"Congress can not dictate a constitution to a new state-- All it can do, at that point, is to secure the people a fair chance to form one for themselves, and then to accept, or reject it, when they ask admission into the union--"

A.Lincoln, December 1857

Sooo, is he saying IF a state adopts a constitution, the Federal government cannot do anything? In short, they are free to NOT be in the Union? If so, wonder why he changed his mind a few years later?

Pam