"Should the time ever come when a usurper tries to gain power..."

"ARTICLE II.

"THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS
"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State the, right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

"I. The meaning of this right.--This provision is to secure the rights of citizens to bear arms, and to be trained in military exercises. Under it Congress has power to make rules for the militia but not to forbid the organization of the militia. Congress can only prescribe the methods under which they can organize. (I, 8, 16).

"Should the time ever come when a usurper tries to gain power against the will of the people, this provision may be found of value. In that case, the people could organize and defend their liberties.

"This provision was abused in the south just before the civil war by the organization and arming of military companies to resist the authority of the United States. And it may be abused in like manner again in times when sectional strife or party feeling runs high. But that is better than to take away from the people the means of defending their liberties."

- Albert Orville Wright, An exposition of the Constitution of the United States, 1889. (Congregational clergyman, educator, author, b. Rome, N.Y. He graduated from Beloit College (1864) and served in the 40th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. The author of several books, articles, and pamphlets, his most widely used textbooks were An Analysis and Exposition of the Constitution of Wisconsin (1873) and An Exposition of the Constitution of the United States (1880), both books passing through almost 100 editions).