Page:Joseph Story, Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States (1st ed, 1833, vol I).djvu/240

 200 if it was intended to impress the maxim on America, that our freedom and independence arose from our union, and that without it we could never be free or independent. Let us then consider all attempts to weaken this union by maintaining, that each state is separately and individually independent, as a species of political heresy, which can never benefit us, but may bring on us the most serious distresses."

§ 213. In the next place we have seen, that the power to do this act was not derived from the state governments; nor was it done generally with their co-operation. The question then naturally presents itself, if it is to be considered as a national act, in what manner did the colonies become a nation, and in what manner did congress become possessed of this national power? The true answer must be, that as soon as