The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-04
GROWTH OF THE NATIONAL IDEA.

II any one is disposed to devote a portion
of to-day to the contemplation of national
topics. he cannot fail to note the growth of
the national idea and the decline of the doc
trine of the supremacy of the States. The
revolt of New England leaders against the
embargo law during the war of 1872. the
famous resolutions of 1898. which contained
the heresy of notification which South
Carolina adopted during Andrew Jackson's
time. and the right of States to secede. seem
to us to-day to be the widest of heresies.
No man of any political standing would
openly advocate the opinions so generally
held during the first three-quarters of a
century of the Nations existence that they
were a constant menace to the Union. The
battles over internal improvements are in
teresting to-day because the record of them
takes us back to the period when the strict
constructionists fought appropriations for
river and harbor improvements. prevented
the undertaking of interstate canals and de-
layed the construction of the National road
| at time when 1t was most needed. Presi-
dents vetoed appropriations for that road
and other internal enterprises on the ground
| of unconstitutionaity. the basis of the
| gument being that the Constitution of the
| United States conferred no power upon
| Congress to construct roads or canals with
| In the boundaries of States For fifty years
| the supporters of slavery gave to the doc
| trine of State supremacy its most powerful
following. But for slavery the narrow con-
| structionist of the Constitution would not
have survived the era of railroad building
| and interstate commerce. State supremacy
| was lost with the defeat Of secession. There
| was no tribunal to which the contention be-
| tween those who held to the national idea
and those who held to State supremacy
could be appealed for settlement, so it was
submitted to the arbtrament of the battle
1 field and the theory of national disintegra-
ton was lost
| Since the war the drift of the American
| people toward nationalism has been most
marked. The development of the country, so
quickened by railroad transportation, has
| obliterated State lines in commerce. and
| with this change has come the broader in
depreciation of the Constitution. Congress
legislates regarding matters that the Con-
crosses of Jeffersons time would not have
considered. All the larger litigation in bus-
ness goes to the United States courts. The
Supreme Court of the United States. under
the new Interpretation OF the interstate
commerce clause of the Constitution. dis
poses of many If not most the causes in
| which the people are most interested. That
tribunal has said to all the railroads that
| fhev nbfpo fn 10 rata for
transportation. Would the Supreme Court,
in 1860 have dared exercise such authority
over corporations created by sovereign and
independent States?
In discussing the policy to be pursued re-
garding trusts, even those who have been
wont, in platforms, to deprecate oentraliz-
ing tendencies have been the first to call
upon Congress to deal with the alarming
combinations. Ignoring the fact that trusts
people look to the national government to
suppress them. In but one thing is the ma
tional government denied the exercise OF
power. and that is in the protection of citi-
zens residing in States in the full enjoy
ment Of their rights. Whether not that
will be necessary in the course of a few
years, under an amendment of the Consti-
tuition, remains to be seem But the crafty
ing result of a consideration of this subject
on the Fourth of July is that what was
foreshadowed in the Declaration of indie
pendence and for which the CONSTITUTION
was adopted-the more perfect union" and
| the forming of a new nation-has come with
The passing years. The United States is a
| Nation