Madison's View of a "Convention for Proposing Amendments" (3)

That Provident Article

Part 3 of our multi-part series examining the view with which James Madison, considered the father of the Constitution, regarded the State amending convention provision in Article V. Various interpretations of Madison's views have been presented over many years, in support of multiple positions in regard to the utility, and even the safety, of the Article V provision to the States to hold a "convention for proposing amendments". We are going to walk through this man's life, through his written record, to construct his position, and the continued consistency of his position, and provide the most accurate representation we can of his thoughts. We're going to take as many episodes as necessary to thoroughly flesh out his view. Today, we'll analyze the Madison's correspondence with George Lee Turberville in 1788, which includes one of the most oft quoted phrases used by opponents of the Article V "convention for proposing amendments". We'll include a brief biography of the man George Lee Turberville, of which very little is known. We'll examine the correspondence in the context of the political activity of the time - the State ratification conventions. As always, we'll present the latest news in the Convention of the States. And, we'll allow time for your phone calls.