Final answer:
Anti-imperialists believed the Constitution must follow the flag because they saw extending constitutional rights to all territories as essential to preserving American democratic principles and preventing the creation of an oppressive empire.
Step-by-step explanation:
Some anti-imperialists believed that "the Constitution must follow the flag" because they held the view that upholding constitutional rights for all territories acquired was a fundamental principle of American governance.
This belief stemmed from a tradition where territories acquired through treaties, such as the Louisiana Purchase and Mexican Cession, were given the opportunity for full citizenship and the potential for statehood.
Anti-imperialists were concerned with maintaining the nation's democratic principles and feared that without extending constitutional protections to new overseas territories, the United States would be creating an empire at odds with liberty and self-governance.
Some anti-imperialists believed that 'the Constitution must follow the flag' because they believed in upholding constitutional rights for all territories acquired. Prior to the Spanish-American War, territories acquired by treaty had been given the opportunity for full citizenship as American citizens with the potential for statehood in the future.
However, the Constitution lacked a provision for handling previously-settled, overseas lands that were not candidates for statehood. The Constitution did not automatically apply to these territories and its protections did not extend to colonized peoples