The prohibition is general. No clause in the constitution could by any rule of construction be conceived to give congress a power to disarm the people. Such a flagitious attempt could only be made under some general pretence by a state legislature. But if in any blind pursuit of inordinate power, either should attempt it, this amendment may be appealed to as a restraint on both.
William Rawle
(1759 - 1837)
Source: A View of the Constitution of the United States of America (1829), constitutional law textbook
Add to Library | Favorites
