Federalist No. 29

Summary

Hamilton addresses the militia and the fear that federal control of it would produce an instrument of oppression. He argues that a well-regulated militia drawn from the body of the people is the natural defense of a free country, and that the practical alternative to it is the standing army the objectors claim to fear.

Key Passage

Little more can reasonably be aimed at, with respect to the people at large, than to have them properly armed and equipped; and in order to see that this be not neglected, it will be necessary to assemble them once or twice in the course of a year.

What It Says

The militia is the citizenry itself, armed and organized. Hamilton’s position is that keeping the people armed is the cheaper and safer alternative to a professional standing force.

What It Protects Against

The substitution of a professional army for an armed citizenry, which Hamilton treats as the outcome that follows from neglecting the militia.

Problem Addressed

Anti-Federalists argued that federal authority over the militia would let the government convert it into a tool against the states and the people.