▁Marshall ▁respond ed : ▁ ▁The ▁pla int iffs ' ▁att orney ▁argued ▁that ▁the ▁payment ▁of ▁import ▁duties ▁to ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁necessarily ▁con ferred ▁on ▁im por ters ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁sell ▁the ▁imports . ▁Maryland ▁argued ▁that ▁such ▁a ▁reading ▁would ▁allow ▁im por ters ▁to ▁" ex ert ▁that ▁right ▁when , ▁where , ▁and ▁as ▁[ they ] ▁please [] " ▁or ▁allow ▁them ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁imported ▁items ▁for ▁personal ▁use ▁and ▁thus ▁obtain ▁valuable ▁items ▁not ▁subject ▁to ▁household ▁exc ise ▁tax es . ▁ ▁Com merce ▁Cla use ▁Marshall ▁began ▁this ▁analysis ▁by ▁not ing ▁that ▁"[ t ] he ▁opp ress ed ▁and ▁de grad ed ▁state ▁of ▁commerce ▁previous ▁to ▁the ▁ad option ▁of ▁the ▁Constitution ▁can ▁scarcely ▁be ▁forgotten ." ▁Although ▁Congress ▁could ▁make ▁treat ies ▁with ▁foreign ▁nations , ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁ad option ▁of ▁the ▁federal ▁Constitution , ▁the ▁states ▁reg ulated ▁foreign ▁commerce ▁in ▁their ▁own ▁interests ▁and ▁Congress ▁could ▁not ▁effectively ▁en force ▁treat y ▁oblig ations ▁on ▁the ▁states . ▁Therefore , ▁it ▁is ▁un sur pr ising ▁that ▁Congress ' ▁power ▁under ▁the ▁Com merce ▁Cla use ▁" should ▁be ▁as ▁extensive ▁as ▁the ▁m isch ief ▁and ▁should ▁compreh end ▁all ▁foreign ▁commerce ▁and ▁all ▁commerce ▁among ▁the ▁states ." ▁The ▁extent ▁of ▁Congress ' ▁Com merce ▁Cla use ▁power ▁was ▁resolved ▁in ▁Gib b ons ▁v . ▁Og den , ▁ 2 2 ▁U . S . ▁( 9 ▁Whe at .) ▁ 1