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9. The American Democracy and Its National Principles

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The Promise of American Life
This chapter is in the book The Promise of American Life
9.The American Democracy and Its National PrinciplesiThe foregoing review of the relation which has come to subsist in Europe between nationality and democracy should help us to understand the peculiar bond which unites the American democratic and national principles. The net result of that review was encouraging but not decisive. As a consequence of their development as na-tions, the European peoples have been unable to get along without a certain infusion of democracy; but it was for the most part essential to their national interest that such an infusion should be strictly limited. In Eu-rope the two ideals have never been allowed a frank and unconstrained relation one to the other other. They have been unable to live apart; but their marriage has usu-ally been one of convenience, which was very far from implying complete mutual dependence and confidence. No doubt the collective interests of the German or Brit-ish people suffer because such a lack of dependence and confidence exists; but their collective interests would suffer more from a sudden or violent attempt to destroy the barriers. The nature and the history of the differ-ent democratic and national movements in the several European countries at once tie them together and keep them apart.The peoples of Europe can only escape gradually from the large infusion of arbitrary and irrational ma-

9.The American Democracy and Its National PrinciplesiThe foregoing review of the relation which has come to subsist in Europe between nationality and democracy should help us to understand the peculiar bond which unites the American democratic and national principles. The net result of that review was encouraging but not decisive. As a consequence of their development as na-tions, the European peoples have been unable to get along without a certain infusion of democracy; but it was for the most part essential to their national interest that such an infusion should be strictly limited. In Eu-rope the two ideals have never been allowed a frank and unconstrained relation one to the other other. They have been unable to live apart; but their marriage has usu-ally been one of convenience, which was very far from implying complete mutual dependence and confidence. No doubt the collective interests of the German or Brit-ish people suffer because such a lack of dependence and confidence exists; but their collective interests would suffer more from a sudden or violent attempt to destroy the barriers. The nature and the history of the differ-ent democratic and national movements in the several European countries at once tie them together and keep them apart.The peoples of Europe can only escape gradually from the large infusion of arbitrary and irrational ma-

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Contents vii
  3. Preface ix
  4. Foreword xv
  5. 1. What Is the Promise of American Life? 1
  6. 2. The Federalists and the Republicans 33
  7. 3. The Democrats and the Whigs 64
  8. 4. Slavery and American Nationality 89
  9. 5. The Contemporary Situation and Its Problems 123
  10. 6. Reform and the Reformers 173
  11. 7. Reconstruction: Its Conditions and Purposes 216
  12. 8. Nationality and Democracy: National Origins 264
  13. 9. The American Democracy and Its National Principles 326
  14. 10. A National Foreign Policy 355
  15. 11. Problems of Reconstruction: Part 1 386
  16. 12. Problems of Reconstruction: Part 2 431
  17. 13. Conclusions: The Individual and the National Purposes 490
  18. Index 559
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https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400851232-011

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Contents vii
  3. Preface ix
  4. Foreword xv
  5. 1. What Is the Promise of American Life? 1
  6. 2. The Federalists and the Republicans 33
  7. 3. The Democrats and the Whigs 64
  8. 4. Slavery and American Nationality 89
  9. 5. The Contemporary Situation and Its Problems 123
  10. 6. Reform and the Reformers 173
  11. 7. Reconstruction: Its Conditions and Purposes 216
  12. 8. Nationality and Democracy: National Origins 264
  13. 9. The American Democracy and Its National Principles 326
  14. 10. A National Foreign Policy 355
  15. 11. Problems of Reconstruction: Part 1 386
  16. 12. Problems of Reconstruction: Part 2 431
  17. 13. Conclusions: The Individual and the National Purposes 490
  18. Index 559
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