"James Madison, author of many of the most important Federalist Papers, defender of the Constitution before the Virginia ratifying convention, and sponsor of the Bill of Rights in the House of Representatives, was the preeminent interpreter of the Constitution for half a century. He made it clear that its role was to clearly enumerate the limited powers given to the federal government and to defend Americans from “the first experiment on our liberties” by its hand.
Madison left no doubt that the Constitution was to remain the highest law of the land in fact as well as on paper because only then could our liberties be defended against government abuse. The Constitution was not to be a “living document” that could transform its protections into excuses for the government overstepping of its limited, delegated sphere.
The anniversary of American government under the Constitution is an appropriate occasion to remember that, as we have increasingly abandoned its protections against predatory government, the intended servants of our rights and freedoms now act more and more like masters than servants."
https://fee.org/articles/16-choice-quotes-from-the-father-of-the-constitution/
Madison left no doubt that the Constitution was to remain the highest law of the land in fact as well as on paper because only then could our liberties be defended against government abuse. The Constitution was not to be a “living document” that could transform its protections into excuses for the government overstepping of its limited, delegated sphere.
The anniversary of American government under the Constitution is an appropriate occasion to remember that, as we have increasingly abandoned its protections against predatory government, the intended servants of our rights and freedoms now act more and more like masters than servants."
https://fee.org/articles/16-choice-quotes-from-the-father-of-the-constitution/