Special Providence_ American Foreign Policy and How It Changed World - Walter Russell Mead

182 SPECIALPROVIDENCE

Jeffersonianshavea verydifferentview.Theybelievethatdemocracy
isa fragileplant--difficulttogrow,hardertopropagate.Lookingbackat
thelongstruggleinBritain-theMagnaCarta,theReformation,the
CivilWar, theGlorious Revolution,enemies from withinandwith-
out,usurpationsofkings,intriguesofbishops,invasionsandJacobite
risings-thenthestrugglesoftheAmericanRevolutionwithitstreasons
anddisasters, thenation'schiefcities inflames orinenemyhands-
Jeffersonianscouldnotbesosanguineaboutthepossibilitiesfordefend-
ingdemocracyathome,muchlessextendingitabroad.
InthedecadesfollowingtheAmericanRevolution,therewasample
evidencetojustifyJeffersonianforebodingsaboutthedifficultyofestab-
lishingdemocracyabroad. TheFrench Revolution,originallygreeted
withhopeandsupportbyJeffersonandothers,quicklydegeneratedinto
bloodshedandtyranny.ThewarsofliberationinSouthAmericasetup
onebloody shamblesafteranother; neitherlifenor propertywas safe
inmostofthatregion, anda legacyofmisrulewas establishedthat
lingersinsomecountriestothisday.Itwasa disillusionmentcomparable
towhat manyidealistsfelt morerecentlyas one newly independent
Africandemocracyafteranothercollapsedintochaosandtyrannyfollow-
ingdecolonizationinthe1960s.Experienceslikethesehavecreatedan
enduringsenseamongJeffersoniansthattheUnitedStatescouldbetter
servethecauseofuniversaldemocracybysettinganexampleratherthan
byimposinga model.
Butdemocracywasnotmerelydifficulttopropagateabroad,itwas
difficulttodefendathome.Theguttersofhistory,ancientandmodern,
werestrewnwiththewreckageofdemocracies.TheThirtyTyrantsover-
threwthedemocracyofAthens;JuliusCaesarestablishedanempirein
Rome.Mobs debased,oligarchiesperverted, dukesandprincesover-
threwrepublicangovernmentsinthecity-statesofearlymodernItaly.
AlmosteverywhereinEuropeabsolutemonarchssuppressedtraditional
institutionslikeparliamentsandassemblies.
Libertycouldnoteventrustherfriends.Cromwellsetupciviland
ecclesiasticalpowersmorearbitrarythanthosehehadsuppressed;Napo-
leondirectedtheenergiesofFrancemorethoroughlyintheserviceofhis
personalambitionsthanhadanyLouis.
TheHebrewScripturesrevealedthedistressingtruththatnoteven
thechosenpeoplecouldmaintaintheirliberties.Inthedaysofthejudges,
"[E}verymaninIsraeldidwhatwasrightinhisowneyes."Butthat
wasn'tenoughforthem:"Giveusa king,"thepeoplesaidtoSamuel.
AsGodasked,Samueldidhisbesttowarnthem:IfI choosea king