[Democracy In America<br>Volume 1 (of 2) by Alexis de Toqueville]@TWC D-Link book
Democracy In America
Volume 1 (of 2)

CHAPTER V: Necessity Of Examining The Condition Of The States--Part III
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But whenever a central administration affects to supersede the persons most interested, I am inclined to suppose that it is either misled or desirous to mislead.

However enlightened and however skilful a central power may be, it cannot of itself embrace all the details of the existence of a great nation.

Such vigilance exceeds the powers of man.
And when it attempts to create and set in motion so many complicated springs, it must submit to a very imperfect result, or consume itself in bootless efforts.
Centralization succeeds more easily, indeed, in subjecting the external actions of men to a certain uniformity, which at least commands our regard, independently of the objects to which it is applied, like those devotees who worship the statue and forget the deity it represents.
Centralization imparts without difficulty an admirable regularity to the routine of business; provides for the details of the social police with sagacity; represses the smallest disorder and the most petty misdemeanors; maintains society in a status quo alike secure from improvement and decline; and perpetuates a drowsy precision in the conduct of affairs, which is hailed by the heads of the administration as a sign of perfect order and public tranquillity: *s in short, it excels more in prevention than in action.

Its force deserts it when society is to be disturbed or accelerated in its course; and if once the co-operation of private citizens is necessary to the furtherance of its measures, the secret of its impotence is disclosed.

Even whilst it invokes their assistance, it is on the condition that they shall act exactly as much as the Government chooses, and exactly in the manner it appoints.


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