"We, the People OF THE UNITED STATES" is the correct phrase.
As I already noted, the LIST of Sovereign States could NOT be included because there was no way of knowing WHICH would ratify. They chose to substitute the SINGULAR United States.
- Article. VII.
- The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same.
Also consider:
- ARTICLE XIII.
- Every State shall abide by the determination of the United States in Congress assembled, on all questions which by this confederation are submitted to them. And the Articles of this Confederation shall be inviolably observed by every State, and the Union shall be perpetual; nor shall any alteration at any time hereafter be made in any of them; unless such alteration be agreed to in a Congress of the United States, and be afterwards confirmed by the legislatures of every State.
- Every State shall abide by the determination of the United States in Congress assembled, on all questions which by this confederation are submitted to them. And the Articles of this Confederation shall be inviolably observed by every State, and the Union shall be perpetual; nor shall any alteration at any time hereafter be made in any of them; unless such alteration be agreed to in a Congress of the United States, and be afterwards confirmed by the legislatures of every State.
--MJ
But the rhetoric of the gentleman has highly colored the dangers
of giving the general government an indefinite power of providing
for the general welfare. I contend that no such power is given.
They have power "to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and
excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defence and
general welfare of the United States." Is this an independent,
separate, substantive power, to provide for the general welfare
of the United States? No, sir. They can lay and collect taxes,
&e. For what? To pay the debts and provide for the general welfare.
Were not this the case, the following part of the clause would be
absurd. It would have been treason against common language. Take
it altogether, and let me ask if the plain interpretation be not
thisa power to lay and collect taxes, &c., in order to provide
for the general welfare and pay debts.
-- Governor Randolph 17 June 1788 _The Debates In the Several
State Conventions On the Adoption of the Federal Constitution_
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