Tocqueville

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

ALEXIS CHARLES HENRI MAURICE CLÉREL DE, a French politician; born in Verneuil, July 29, 1805. His father was Hervé Louis François Joseph Bonaventure Clérel, Comte de Tocqueville (1772-1856), peer of France, politician and historian, and a writer of some merit. The son studied philology at Metz and at Paris (1823- 1826). In 1827 he was appointed juge auditeur of the tribunal of Versailles. In 1831-1832 he was sent by the French government, along with his friend M. de Beaumont, to the United States to inspect and report on the American prison system. They published a joint work on their return, entitled "Of the Penitentiary System in the United States and its Application in France" (Par. 1832; 3d ed. 1845). This treatise, which was crowned by the Academy, recommends the solitary confinement of In 1832 Tocqueville resigned his office under government, and, after a brief visit to England, gave himself up to the composition of the first of his two great works, " Democracy in America " ( 1835-1840, 15th ed. 1868). This work is in reality a treatise on the general principles which ought to be taken as the rule of action by all democratic governments. These are, in brief: (1) full extent of individual liberty with all its concomitants (as freedom of the press, etc.); (2) careful avoidance of centralization. The bearing of this on French politics is obvious. This work was received with the favor it deserved; the Academy awarded to it a special prize of 8,000 francs, and a quick succession of honors was bestowed on the esto author. In 1837 he was appointed cheva- Legion of Honor; in 1839 he lier of the I was chosen by the electors of Valagnes as their representative; and in 1841 he was elected member of the Academy. For some years practical politics occu occupied all his attention. In 1849 he entered the Odilon Barrot Cabinet as minister of foreign affairs, but the coup d'état of Dec. 2-to which, as may be imagined, he was strongly opposed-drove him from office. He then occupied himself with "The Old Government and the Revolution" (1856, 7th ed. 1866). This is his greatest work. It was meant to be an exposition of the manner in which the post-revolution France grew out of the pre-revolution France. Tocqueville intended to follow it up by others dealing with the great events in the later history of France. He was engaged at these when he died in Cannes, April 16, 1859. Besides the works mentioned above, he wrote "Etat Social et Polítique de la France" (1834), "Le Droit au Travail" (1848). His "Complete Works" (9 vols. 1860-1865) were edited by his friend M. de Beaumont, who also edited his "Correspondance" (1860).