From: "davidsquires", [EMAIL PROTECTED] I read Federalist No. 29 again the other morning but did not get the impression that Hamilton was being evasive, just that the circumlocutory 18th Century language he employs obscures his argument rather than making it clear. I tried to simplify the language and came up with the following condensed version of PUBLIUS's argument. I would be glad of any comments about my interpretation. 1) If a standing army is dangerous to liberty the most effective way to prevent its establishment is to render it unnecessary. No amount of prohibitions on paper would be as effective. 2) A standing army would be rendered unnecessary by forming a select militia which would be created and be properly trained under regulations issued by the federal authorities for the sake of uniformity. The states would retain control of the select militia by appointing its officers and carrying out the training of the militia to the federal specification. The "great body of the yeomanry and .. the other classes of people" which form the militia could not achieve the necessary training to render them fully militarily effective without "serious public inconvenience and loss". The body of the people should merely be properly armed and equipped and should be assembled once or twice per year to see that this was not neglected. 3) If circumstances required the federal authorities to form a standing army then having a large body of citizens "little, if at all, inferior to them in discipline and the use of arms, who stand ready to defend their own rights and those of their fellow-citizens ..... appears to (Hamilton) the only substitute that can be devised for a standing army and the best possible security against it, if it should exist." 4) The idea of the militia of one state being employed to oppress the citizens of another state Hamilton dismisses as absurd, for "what shadow of danger can there be from men who are daily mingling with the rest of their countrymen ...." There are various web sources for copies of the Constitution and its associated documents. I have used one from a company called Legalsoft. Although I have not looked for it for some time it should still be available. Cheers David -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://web.onetel.net.uk/~davidsquires -- "The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed." I think is the most famous quote from #29. Steve. Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________________________________ T O P I C A The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
