Leaving aside your characterization of Texas for a moment, what about the other states I mentioned?
The others have their own fun origins of statehood, but you do realize none of them fought in the revolutionary war or signed the original Constitution, correct?
That's right. So none of them became states by merely ratifying the Constitution. And even the original 13 were colonies and only formed themselves into states when they adopted the Articles of Confederation, and retained that status when they adopted the Constitution. So strictly speaking, Lincoln was correct.
The Constitution was ratified and in effect before RI and VT joined...what were they before they did so...some word other than free and independent States?
Vermont, yes. They were an independent, sovereign state until 1791 when they were admitted as a state. Rhode Island, on the other hand, was never a state outside of the United States. It was always under the Articles of Confederation or the Constitution.
Did State constitutions exist before the federal one?
Yes, though I believe all of them date after the founding of the United States under the Articles of Confederation.
Were you trying to make a point?
That you were wrong when you mischaracterized what Lincoln said.