As the federal constitution was to go into operation when ratified by conventions in nine of the original thirteen states (Const. Art. VII), it evidently was contemplated that as the federal government was created by such ratification, any of the original states which had not thus ratified at that time should later become members of the union by similar ratification. It was not intended that such states should be excluded from the union nor that the union should be forced upon them, but only that they should not be members of it until such ratification had taken place. Congress was not called upon to take any steps with reference to admission of such states and although ratification was postponed in two states, they soon became members by their voluntary action.