If an American were condemned to confine his activity to his own affairs, he would be robbed of one half of his existence.

In democracies, nothing is more great or more brilliant than commerce: it attracts the attention of the public, and fills the imagination of the multitude; all energetic passions are directed towards it.

Democratic institutions generally give men a lofty notion of their country and themselves.

When the people rule, they must be rendered happy, or they will overturn the state.

Democratic nations care but little for what has been, but they are haunted by visions of what will be.

When none but the wealthy had watches, they were almost all very good ones: few are now made which are worth much, but everybody has one in his pocket.

The principle of equality does not destroy the imagination, but lowers its flight to the level of the earth.

Amongst democratic nations, each new generation is a new people.

Every central government worships uniformity: uniformity relieves it from inquiry into an infinity of details, which must be attended to if rules have to be adapted to different men, instead of indiscriminately subjecting all men to the same rule.

Whatever may be the general endeavor of a community to render its members equal and alike, the personal pride of individuals will always seek to rise above the line, and to form somewhere an inequality to their own advantage.