A UNION of STATES!

It was during the birth of our nation that a very meaningful proposal was made, by Richard Henry Lee, which stated that “The Colonies” should be “Free and Independent States”.  This proposal was embraced by the shapers of the new nation and prompted the writing of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the Model Treaty.  These documents set the foundation for this new Union of States, which was identified as The United States of America in these writings.

The statement “Free and Independent States” was intended in the most literal sense whereas each state's government was to possess full power to administer and maintain affairs of its state so as to ensure and improve its prosperity, and also to preserve and improve the lives, liberties and the prosperity of the people of the state, all without the influence of the Federal Government.

In sharp contrast, the vision of our founding fathers saw the role of the Federal Government far more limited, as is stated in the United States Constitution, namely those powers pertaining to issues concerning War, Peace and Foreign Commerce.

Certainly, with the massive expansion of this nation, over the last 200 plus years, it was necessary for the role of the Federal Government to expand beyond what was initially defined by our founding fathers. However, the basic premise that this nation is a “Union of States” of which each state is to govern itself, in its best interest should never be compromised.

We must never forget that we are a Union of States, were each state is responsible for its own governing, and is strengthened by the bond of a single Union to which limited power has been entrusted to the elected leaders, of our Federal Government, to protect the Union.