evidence: Americans can't let political parties divide us | Opinion "The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money," said Alexis de Tocqueville. Alexis de Tocqueville, a French diplomat, wrote in 1835 that "[t]here are many men of principle in both parties … but there is no party of principle." This statement could never be truer than it is today, evidenced by the dithering of politicians who, instead of joining together to achieve prosperity, engage in partisan fights over minute details instead of seeking a beneficial compromise.