Categories: War for Independence

Madison Explains How to Interpret the Constitution

James Madison

“As a guide in expounding and applying the provisions of the Constitution, the debates and incidental decisions of the Convention can have no authoritative character. However desirable it be that they should be preserved as a gratification to the laudable curiosity felt by every people to trace the origin and progress of their political Institutions, & as a source perhaps of some lights on the Science of Govt. the legitimate meaning of the Instrument must be derived from the text itself; or if a key is to be sought elsewhere, it must be not in the opinions or intentions of the Body which planned & proposed the Constitution, but in the sense attached to it by the people in their respective State Conventions where it recd. all the authority which it possesses.”

James Madison to Thomas Ritchie, 15 Sept. 1821

Joshua Horn

Share
Published by
Joshua Horn

Recent Posts

Scrooby Manor for Sale! – See Inside

The Scrooby Manor farmhouse Two years ago, you may remember, we saw that William Bradford's…

2 weeks ago

Corrie ten Boom: Underneath are the Everlasting Arms

The ten Boom home A young mother sat on a train, holding her baby girl…

2 weeks ago

Battle of Bunker Hill // 250th Anniversary Reenactment

The Battle of Bunker Hill, just outside Boston, was an important battle of the American…

3 weeks ago

Squire Boone: My God My Life Hath Much Befriended

It is not easy to be the little brother of a famous man. Many worthy…

2 months ago

Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence: Real or Fake?

250 years ago the representatives of the citizens of Mecklenburg County, NC declared independence from…

2 months ago

Alaska History Cruise Tour

We'd like to announce that we are organizing a Washington and Alaska tour from September 10-23, 2025. It…

2 months ago