Our Colonial Marks a Departure in System. subsequent case and that, at least in other aspects if not in this, the Constitution may be made to apply to the Territories in restraint of congressional power. As a public policy the rule here indicated may be at any time reversed by the people. It is not certain that this decision is to be the final judgment of the Court. It is not certain that in the expansion of the Republic a rule has been established to govern for all time to come, according to which, Government although new territory may be acquired, the Republic will not expand with its principles of government but will simply accumulate possessions and colonies to be governed by an external will imposed upon them. No future course is certain. It is only the past that is secure. But, judging from the past, no one can doubt that in the law and politics so recently applied in the government of distant colonies the Republic has marked a great departure. If there was any fundamental principle in politics for which our fathers contended in the American Revolution; if there is any that may be said to have been made sacred by the struggles of American history; if there is any principle which we have sought for a century to apply in the government of States and Territories, it is that the rights, liberties, immunities, and constitutional privileges of the citizen abide in the local bodies, Colonies and States, and that one body politic should not have unrestrained legislative power over the trade, revenues, property, lives, and liberties of another. To make this principle forever sure against the usurpations of government, reliance was not to be placed merely on "certain principles of natural justice inherent in Anglo-Saxon character," but a fundamental law defining the limits of government should be ordained and established whose limits might not be transcended by governmental agents. If the existence of a written Constitution cannot save us from the violation of this principle it is yet to be seen whether the forces described as the unwritten Constitution will be able to do so. History has illustrated in so many ways the vital importance of this principle that it is safe constantly to remind the citizenship of America that, as one of our own prophets has said, the Republic can last no longer than its people are faithful to the ideals and principles of its founders.' REFERENCES ON THE GOVERNMENT OF THE 1. Outlook, Dec. 16, 1899, "Our Constitution and the Colonies." 2. Outlook, (a) Feb. 10, 1900, “Our Colonial Responsibilities"; H. G. CURTIS on "Government for Our New Possessions"; (b) Feb. 3, 1900, "Self-Government in the Colonies"; (c) Dec. 14, 1901, "The Supreme Court Decision and its Consequences." 3. Report of Secretary Root, December, 1899. 4. Prof. H. P. JUDSON, Review of Reviews for April, 1900. 5. Majority Report, Committee of Ways and Means, House of Representatives, Feb. 8, 1900; Minority Report, House Documents. 6. Speech of Hon. Chas. E. Littlefield, of Maine, in House of Representatives, Dec. 17, 1901. 7. "The Insular Cases," the annual address of Hon. Chas. E. Littlefield before the American Bar Association, Denver, Colo., Aug. 22, 1901. 8. Speech of Hon. Samuel W. McCall, of Massachusetts, in the House of Representatives, Feb. 22, 1900. 9. American Law Review, July-August, 1901, pp. 597–617, in “Notes on Recent Cases." 10. Decisions of the Supreme Court, United States Supreme Court Reports, pp. 179–182, Davis, Reporter, 1901. II. BRYCE, American Commonwealth, vol. i., chap. xlvii. 12. Current History, March, April, May, 1900. 13. Arena, May, 1900. 14. Views of an Ex-President, BENJAMIN HARRISON, chap. vii., “The Status of Annexed Territory and of its Free Civilized Inhabitants." 15. WHITELAW REID, Problems of Expansion. 1 INDEX A Abbott, Lyman, Rights of Man, Absolute Democracy, 57 239, 249 Admiralty Cases, 321 373 government of, Alaskan Treaty, 162 sq.; 392 Allen, Grant, on evils of an arti- ficial aristocracy, 39, 40 182. See tors and Representatives, 349 Bagehot, on Cabinet Govern- Bancroft, George, 334 Bank, Second United States, IOI pending Habeas Corpus, 181 Bayard-Chamberlain Treaty,166 Years of Congress, 155, 164, Blair Educational Bill, 274 Bollman Case, 180 Booth vs. Ableman, 321 sular cases, 389 Bryce, James, 59, 60; com- Bureaucracy, 51, 52 66, 133, 135, 137, 144, 370 261 Carlisle, Speaker John G., De- committee of, 281; methods Causes of the American Revo- Charters, rights of Colonies un- Chase, Chief Justice, 331, 338, Chase, Judge, impeachment of, Cherokee Nation vs. Georgia,372 Civil rights, guarantee of, 389 sq. Cleveland, President, 128, 139; House, 262 Senate, 223; in Colonial Assemblies, rights of, Colonial government and Ameri- |