ThelegislatorsoftheUnitedStates，whohavemitigatedalmostallthepenaltiesofcriminallaw，stillmakerapeacapitaloffence，andnocrimeisvisitedwithmoreinexorableseveritybypublicopinion。Thismaybeaccountedfor;astheAmericanscanconceivenothingmorepreciousthanawoman’shonor，andnothingwhichoughtsomuchtoberespectedasherindependence，theyholdthatnopunishmentistoosevereforthemanwhodeprivesherofthemagainstherwill。InFrance，wherethesameoffenceisvisitedwithfarmilderpenalties，itisfrequentlydifficulttogetaverdictfromajuryagainsttheprisoner。Isthisaconsequenceofcontemptofdecencyorcontemptofwomen？Icannotbutbelievethatitisacontemptofoneandoftheother。
ThustheAmericansdonotthinkthatmanandwomanhaveeitherthedutyortherighttoperformthesameoffices，buttheyshowanequalregardforboththeirrespectiveparts;andthoughtheirlotisdifferent，theyconsiderbothofthemasbeingsofequalvalue。Theydonotgivetothecourageofwomanthesameformorthesamedirectionastothatofman;buttheyneverdoubthercourage:andiftheyholdthatmanandhispartneroughtnotalwaystoexercisetheirintellectandunderstandinginthesamemanner，theyatleastbelievetheunderstandingoftheonetobeassoundasthatoftheother，andherintellecttobeasclear。Thus，then，whilsttheyhaveallowedthesocialinferiorityofwomantosubsist，theyhavedonealltheycouldtoraisehermorallyandintellectuallytothelevelofman;andinthisrespecttheyappeartometohaveexcellentlyunderstoodthetrueprincipleofdemocraticimprovement。Asformyself，Idonothesitatetoavowthat，althoughthewomenoftheUnitedStatesareconfinedwithinthenarrowcircleofdomesticlife，andtheirsituationisinsomerespectsoneofextremedependence，Ihavenowhereseenwomanoccupyingaloftierposition;andifIwereasked，nowthatIamdrawingtothecloseofthiswork，inwhichIhavespokenofsomanyimportantthingsdonebytheAmericans，towhatthesingularprosperityandgrowingstrengthofthatpeopleoughtmainlytobeattributed，Ishouldreply—tothesuperiorityoftheirwomen。
ChapterXIII:ThatThePrincipleOfEqualityNaturallyDividesTheAmericansIntoANumberOfSmallPrivateCirclesItmayprobablybesupposedthatthefinalconsequenceandnecessaryeffectofdemocraticinstitutionsistoconfoundtogetherallthemembersofthecommunityinprivateaswellasinpubliclife，andtocompelthemalltoliveincommon;butthiswouldbetoascribeaverycoarseandoppressiveformtotheequalitywhichoriginatesindemocracy。Nostateofsocietyorlawscanrendermensomuchalike，butthateducation，fortune，andtasteswillinterposesomedifferencesbetweenthem;and，thoughdifferentmenmaysometimesfindittheirinteresttocombineforthesamepurposes，theywillnevermakeittheirpleasure。Theywillthereforealwaystendtoevadetheprovisionsoflegislation，whatevertheymaybe;anddepartinginsomeonerespectfromthecirclewithinwhichtheyweretobebounded，theywillsetup，closebythegreatpoliticalcommunity，smallprivatecircles，unitedtogetherbythesimilitudeoftheirconditions，habits，andmanners。
IntheUnitedStatesthecitizenshavenosortofpre—eminenceovereachother;theyoweeachothernomutualobedienceorrespect;theyallmeetfortheadministrationofjustice，forthegovernmentoftheState，andingeneraltotreatoftheaffairswhichconcerntheircommonwelfare;butIneverheardthatattemptshavebeenmadetobringthemalltofollowthesamediversions，ortoamusethemselvespromiscuouslyinthesameplacesofrecreation。TheAmericans，whominglesoreadilyintheirpoliticalassembliesandcourtsofjustice，arewontonthecontrarycarefullytoseparateintosmalldistinctcircles，inordertoindulgebythemselvesintheenjoymentsofprivatelife。Eachofthemiswillingtoacknowledgeallhisfellow—citizensashisequals，buthewillonlyreceiveaverylimitednumberofthemamongsthisfriendsorhisguests。Thisappearstometobeverynatural。Inproportionasthecircleofpublicsocietyisextended，itmaybeanticipatedthatthesphereofprivateintercoursewillbecontracted;farfromsupposingthatthemembersofmodernsocietywillultimatelyliveincommon，Iamafraidthattheymayendbyformingnothingbutsmallcoteries。
Amongstaristocraticnationsthedifferentclassesarelikevastchambers，outofwhichitisimpossibletoget，intowhichitisimpossibletoenter。Theseclasseshavenocommunicationwitheachother，butwithintheirpalemennecessarilyliveindailycontact;eventhoughtheywouldnotnaturallysuit，thegeneralconformityofasimilarconditionbringsthemnearertogether。Butwhenneitherlawnorcustomprofessestoestablishfrequentandhabitualrelationsbetweencertainmen，theirintercourseoriginatesintheaccidentalanalogyofopinionsandtastes;henceprivatesocietyisinfinitelyvaried。Indemocracies，wherethemembersofthecommunityneverdiffermuchfromeachother，andnaturallystandinsuchpropinquitythattheymayallatanytimebeconfoundedinonegeneralmass，numerousartificialandarbitrarydistinctionsspringup，bymeansofwhicheverymanhopestokeephimselfaloof，lestheshouldbecarriedawayinthecrowdagainsthiswill。Thiscanneverfailtobethecase;forhumaninstitutionsmaybechanged，butnotman:whatevermaybethegeneralendeavorofacommunitytorenderitsmembersequalandalike，thepersonalprideofindividualswillalwaysseektoriseabovetheline，andtoformsomewhereaninequalitytotheirownadvantage。