For the anniversary of Alexis de Tocqueville’s birthday, which occurred July 29, President Donald Trump honored the famous and influential 19th century author of Democracy in America.
While America is supposed to be a republic rather than a pure democracy, our democratic system of government has been an inspiration for countless peoples around the world for centuries, even those who did democracy very wrong, like the French. Trump issued a proclamation Wednesday to honor Tocqueville on the 221st anniversary of his birth. Tocqueville reminded us that “the greatness of America lies in the enduring principles of liberty, self-government, and the character of our people,” Trump declared, urging Americans to commit again to the principles that make us “one glorious Nation under God.”
French magistrate Alexis de Tocqueville arrived in the U.S. in May 1831, Trump recounted, beginning a historic trip that occupied nine months and enabled the young foreigner “to study the moral foundations of our country and observe the animating forces behind the American way of life.”
Tocqueville traveled all around the young nation of the United States, Trump noted. “From the bustling streets of Boston and New York to the bayous of Louisiana and the sprawling coastlines of Michigan and Wisconsin, Tocqueville traveled thousands of miles, taking copious notes and speaking with countless Americans to better understand the strength and success of our new system of government,” the president wrote. “Tocqueville had arrived in our Nation as a stranger, but marveling at the faith, self-reliance, and steadfast civic spirit of our forefathers, he fell in love with the American People.”
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America had its flaws, but already it was the shining city on a hill from which the world could draw inspiration. “Upon returning to France, Tocqueville published Democracy in America, one of the most profound reflections on political and human nature ever put to paper,” Trump argued. “‘In America, I saw more than America,’ he wrote. ‘I sought the image of democracy itself, with its inclinations, its character, its prejudices, and its passions.’ He found America’s strength in her churches, town halls, and city squares, but most of all, he saw it in the hearts of hardworking, God-fearing Americans who love their families, their homeland, and their freedom.”
We need to return to the faith in God and pride in country that Tocqueville admired so much.
As Trump observed, “Tocqueville’s writings remind us that freedom and democracy cannot survive without morality and public virtue and that extremism, bureaucracy, and apathy are the surest paths to tyranny. For these reasons, my Administration is working tirelessly to defend our Nation’s long-standing traditions of sovereignty, freedom, and faith in Almighty God.”
The Trump administration is “restoring pride in our heritage, defending religious liberty, strengthening families, and ensuring that our children are taught to love their country, honor our Constitution, and respect our great American Flag. In this work, we are guided by the same truth Tocqueville recognized 195 years ago: A people who wish to remain free must remain worthy of freedom.” We the People are responsible for the future destruction or prosperity of America.
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