[stevie_d_64]

The great & essential principles necessary for the support of Government are:

1. An active & constant interest in supporting it. This principle does not exist in the States in favor of the federal Govt. They have evidently in a high degree, the esprit de corps. They constantly pursue internal interests adverse to those of the whole. They have their particular debts-their particular plans of finance &c. All these when opposed to, invariably prevail over the requisitions & plans of Congress.

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/sarcasm on

How dare those States pursue internal interests adverse to the Federal government (and the other States)!!! Don’t they know who WE are!!! It’s not fair that one State be more afluent, industrious, prosperous than another or the Federal government for that matter...WE need equality in the guise of diversity, we need fairness...We need to spread the wealth!!!

/sarcasm off

[Jacquerie]

Well, the states regularly blew off their treaty obligations under the Articles of Confederation. Oft times, the States didn’t bother to send delegates to Congress.

[Cheburashka]

In the 1780’s one of the issues was that the central government was so weak that it could not stop the various states from undercutting each other. For instance, New York and Massachusetts were attempting to obtain concessions from the British government regarding trade with British Caribbean colonies and the two states put restrictions on British products in their two states. Connecticut was quite happy to negate these restrictions by allowing free importation of British products through its own ports, and the products easily crossed state lines into New York and Massachusetts, rendering their trade restrictions useless. Hardly a matter of punishing one state for being prosperous, as you imply.