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Front Page  Titles (by Subject) TO THE BARON DE TOCQUEVILLE. - Memoir, Letters, and Remains of Alexis de Tocqueville, vol. 2
TO THE BARON DE TOCQUEVILLE. - Alexis de Tocqueville, Memoir, Letters, and Remains of Alexis de Tocqueville, vol. 2 [1861]Edition used:Memoir, Letters, and Remains of Alexis de Tocqueville. Translated from the French by the translator of Napoleon’s Correspondence with King Joseph. With large Additions. In Two Volumes (London: Macamillan, 1861). 2 vols.
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- Memoir, Letters, and Remains of Alexis De Tocqueville, Vol. Ii
- Letters of Alexis De Tocqueville.
- 1835: To M. De Corcelle.
- To Count MolÉ.
- To Lord Radnor. *
- To Henry Reeve, Esq.
- To John Stuart Mill, Esq.
- To the Same.
- 1836: To the Same.
- To Henry Reeve, Esq.
- To the Same.
- To M. De Corcelle.
- To M. Gustave De Beaumont.
- To M. De Corcelle.
- To J. S. Mill, Esq.
- 1837: To N. W. Senior, Esq.
- To H. Reeve, Esq.
- To the Same.
- To Count MolÉ. President of the Cabinet ( Prime Minister. )
- Answer From Count MolÉ to M. De Tocqueville.
- To Count MolÉ.
- To M. Gustave De Beaumont.
- 1838: To the Same.
- To the Same.
- To the Same.
- 1839: To the Same.
- To the Same.
- To the Baron De Tocqueville.
- To M. J. J. AmpÈre.
- To J. S. Mill, Esq.
- To M. J. J. AmpÈre.
- 1840: To H. Reeve, Esq.
- To the Same.
- To M. J. J. AmpÈre.
- To H. Reeve, Esq.
- To M. De Corcelle.
- To M. J. J. AmpÈre.
- To the Baron De Tocqueville.
- To J. S. Mill, Esq.
- 1841: To the Baron De Tocqueville.
- To M. J. J. AmpÈre.
- To the Same.
- 1843: To M. Gustave De Beaumont.
- To Lord Radnor.
- To M. De Corcelle.
- 1844: To the Same.
- 1846: To Charles Buller, Esq. *
- To M. De Corcelle.
- 1847: To M. Dufaure.
- To N. W. Senior, Esq.
- To M. De Corcelle.
- 1848: To Mademoiselle Denise De Tocqueville.
- To N. W. Senior, Esq.
- To the Comtesse Louis De Kergorlay.
- To Lord Radnor.
- To M. Gustave De Beaumont (in London).
- To the Same.
- 1849: To G. Grote, Esq.
- To Lord Radnor.
- 1850: To the Comtesse De Circourt.
- Extract From the Journal Kept By Mr. Senior In the Spring of 1850.
- To Mrs. Grote.
- To M. De Corcelle.
- Extracts From the Journal Kept By Mr. Senior During His Visit to Normandy.
- To M. Dufaure.
- To M. De Corcelle.
- To M. G. De Beaumont.
- To M. Dufaure.
- To the Comtesse De Circourt.
- 1851: To M. Gustave De Beaumont.
- To the Comtesse De Circourt.
- To M. Dufaure.
- To N. W. Senior, Esq.
- To M. Gustave De Beaumont.
- To M. De Corcelle.
- To N. W. Senior, Esq.
- To the Editor of the “times.”
- “ the High Court of Justice,
- Extracts From Mr. Senior’s Journal.
- 1852: To N. W. Senior, Esq.
- To M. Gustave De Beaumont.
- To the Comte De Circourt.
- To M. Dufaure.
- To the Comtesse De Circourt.
- To Henry Reeve, Esq.
- To the Comtesse De Circourt.
- 1853: To Baron Bunsen.
- To Henry Reeve, Esq.
- To M. Gustave De Beaumont.
- To Baron Bunsen.
- To W. R. Greg, Esq.
- T. M. Freslon (formerly Minister of Public Instruction).
- To N. W. Senior, Esq.
- To W. R. Greg, Esq.
- To M. Freslon.
- To the Comte De Circourt.
- To M. De Corcelle.
- To the Comtesse De Circourt.
- To M. Freslon.
- To M. Rivet.
- To M. Gustave De Beaumont.
- To M. Freslon.
- To the Comtesse De Circourt.
- To Mrs. Grote.
- To the Comte De Circourt.
- To M. De Corcelle.
- 1854: To the Comtesse De Circourt.
- Extract From Mr. Senior’s Journal.
- To Baron Edouard De Tocqueville.
- Extract From Mr. Senior’s Journal.
- To the Comte De Circourt.
- To the Same.
- To M. De Corcelle.
- To the Comtesse De Circourt,
- To M. Gustave De Beaumont.
- To M. De Circourt.
- To M. Gustave De Beaumont.
- To M. De Corcelle.
- To the Same.
- To the Same.
- 1855: To N. W. Senior, Esq.
- To Mrs. Grote.
- To N. W. Senior, Esq.
- To Mrs. Grote.
- To M. Gustave De Beaumont.
- Extracts From Mr. Senior’s Journal.
- To Madame Swetchine.
- To N. W. Senior, Esq.
- To M. De Corcelle.
- To Mrs. Austin.
- To M. De Circourt.
- To N. W. Senior, Esq.
- To Madame Swetchine.
- To M. De Corcelle.
