Final answer:
The statement pertains to the limitations of the national government under the Articles of Confederation in its inability to tax or regulate commerce amongst states. Article I, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution resolved such issues by restricting state powers and granting the federal government the authority to manage interstate commerce.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement "The national government could not tax or regulate commerce among the states" refers to the limitations of the United States national government under the Articles of Confederation. The inability of the national government to impose taxes on individuals directly and to regulate interstate commerce was a significant weakness that led to the drafting of the United States Constitution. Section 10 of Article I set forth provisions to correct these issues by granting the national government specific powers while denying certain powers to the states, thus ensuring that states couldn't act like independent nations and secure a more unified national authority.
Article I, Section 10, for example, prohibits states from taxing imports and exports from other states, coining their own money, or engaging in wars independently. This was meant to prevent them from undermining the national government's authority and to promote national unity. The commerce compromise outlined in Section 9 Clause 5 allowed Congress to tax imports but not exports, another measure to balance the economic interests of different states. Through such provisions, it was ensured that Congress had the sole power to regulate interstate trade and maintain equality among states, as specified in Section 9 Clause 6.