At the Virginia Constitutional Ratification Convention, Delegate George Mason—one of the three non-signing delegates to the Constitutional Convention—speaks out against ratification: “I abominate and detest the idea of a government, where there is a standing army.”
[added 8/1/2026] Thanks to Bill Holmes for this entry.
Subsequent Events:
Authority:
Articles of Confederation, Article XIII
ccc-2point0.com/Articles-of-Confederation
References:
Martial Law on the Installment Plan
freedominourtime.blogspot.com/2008_05_01_archive.html
Article 1, Section 8, Clause 15: Debate in Virginia Ratifying Convention
press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/a1_8_15s13.html
Current U.s. National Debt:
