting it in your columns for the ben
eft Of those Of your readers who may
not happen to have the book. The ex-
tract may be found at page 4ls OF VOL
ume of the translation, published in
1851 by A. S. Barnes d Co.
at the severe gn,y OF the Union we're
to engage in a struggle with that Of the
States a, the present day, its defeat may
he confidently predicted i; and It Is not
probable that such struggle would be
seriously undertaken. As often 40
STEADY resistance is offered to the FEEDER
al Government, it will be found to yield.
Experience has shown that whenever
state has demanded anything with per-
severance add resolution, 1t has Invaria-
hly succeeded and that If separate
government has distinctly refused to act,
It was lett to do as it thought bit.
See the conduct Of the Northern
States 10 the war Of 1912. "Dnrlng
that war; says Jefferson in letter to
Gen. LAFAYETTE, -four Of the Eastern
States were attached to the Union, ike
so many inanimatcd bodies to living
men,
Bnt even if the government Ct the
Union had any strength inherent in It's
elf, the ply steal situation OF the country
would render the exercise OF that
strength very difficult. The profound
peace of tho Union affords no pretcxt Tor
a standing army, and without standing
army a government is not prepared 10
profit by favorable opportunity to
conquer resistance, and take the sov-
ereign power by surprise. The United
States covers an immense Territory
they are separated from each other ny
great distances and the population of
the country is disseminated over the
surface OF a country which is still half
wilderness If the Union we're to under
take to enforce the allegiance Of the con-
feJerate States by miiltary means, it
would be in position very analogous
to that Of England at the time OF the
war Of independence.
However strong government may
IL,
sequences of principle which it has
once admitted as the foundation of its
constitution. The Union was formed
by the voluntary agreement Of tue
States and in uniting together, they
have not forfeited the nationality, nor
have they been reduced to the condition
of one and the same people. II one Of
the States chose to withdraw Its name
from the compact, it would be difficult
to dlsprove It's right Of doing so and the
Federal Government would have no
means of maintaining It's claims directly
either by force or 10y right. In order to
y i..os q. -e..mont oaeiy
TO- conquer the reslstance which csv ne
would lie necessary that one or more of
them should lie especially interested in
the existence OF the Union, as has fire.
quently been the case in the history Of
considerations.
If il be supposed that among the
States which aic united by the federal
lie, there are some which exclusively en-
JOY the principal advantages OF the
Union, or whose prosperity depends on
Tie duration OF that Uuion, it is unques-
tinnabc that they VII always be ready
10 support the ccutial government, IN
enforcing the obedience OF the Others.
But the government would then be ex
efting a force not derived from itself, but
from principle contrary 10 Its nature.
States f rm considerations in order to
derive cqua' advantages from their
union and in the case just alluded to,
the federal government would derive its
power from the unequal distribution Of
those benefits among the States.
II one OF the confederate States have
acquired prepon9crance sufficiently
Or, at TO enable It to take exclusive pos
session of the central authority, it will
consider the oil or States as subject
provinces, and 1t will cause its own SUI
premacy to be respected under the bor-
rowed name of the sovereignty of the
Union. Great things NAV then be done
IN the name Of the Federal Govern
meut, but in reality that govern
ment will have ceased to exist
Thus the province Of Holland in the Re-
public OF the low countries, aud the En-
| pcror in the Gclmanic confederation,
have sometimes put themselves in the
place Of the Union, and have employed
the Federal authority t. their own ad-
vantage. la both these cases the power
which acts in the name OF the confedera-
ton becomes stronger, the more it aban-
dons the natural state and the acknowl-
edged principles Of considerations.
La America the existing Union is ad-
vsntageous to all the States, bat it is not
indispensable 10 any one OF them. Sew
eral Of them might break the Federal tic
without compromising the We fare OF
the others, although their own prospcsi-
ty would be lessencd. As the exis ence
and the happiness Of none OF the States
are wholly dependent on the present
Constitution, they would none of them he
disposed to make great personal sacr,fi-
ces to maintain it. On the other hand.
there IS no State which seems, hitherto.
to have its ambition much interested in
tst