Excerpt from Biographical Story of the Constitution: A Study of the Growth of the American Union This fact has made it possible for the Constitution to be adapted to the ordinary needs of the national life. At times of crises, as in the Purchase of Louisi ana and the Civil War, the bounds of interpretation have been passed and the Constitution has been stretched to fit the occasion; recently we have heard of the need of finding constructions that will en able the Federal Government to meet the exigencies of new conditions. The history of the Constitution is chiefly concerned with the processes of interpretation and adaptation. The life of the nation does not stand still; new ideas, feelings, conditions, and forces are constantly driving it forward, and no immutable instrument of govern ment will suffice; the Constitution, too, must grow. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.