After the Constitution was ratified by the U. S. Constitutional Convention, it went to the States for their own State Conventions. Would the States accept it and approve of it? No one knew for sure.

Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and James Madison (the Father of the Constitution) wrote a manual to explain the arguments for and against this document. They wrote it to allay some of the State’s fears. That later became the book “The Federalist Papers”. You’ve read it, of course.

In Virginia Patrick Henry, the most influential patriot, opposed the Constitution, and said so in the convention. The Virginia Convention lasted 23 days. Patrick Henry spoke on 18 of those days, explaining his reasons for objecting to approval. One of those speeches lasted 7 hours!

James Madison responded to the issues raised by Henry, and his thoughtful reasoning could not be denied. Madison’s arguments eventually won out over Patrick’s markedly superior oratory. Madison complied with Henry’s request to return to Congress and attempt to add a Bill of Rights. Which he did.

Madison had sometimes gotten so excited about the Constitution that his knowledge showed through his speeches. Madison was concerned that he would carry on too much, and so he asked a friend to tug at his coat tails if he became too wrought up. Once, after talking nearly to the point of exhaustion, Madison reproved his friend, asking:

“Why didn’t you pull me when you heard me going on like that?”

The friend replied; “I would rather have laid my finger on the lightening!”