The sentence is weak. The weakness is deliberate. Madison couldn’t afford, on the one hand, to let the amendment seem to contradict the hard-won federal military power in the Constitution’s main body. He couldn’t afford, on the other hand, to underscore too strongly for the states’ comfort the overwhelming nature of that federal power.
The link to William Hogeland’s story from ten years ago is here.
Mr. Hogeland also wrote one of my favorite books about the Whiskey Rebellion. I have posted from that book and others about that episode in our history here and here.
About Author
Bill Thompson, Jr. is a trial lawyer with extensive experience seeking compensation for serious harm caused by, among others, Hospitals, Physicians and other healthcare providers (Federal and State), Manufacturers of dangerous products and drugs (Ford, General Motors, Michelin, and pharmaceutical companies), Common Carriers (US Airways, Carnival Cruise Lines), Class Actions involving Data Breaches, product liability, Airline Crashes, and any other negligent act leading to harm for many. We have nationwide experience in State and Federal courts, traveling wherever significant cases merit. We are often asked to appear in cases by motion with local partners in places as varied as Michigan, Massachusetts, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and every jurisdiction in Florida.
