am wrong, however, in saying all classes; for as in America the
European scale of authority is inverted, the wealthy are there placed in
a position analogous to that of the poor in the Old World, and it is
the opulent classes which frequently look upon the law with suspicion.
I have already observed that the advantage of democracy is not, as has
been sometimes asserted, that it protects the interests of the whole
community, but simply that it protects those of the majority. In the
United States, where the poor rule, the rich have always some reason to
dread the abuses of their power. This natural anxiety of the rich may
produce a sullen dissatisfaction, but society is not disturbed by it;
for the same reason which induces the rich to withhold their confidence
in the legislative authority makes them obey its mandates; their wealth,
which prevents them from making the law, prevents them from withstanding
it. Amongst civilized nations revolts are rarely excited, except by such
persons as have nothing to lose by them; and if the laws of a democracy
are not always worthy of respect, at least they always obtain it; for
those who usually infringe the laws have no excuse for not complying
with the enactments they have themselves made, and by which they are
themselves benefited, whilst the citizens whose interests might be
promoted by the infraction of them are induced, by their character and
their stations, to submit to the decisions of the legislature, whatever
they may be. Besides which, the people in America obeys the law not
only because it emanates from the popular authority, but because that
authority may modify it in any points which may prove vexatory; a law
is observed because it is a self-imposed evil in the first place, and an
evil of transient duration in the second.

Activity Which Pervades All The Branches Of The Body Politic In The
United States; Influence Which It Exercises Upon Society

More difficult to conceive the political activity which pervades the
United States than the freedom and equality which reign there--The great
activity which perpetually agitates the legislative bodies is only an
episode to the general activity--Difficult for an American to confine
himself to his own business--Political agitation extends to all social
intercourse--Commercial activity of the Americans partly attributable to
this cause--Indirect advantages which society derives from a democratic
government.

On passing from a co