A French aristocrat of the purest strain of blood and of the most
honorable lineage, whose family influence was coveted by crowned heads;
who had no quarrel with the rulers of the nation, and was secure
against want by his inherited estates; was moved by the agitations
that compelled France to attempt to grasp suddenly the liberties and
happiness we had gained in our revolution and, by his devout love
of France, to search out and subject to the test of reason the
basic principles of free government that had been embodied in our
Constitution. This was the mission of De Tocqueville, and no mission
was ever more honorably or justly conducted, or concluded with greater
eclat, or better results for the welfare of mankind.

His researches were logical and exhaustive. They included every phase of
every question that then seemed to be apposite to the great inquiry he
was making.

The judgment of all who have studied his commentaries seems to have been
unanimous, that his talents and learning were fully equal to his task.
He began with the physical geography of this country, and examined the
characteristics of the people, of all races and conditions, their social
and religious sentiments, their education and tastes; their industries,
their commerce, their local governments, their passions and prejudices,
and their ethics and literature; leaving nothing unnoticed that might
afford an argument to prove that our plan and form of government was
or was not adapted especially to a peculiar people, or that it would be
impracticable in any different country, or among any different people.

The pride and comfort that the American people enjoy in the great
commentaries of De Tocqueville are far removed from the selfish