Ratification:
New York's ratifying declarationclearly states what We the People Ratified:
"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."
The Massachusett's ratifying declarationrecommends the clarity that the Constitution is an enumerated powers document:
"First, That it be explicitly declared that all Powers not expressly delegated by the aforesaid Constitution are reserved to the several States to be by them exercised."
"Fifthly, That Congress erect no Company of Merchants with exclusive advantages of commerce."
Virginia's ratifying declarationstated what We the People are sovereign and grant the Federal government a monopoly of violence restriced to its enumerated nature:
"People of Virginia declare and make known that the powers granted under the Constitution being derived from the People of the United States may be resumed by them whensoever the same shall be perverted to their injury or oppression and that every power not granted thereby remains with them and at their will."
Bill of Rights Recommendations:
"Second, That all power is naturally vested in and consequently derived from the people; that Magistrates, therefore, are their trustees and agents and at all times amenable to them."
"Fourth, That no man or set of Men are entitled to exclusive or separate public emoluments or privileges from the community, but in Consideration of public services; which not being descendible, neither ought the offices of Magistrate, Legislator or Judge, or any other public office to be hereditary."
Amendment Recommendations:
"Seventh, That no commercial treaty shall be ratified without the concurrence of two thirds of the whole number of the members of the Senate; and no Treaty ceding, contracting, restraining or suspending the territorial rights or claims of the United States, or any of them or their, or any of their rights or claims to fishing in the American seas, or navigating the American rivers shall be but in cases of the most urgent and extreme necessity, nor shall any such treaty be ratified without the concurrence of three fourths of the whole number of the members of both houses respectively.""Eighth, That no navigation law, or law regulating Commerce shall be passed without the consent of two thirds of the Members present in both houses.""Seventeenth, That those clauses which declare that Congress shall not exercise certain powers be not interpreted in any manner whatsoever to extend the powers of Congress.But that they may be construed either as making exceptions to the specified powers where this shall be the case, or otherwise as inserted merely for greater caution."
Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights incorporated the understanding of what the people ratified in the States. The enumerated nature of the Constitution is restated in Amendments 9 and 10:
Amendment 9: The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the People.Amendment 10:The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the People.
There is no enumerated power for Federal intrusion into commerce beyond suppressing the paths to war. There are strict prohibitions against the Federal "natural monopolies" in communications, power, and transportation infrastructures.
Restoring LibertyRecognizing the Federal communications monopoly as unconstitutional in 1982 restored liberty and returned that segment of commerce to the sovereignty of the people. The near century of rotary telephones under Federal monopoly was swept aside and liberty was restored for innovators to offer choices. Liberty was restored for people to choose between those choices in free markets and millions of jobs were created delivering better services at lower costs as a result.Federal monopoly protected the rotary telephone from the competition. American cars still have the gas mileage the Model-T (25 mpg) because the Federal transportation monopoly blocks innovation. I recommend reading the book,Why Nations Fail, the Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty.