extensive and valuable trade of a rising empire."

The legislation which most developed the powers of the national
government, and played the largest part in its activity, was conditioned
on the frontier. Writers have discussed the subjects of tariff, land,
and internal improvement, as subsidiary to the slavery question. But
when American history comes to be rightly viewed it will be seen that
the slavery question is an incident. In the period from the end of the
first half of the present century to the close of the Civil War slavery
rose to primary, but far from exclusive, importance. But this does not
justify Dr. von Holst (to take an example) in treating our
constitutional history in its formative period down to 1828 in a single
volume, giving six volumes chiefly to the history of slavery from 1828
to 1861, under the title "Constitutional History of the United States."
The growth of nationalism and the evolution of American political
institutions were dependent on the advance of the frontier. Even so
recent a writer as Rhodes, in his "History of the United States since
the Compromise of 1850," has treated the legislation called out by the
western advance as incidental to the slavery struggle.

This is a wrong perspective. The pioneer needed the goods of the coast,
and so the grand series of internal improvement and railroad legislation
began, with potent nationalizing effects. Over internal improvements
occurred great debates, in which grave constitutional questions were
discussed. Sectional groupings appear in the votes, profoundly
significant for the historian. Loose construction increased as the
nation marched westward.[25:1] But the West was not content with
bringing the farm to the factory. Under the lead of Clay--"Harry of the
West"--protective tariffs were passed, with the cry of bringing the
factory to the farm. The disposition of the public lands was a third
important subject of national legislation influenced by the frontier.

The public domain has been a force of profound importance in the
nationalization and development of the government. The effects of the
struggle of the landed and the landless States, and of the Ordinance of
1787, need no discussion.[25:2] Administratively the frontier called out
some of the highest and most vitalizing activities of the general
government. The purchase of Louisiana was perhaps the constitutional
turning point in the history of the Republic, inasmuch as it afforded
bo