Boy, do you have misunderstoods.
The first three words of the US Constitution are "We The People".
Who do you think that refers to - the states? Think again.
"We The People" through the states. At the time the Constitution was written and ratified, people thought of their STATES as their countries. The people of the several STATES ratified the Constitution through their STATE legislatures, not through popular votes. Amendments to the Constitution must be ratified by the STATES, not directly by the people. The delicate separation of powers formula the Founders came up with was intended to reassure the small STATES that their interests would be protected in a federal system.
The Civil War drastically changed the relationship between the states and the federal government they created. In the 144 years since the Civil War ended, the federal government has increasingly stomped all over states rights. As a consequence, we now have a fed that is bloated beyond anything the Founders would have recognized or sanctioned.