Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-11-11

hew course be cannot be logical, for
AFFAIRS are not logical; il he does not
get CO operation. he cannot get leader
ship.
De Tocqusville was an aristocrat; his
family suffered in the Revolution, one
on the guillotine; his parents were in
prison under Robespierre. Tocqueville
felt he must serve the country that had
given his family only pain and despair;
h9 had the nobility of man VINO To-
calves wrong and ropayH it with service.
lie witnessed the revolution of 1913,
but felt there was nothing genuine in
it. lie said, I'VE Frenchmen are apt
TO be 90 theatrical; the people are
engaged in trying to re-enact the
French Revolution, but ] was unable
to purBuade myself that | or any one
was in danger and returned to the
Assembly as to a play; when the armed
mob entered the hall the president
aeemed reduced to huidity as he slid
cff the benGh. "
In 1882 De Tocqusvills was appointed
with Beaumont to inspect our peni-
tentiary system, which was then re.
garded as a model for tho worla, and
was adopted in France from their re-
port, but the greatest result of the visit
was the work gu Democracy in
America. Ii gained for De Tocque-
vile admission among the Forty I'm.
mortels. ~
He happened here 10 the reign OF
Andrew Jackson and supposed thinas
were in their normal condition. lie did
| not know that when Jackson stamped
his fopr and said by the Eternal I"
he meant his foot to stay down. But
though Tocquerillc saw tho nation in
abnormal times he yet understood its
essential principles. He did not write
his book for us; he wrotu it to stuady
his own countrymon, to make them
understand the essentials of democratic
government; to show them that il they
would have our principals, they must
have QUE character, our conditions, onr
political intelligence. lie knew that
France was capable of all that can ha
accomplished by single effort hut
unable to ahitie--was ewayad by senea-
| tion-thRt general reasoning about
mankind would not fit tho French.
lie found there was little indepeatl
ence Of opinion in America lie camo
from u country whare all thought diff.
ferently, and felt it could not succeed
as republic because not enough
thought alike lie was surprised to
| find go much distinguished ability
among our pnonle, So little in our
rulers. q democracy may render Ger
ruption more dangerous than an aristo.
| crecy; it is worse to witness immortality
| that leads to greatness. Ii We sDe
above us men who inherited wealth and
power, whose station We cannot reach,
we are not tempted. but il mau under.
stands he can achinve greatness by chr
ruption. how surely is no drawn. Mr..
| Wilson added I'VE should be awake
every moment to the dangers Of COR
ruption; democracy cannot be led by
currupt men and not suffer. M man
dare sleep in vigilance in q democratic
| country.
De Toequeville had the 0agacity to
see that our government is one OF
| States. that Congress- is only the part
that shows. He SAID town meetings
are to liberty what primary schools are
to science. " They are the places where
We learn our mistakes and first lay our
minds alongside our fellow, citizens
minds. The ability to conduct meet
ing by parliamentary procedure seems
born in our blood. Tocquevile saw
that this knowledge makes a self
governing race. On the adoption OF
the Constitution in 1883 he said: II,
is novelty to find nation that turn
scrutinizing eye upon itself until il
finds a remedy aud then adopts it with
out shedding drop of blood or wiring
ing tear.
His observations all touch beneath
the surface; ha was even able to set
beneath Andrew Jackson. He saw thai
the fundamental hslief of the race wal
homogeneous. William of German,
tlevates his eagles as the host is eie
vated. We put the flag on our school
houses as an OBJ eet of Worship. Ii W,
Worship symbols of nationality ant
forget the living iod, il We substitute
Worship of ourselves, we have lost wha
the flag stands for. -