New-York tribune., 1910-03-26

the developing changlns EoN4ANe''@ "'N
problems OF our national iife IN an ae-
count of the policies and theories OF the
man who were confronted By the eonSi-
,ions that called for solution. This Is a
heols Of statesmen. not of courts and
iudicial doctrinaires: but if'the personal
side Be emphasized n is not AZ the ex-
rense of the social and economic forces
that did their share alike in formulating
and In solving these problems. Protes-
scr Ellott's method is sufficiently indi-
Gated by his chapter headings; Alex
snder Hamilton: Growth Through Ad-
ninistrativo OrEanis safion': John Mar
shall Growth Through Legal Inter-
probation. Andrew jackson: Growth
Through Democrstization": Abraham
Lincoln: Growth Through civil War:
Theodore Roosevelt: Growth Through
Expansion The ether s'atesmeR repre-
sented are James Wilson. Jefferson. Mad
ison. Webster. Calhoun and Thaddeus
Stevens. An appendix contains the Dec
laration OF Independence the Articles of
Confederation. the Constitution and a
number of documents illustTativs of the
principal points around which the con-
hict ef opinion has been Notes.-The Ma
tional Bank. the Hartford Convention.
Nuliifcation. and the Dred Scott de-
cision among them. An Introductory
chapter is devoted to The Fathers. In
ception Through Compromise
Perhaps the shortest and Clesrest way
~ conveying 30 the reader an idea of the
scope and method 81 this welcome. in
forming work is 20 place side by side the
authors delineation of Lincoln's and of
Stevens's Interpretation ~ the Ccnstitu-
tion when face a. face With the problem
of Reconstruction:
Tincoin's view 81 Reconstruction follow ed
natuFa II from hts belief i'm the indissoluhle
not passlbly withdraw from the Union The
rebellion Was the work of certain persons
who had seized control Of the state govern .
ments and had unia ~ fully made use Of
them for the plFposes ~ the rebellion. So
soon. then. a. the federal government
should reassert its authority. 50 soon as the
rebellion should he nut down and loyal gov
eTnrnents he set up. the old relations would
likewise 10 re-estsblished. The states hed
never been out of the Union, they could
not thsrefoTs, be brought hack into a. In
accordance with this idea Lincoln pro-
claimed the so-caled 10 per cent plan"
Hut Congress had its oVn notions
d NA'N'-@f wv AtiNitA''A NA litfNNtaAttf-
Professor Elliott does not stop 70 dis
cuss anew the old question Of what
would have happened il Lincoln had not
/ been aEsasslnsted. but proceeds 20 Ste
vens's Interpretation of the Constitution.
which made light Of the legality Of the
means 20 bs employed in preserving the
/ Union His advocacy OF the issue Of
/ legal tender notes was one evidence of
this. he fully outlined his policy in the
I question az the admission Of West Viz
ginia:
The state 81 Virginia had never given
its consent - the separation This vas
no objection 70 Stevens's mind 70 admitting
the new state. fov I'm accordance with his
general view. the Constitution had ceased
3 20 be applice ble 20 the seeded states, ana
therefore the observation OF Ns ProN NislSlis E,li
With reSpeC- 20 them was unneeessaFy- hts
vas his view Of the constitutional status
Of the seeded states from the beginning
consistently advocated b. him in the day
4 of Reconstruction. ana the view nnallN
adopted BY the nation IN its legislation
/ The Confederate States. he asserted. had
established power which the United
States had recognized by the proclamation
. % q blockade; the Constitution. therefore
nor its obligations the slightest effect upon
/ them. likewise its protection no longer eN-
tended 10 them I'm short. the relations ~
the two parties 10 this civil War could
not he regulated by the Law Of the land
hut by the law of nations. and this pTtn
ciple he applied 70 Reeonstruction. II
the rights ~ the seeded states had hesr
destroyed they Here. az the conclusion Al
I the war. conquered provinces, and II
would rest with the c0nQueror 70 deter
mine upon what conditions thev might b
restored 10 the enjoy yment Of those rights.
OF Mr. Roosevelt's expansion" Of the
Constitution. Professor Elliott says:
The country ~ large acduiesced in this
view. and a rapid succession Of measures
followed. each tending 10 increase the pow
er and the extent of the control cf ths
federal government over the daily life al
the citizens But the extent 81 the chang'
I can no more he measured by the law
upon the statute hooks than could thai
effected hv the election Of Jefferson ~
Jackson. II Is change Of ideals. aud ~
ultimate effect upon our constitutional lif'
and practices can he estimated only hy
subsequent generations