Democracy in America, Volume 2Sever and Francis, 1864 - Democracy |
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Common terms and phrases
action affairs ambition Ameri Americans Amongst aristocratic nations amongst democratic nations appear aristo aristocratic ages asso associations authority become believe Cantons cause central power CHAPTER citizens civil conceive constantly constitution constitution of Switzerland contrary cratic dangerous demo democracy democratic ages democratic armies democratic communities democratic countries desires despotism easily England equality of conditions eral Europe exist feel fortune France freedom French frequently habits honor human mind ical ideas independence individuals institutions interest labor language lative laws less Louis XIV mankind manners manufactures master means ment Middle Ages midst military morals multitude natural never non-commissioned officers object opinions passions peculiar persons pleasures political principle of equality privileges profession ranks religion remain render representative democracies revolution seek social condition society speak spirit Switzerland taste things tion Tocqueville truth uncon United wants wealth whilst whole
Popular passages
Page 129 - Americans of all ages, all conditions, and all dispositions, constantly form associations. They have not only commercial and manufacturing companies, in which all take part, but associations of a thousand other kinds — religious, moral, serious, futile, extensive, or restricted, enormous or diminutive.
Page 121 - Thus not only does democracy make every man forget his ancestors, but it hides his descendants and separates his contemporaries from him; it throws him back forever upon himself alone and threatens in the end to confine him entirely within the solitude of his own heart.
Page 431 - It hath sovereign and uncontrollable authority in the making, confirming, enlarging, restraining, abrogating, repealing, reviving, and expounding of laws, concerning matters of all possible denominations ; ecclesiastical...
Page 71 - Style will frequently be fantastic, incorrect, overburdened, and loose,— almost always vehement and bold. Authors will aim at rapidity of execution, more than at perfection of detail. Small productions will be more common than bulky books: there will be more wit than erudition, more imagination than profundity; and literary performances will bear marks of an untutored and rude vigor of thought, — frequently of great variety and singular fecundity. The object of authors will be to astonish rather...
Page 130 - Wherever, at the head of some new undertaking, you see the government in France, or a man of rank in England, in the United States you will oe sure to find an association.
Page 431 - Henry VIII. and his three children. It can change and create afresh even the Constitution of the Kingdom, and of Parliaments themselves, as was done by the Act of Union and the several statutes for Triennial and Septennial Elections. It can, in short, do everything that is not naturally impossible, and, therefore, some have not scrupled to call its power, by a figure rather too bold, the Omnipotence of Parliament.
Page 1 - To evade the bondage of system and habit, of family-maxims, class-opinions, and, in some degree, of national prejudices; to accept tradition only as a means of information, and existing facts only as a lesson used in doing otherwise and doing better...
Page 116 - ... clinging so tenaciously to equality rather than to the other advantages which society holds out to them : equality is the distinguishing characteristic of the age they live in ; that, of itself, is enough to explain that they prefer it to all the rest.
Page 130 - Thus, the most democratic country on the face of the earth is that in which men have, in our time, carried to tho highest perfection the art of pursuing in common the object of their common desires, and have applied this new science to the greatest number of purposes.
Page 128 - Many people in France consider equality of condition as one evil, and political freedom as a second. When they are obliged to yield to the former, they strive at least to escape from the latter. But I contend that, in order to combat the evils which equality may produce, there is only one effectual remedy, — namely, political freedom.