- To the Comte De Circourt.
- To M. De Corcelle.
- To the Same.
- 1856: To Madame Swetchine.
- To M. De Corcelle.
- To the Same.
- To Baron Bunsen.
- To M. Charles De RÉmusat.
- To Madame Swetchine.
- To M. Victor Lanjuinais (formerly Minister of Commerce).
- To Prince Albert De Broglie.
- To Madame Swetchine.
- To M. De RÉmusat.
- To Mrs. Grote.
- To M. Duvergier De Hauranne.
- To N. W. Senior, Esq.
- To Madame Swetchine.
- To Mrs. Grote.
- To M. Lanjuinais.
- To Madame Swetchine.
- To N. W. Senior, Esq.
- To Henry Reeve, Esq.
- To Madame Swetchine.
- To M. Gustave De Beaumont.
- To Madame Swetchine.
- 1857: To M. A. Rivet.
- To M. J. J. AmpÈre.
- To Mrs. Grote.
- To M. Freslon.
- To Henry Reeve, Esq.
- To Madame Swetchine.
- To N. W. Senior, Esq.
- To M. J. J. AmpÈre.
- To the Comtesse De Circourt.
- To Lady Theresa Lewis.
- Extracts From Mr. Senior’s Journal.
- To Henry Reeve, Esq.
- To Mrs. Grote.
- To N. W. Senior, Esq.
- To Lord Radnor.
- To M. J. J. AmpÈre.
- To M. De Corcelle.
- To M. De Corcelle.
- To Lord Hatherton.
- To Mrs. Hollond.
- To M. J. J. AmpÈre.
- To the Same.
- To M. Freslon.
- To the Comtesse De Circourt.
- To Lady Theresa Lewis.
- To M. Freslon.
- To M. Gustave De Beaumont.
- To N. W. Senior, Esq.
- To Lord Hatherton.
- 1858: To M. J. J. Ampere.
- To Henry Reeve, Esq.
- To Sir James Stephen.
- To N. W. Senior, Esq.
- To Lord Hatherton.
- To Henry Reeve, Esq.
- To M. Freslon.
- To the Same.
- Extract From Mr. Senior’s Journal.
- To M. Gustave De Beaumont.
- To M. Freslon.
- To M. De Circourt.
- To Mrs. Grote.
- To N. W. Senior, Esq.
- To Lord Hatherton.
- To Sir G. C. Lewis.
- To W. R. Greg, Esq.
- To M. Freslon.
- To the Comte De Circourt.
- To M. De Corcelle.
- To M. J. J. AmpÈre.
- To the Same.
- 1859: To M. Lanjuinais.
- To J. S. Mill, Esq.
- To the Comte De Circourt.
- To M. C. Rivet.
- To M. De Corcelle.
- To the Vicomte Édouard De Tocqueville.
- To the Comtesse Hippolyte De Tocqueville.
- To Henry Reeve, Esq.
- To M. Freslon.
- To M. J. J. AmpÈre.
- To M. Gustave De Beaumont.
- To Baron Bunsen.
- To M. Lanjuinais.
- To N. W. Senior, Esq.
- To the Comte De Circourt.
- To M. De Corcelle.
- To M. J. J. AmpÈre.
TO THE BARON DE TOCQUEVILLE.
Tocqueville, November 2, 1840.
I cannot thank you enough for the long letter which I received from you a short time ago. It was admirable; full of noble feelings and ideas. Such letters are excellent tonics; unfortunately, you can hardly hope to cure a disease, which depends so much on the constitution of the patient. You may modify this constitution, but you cannot change it. It is the secret of my strength sometimes, and of my weakness often. I have the restless, anxious mind, the continual craving for excitement, which belonged to our father. This temperament has at times enabled me to do great things. But in general, it tortures, agitates, and afflicts to no purpose. This is often the case with me; I have no difficulty in seeing the likeness. I am often miserable when there is no cause; and this gives only too much cause to those around me to be so. I am also well aware that this disposition may frequently interfere with my judgment. For a time it prevents my seeing things in their true perspective; external objects seem to me to be sometimes larger and sometimes smaller than they really are; just as my fancy paints them. I believe that my character is naturally candid and decided; but to remain so it must have calm, and petty annoyances often ruffle it. In moments of great excitement, or of important business, I generally preserve my composure; but the daily worries of life and of society easily disturb me.
It is indeed true that I have many sources of happiness; for besides all those that you enumerate, there is one which you have omitted, and I must add to them; it is that of having found the wife best suited to me. I want some things without which many people are miserable, and which I should like well enough to possess; such as wealth and, I will even own, children. I should love to have such children as I can imagine; but I have no great desire to put into the great lottery of paternity. What then do I want? You know and have said it: a quiet mind and moderate desires. I have lived long enough to know that there is no one thing in the whole world capable of fixing and of satisfying me. I have attained a success which I had no right to hope for at the beginning of my career; yet my happiness is not perfect. Often, in imagination, I fancy myself at the summit of human greatness; when there, I am not so dazzled but that the conviction forces itself irrepressibly upon me, that the same painful sensations, which I suffer from here, would follow me to that sublime altitude; just as my present sufferings are as like as possible to those of my younger days. The disturbing causes are different, but the mind itself is the same; restless, discontented, despising the good things of this world, yet constantly joining in the struggle for them, in order to escape from the painful lethargy into which it falls when for any time it is left to itself. This is a sad state to be in. All men feel it at times; some more than others; and I, more than anyone whom I know.
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