[Non-Sequitur]

He is wrong because every one of those states were free and independent states long before there was any union whatever!

Not hardly.

[Bigun]

You are willfully blinded to the FACTS and so it appears you shall forever remain!

The fallacious notion that "The Union is older than the States and in fact created them as States. The Union, and not themselves separately, procured their independence and their liberty. [T]he Union threw off their old dependence for them and made them States, such as they are." is the essence of Lincoln's, and your, sophistry and I know that you will argue it forever but you will STILL be wrong!