Our Own Magna Carta American (Part Six)

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Fragile Freedom

News & Politics


If “Congress will devote but one more day to the subject, so far as to satisfy the public that we do not disregard their wishes, it will have a salutary influence.” Those would be the words of James Madison as he rose, despite the apathy and the opposition faced to the amendments that he was now proposing to the House of Representatives. As promised, in this episode we take the Bill of Rights to the floor of the Congress for the reaction of those Representatives to James Madison’s proposal. Already having faced considerable opposition from both sides, those who believed the Constitution was fine the way it was, and those who believed it encroached on the rights and the freedoms of the people, many had waited to see what the Virginia Congressman was going to propose. Now it was becoming abundantly clear that a fight was brewing not just between the Federalists and the Antifederalists, but the interests and the agendas of politicians united for one reason or another in their opposition to what was being proposed. Yet, regardless of it all, slowly but surely the road to a Bill of Rights was being paved as he worked tirelessly to drag that first Congress, those one time allies and long time opponents, to where they needed to be. A brief word of apology. When recording this episode I was a bit under the weather, battling a cold and a sore throat. Because of that it is perhaps not the most lively of episodes as talking, at times, as I am sure you will hear, was a bit difficult. That said, I wanted to continue this series, and hope you will find it as informative as other episodes have been. So I look forward to you joining with me as we continue our journey with this, the sixth episode, and the first part on the floor fight for the Amendments that would eventually become our Bill of Rights.