with singular felicity, tranquility, legally, philanthropically … it is impossible to destroy men with more respect for the laws of humanity. What did Alexis de Tocqueville mean in this statement?

Alexis de Tocqueville, a French political thinker and historian best known for his Democracy in America

Explanation:

He says that the tension between freedom and equality is that there is a passion for equality, which makes every man's desire to be powerful and honored. However, there is a depraved taste for equality, which makes the weak want to lower the powerful to make everyone weak. Liberty is the important key aspect of everyone's desires, and they make efforts to obtain liberty, but if they don't obtain liberty than they would rather have everyone with the same equality. He highlights the fact law of humanity takes the key role in America.

The Anglo-Americans are the first people to emphasize sovereignty of the people, which means that the people are given the utmost power and liberties in the country. The people and the common good come first before anything else.