By thus circumscribing the plan, it will be possible to have an excellent body of well-trained militia, ready to take the field whenever the defense of the State shall require it. This will not only lessen the call for military establishments, but if circumstances should at any time oblige the government to form an army of any magnitude that army can never be formidable to the liberties of the people while there is a large body of citizens, little, if at all, inferior to them in discipline and the use of arms, who stand ready to defend their own rights and those of their fellow-citizens. This appears to me the only substitute that can be devised for a standing army, and the best possible security against it, if it should exist."
His elloqution is a bit hard to get through and sometimes to follow. However, his notions were the Federal government would not do any of these oppressive things some would argue they would do because, and primarily because, the power is with the people the states, not the other way around.
IMO, the greatest tragedy of the War Between the States is the Confederacy lost. Yeah, it was over slavery but the over riding issue was whether the Federal government could over power states rights in an area NOT proscribed to them by the constitution. In fact, the constitution legislated for slavery in its count of the population. Now then, would it have gone away in time anyway, most likely yes and probably before 1900, on its own due to industrialization or by constitution amendment as the country was growning especially in the non slave holding states.
Vince