The desire for a General Government which we call a "National" Government arose as early as The Albany Plan of Union in 1754 submitted by the colonies to the King. That desire grew althrough the rest of that century. American was a beloved and almost universally our people considered themselves "Americans".
The notion for a unified government in the American colonies was not originated by Americans, but by the English. You've gone from suggesting that Americans were unified in rebellion against the crown to speculation that the English made them that way. So now in takeitland, the English, by mere suggestion, created a national government in America, composed of Americans.
The American response, the Albany plan for Union, does not contain the word Americans.
Anywhere.
It is only after the Southern slaveowners degenerated from those who knew it was an Evil to those who praised it as a Good that the pernicious and false doctrine of state sovereignty grew to Traitorous proportions and unleashed the insanity of war upon the Nation.
Pure & simply false. When the revolution was won, the Treaty of Paris recognized 13 independent and sovereign states. This was the mode of operation that continued through the Articles of Confederation, which you would like to paint as something more than a treaty, but holds no real legal status above that, at least none that is not detectable only by it's super-legal normative aura. The Constitution revised said articles. In what should make Hamiltonians such as yourself hang your head, they were ultimately granted only limited powers, and Hamilton himself essentially admitted defeat in creation of a National government when he agreed to accept the ratification of New York and Virginia, which both explicitly spelled out the unspoken terms of the pact.
Let me repeat that for the 9.6E100th time: Hamilton and Madison agreed that there was nothing in the ratification documents that was not an inherent to the pact itself, that the agreement did not revoke the right to resume the power of self-government. You would like to interpret the Constitution in light of some super-legal, metaphysical normative aura, as Farber does, but the black and white is as plain as can be, and there is no room for misinterpretation.
WE the Delegates of the People of the State of New York, duly elected and Met in Convention, having maturely considered the Constitution for the United States of America, agreed to on the seventeenth day of September, in the year One thousand Seven hundred and Eighty seven, by the Convention then assembled at Philadelphia in the Common-wealth of Pennsylvania (a Copy whereof precedes these presents) and having also seriously and deliberately considered the present situation of the United States, Do declare and make known.That all Power is originally vested in and consequently derived from the People, and that Government is instituted by them for their common Interest Protection and Security.
That the enjoyment of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness are essential rights which every Government ought to respect and preserve.
That the Powers of Government may be reassumed by the People, whensoever it shall become necessary to their Happiness; that every Power, Jurisdiction and right, which is not by the said Constitution clearly delegated to the Congress of the United States, or the departments of the Government thereof, remains to the People of the several States, or to their respective State Governments to whom they may have granted the same; And that those Clauses in the said Constitution, which declare, that Congress shall not have or exercise certain Powers, do not imply that Congress is entitled to any Powers not given by the said Constitution; but such Clauses are to be construed either as exceptions to certain specified Powers, or as inserted merely for greater Caution.
That is what Hamilton was pushing. That later men took advantage of their power is no great victory, as you would have others believe.
Your quote from the NY convention in no way implies the State of NY has ANY ability or right to resume a sovereignty which it NEVER had.
The Theoretic description of all power flowing from the people does not mean any State has the right to contravene the instrument of that People, the Constitution. It only means that the American people can resume the power to change the document or get rid of it. This certainly gives NO state the right to fire on American troops.
The description of the state's retention of some sovereignty within the state is seperated from the description of the People's right to change their government. The first part of the sentence speaks of the "People" (the American people) while the second specifies the "...People of the several states..."
And the silly claim that because the non-existent right of secession is not expressly forbidden it is allowed is as ludicrous as the claim that because the power to enforce borders is not expressly affirmed it is forbidden.