I disagree.
“The Preamble of The Constitution says:
‘We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.’
Formed by the people, the whole people, of the United States, its existence is dependent on them, aud not on the States ; and it can only be dissolved by the power that give it birth; States may pass ordinances of seccession, but they cannot over- throw the fabric created by the source of all political authority in this country — the people.” - In Congress, Rep. Edward J. Morris (Penn) January 30, 1861.
That amounts to tidily squat!
Original version: They didn't know ( which State[s] would ratify ) So they went with your “We the people”
“We the people of the States of New Hampshire, Massachussetts, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina, and Georgia, do ordain, declare, and establish the following Constitution for the Government of Ourselves and our Posterity.
Further more 1864 Dictionary
Federal 1. Pertaining to a league or contract; derived from an agreement or covenant between parties, particularly between nations. 2. Consisting in a compact between parties, particularly and chiefly between states or nations; founded on alliance by contract or mutual agreement; as a federal government, such as that of the United States.
"That amounts to tidily squat!"
The Constitution amounts to much. The Constitution IS the nation, and the Nation IS its Constitution.
Whether or not they knew what States would ratify, they all ratified "We the people", and called it "the supreme law of the land".
A contract can be disolved by mutual agreement, or violated by one of the parties. It cannot be disolved by one of the members, or by part of the members acting alone. Such violations of contracts result in litigation.
In the case of the violation of the contract of Union known as the Constitution, violent litigation ensued.
Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine; In memoria æterna erit justus, ab auditione mala non timebit.