Der Demokrat. (Davenport, Iowa) 186?-1868, 1864-03-17
DE TOCQUEVILLE ON RE. ELEC-
TON OF THE PRESIDENT.

DE TOCQUEVILLE ON RE. ELEC-
TON OF THE PRESIDENT.
The work of. De Tocqueville, a CO.
French author and statesman,
on the Democracy of America, has al
the greatest attention through
out Europe, where it is universally re-
as a sound, philosophical, i'm
and remarkably clear and dis
tinct view of our political institutions.
Writers, reviewers and statesmen of
all parties have united in the highest
concentrations of its ability and integ-
rity. Also in America the high merit
of De Tocqueville's work is fully ack-
nowledged. De T~ocqueville wrote his
book about 80 years ago.. What is his
opinion respective the principle of re-
of the President? De Toe
admits, that by the principle
of ineligibility of the President the
country may be deprived of . man at
the very time, when he has shown his
ability in conducting its affairs.
but if these arguments are strong, perhaps
still more powerful reasons may be advanced
against them. Intrigue and corruption are
the natural defects of elective government; but
when the head of the state can be reelected,
these evils rise to a great height and compro
misc the very existence Of the country. When
a simple candidate seeks to rise by intrigue,
his maneuyres must necessarily be limited to
q narrow sphere; but hen the chief magistrate
enters the lists, lie borroWs the strength OF the
government for his own purposes In the
former case Thea feeble resources of an lnd:-
vidual are in afHttion; in the latter, the state
itself, with all its immense influence, is busted
in the work of corruption and cabal. The
private citizen, who employs the most lnmor-
al practices to acquire power. can only act In
a manner indirectly prejudicial to the public
prosperity. But if the representative Of the
executive descends into the lists, the cares Of
government dwindle into second rate import
ance, and the success Of his election is his first
All laws and negotiations are then
to him nothing more than electioneering
schemes; places become the rewardo of services
rendered, not to the nation, but to its chief;
and the influence Of the government, if not
injurious to the country, is at least no longer
b'ne6cial to the community for which it was
created.
1t is impossible to consider the ordinary
course of affairs in the United States without
perceiving that the desire of being reelected
Is the chief aim of the president; that his
whole administration, and even his most in
different measures, tend to this object; and
that, as the crisis approaches, his personal in
terest takes the place of his interest in the
public good. The principle of ~re-eligibility
renders the corrupt influence of elective gov.
ernments still more extensive and pernicious.
1t tends to degrade the political morality of
the people, and to substitute adroitness for
patriotism"
"tn America 1t exercises a still more
fatal influence on the sources of ma
tional existence" De Tocqueville goes
on to show, that the passions Of the
multitude are checked by the power of
the President. And he then continues
but by introducing the principle of re-
election they partly destroyed their work; and
they rendered the president but little inclined
to exert the great power they had vested in
his hands If ineligible q second time, the
president would be far from independent of
the people, for his responsibility would not be
lessened; but the favour of the people would
not be so necessary to him as to induce him
to court it by humouring its desires. If re
eligible land this is more especially true at
the present day; when political morality is
relaxed, and #hef, great men are rare|, the
president of the United States becomes an
easy tool in the hands Of the majority. He
adopts its lkings and it's unimosities, be hast
ems to anticipate its wishes, he forestalls its
complaints, be yields to its idlest cravings,
and instead of guiding it, as the legislature
intended that he should do, he is ever ready
to follow it's bidding. Thus, in order not to
deprive the state of the talents of an inditid-
ual, those talents have been rendered almost
useless, and to reserve an e1pedient for extra
ordinary perils the country has been exposed
to daily dangers"
We respectfully ask the Editors of
the "Gazette" to communicate to their
subscribers the opinion of this celebrat-
ed author. Does it not occur to the
mind of every reader, that the work Of
De Tocqueville, written about 80 years
ago, gives a true picture of our time :?
"The state itself, Nth all its i'm
mense influence, is busted IN the work
Of corruption"
How many editors enjoy the emolu-
ments Of fat Offices? The "Chicago
Tribune, Davenport Gazette, Mus
catine Journal" and many other re-
publican papers are edided by officers
Of the United States. Editors like all
other mortal men are not always proof
corruption. Can the public
.xspect an unbiased and candid repre-
sentation of our politicak affairs from
such interested editors? The "Chica-
20 Tribune for instance has censured
very severely nearly all tho principal.
measures Of President Lincoln, for IN
his stubborness in keeping in
command the Generals Scott, McClel- |
an, Buell., Hslleck, Scho6eld; the