Link? Don’t recall that (but believe it, just want references). BTW: other documents show draft versions included verbiage making clear it applied to individual common citizens.
I’m afraid I can’t locate a single, comprehensive link that describes the debate, but the essence of the debate originated in disagreements between the Federalists (proponents of a stronger central government and a standing army) and the Anti-Federalists, who wanted more power reserved to the states and opposed the concept of a standing, peacetime army. The Second Amendment, which formally empowered the states to form their own militias (not the National Guard, which is a federally-managed component of the Department of Defense), was a concession to the Anti-Federalists, who wanted the Second Amendment to be the first to ensure the primacy of the states over the federal government. To further illustrate the intent of the Second Amendment as written, I would offer the following:
In Federalist 46, Hamilton wrote: “Besides the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation, the existence of subordinate governments, TO WHICH THE PEOPLE ARE ATTACHED, AND BY WHICH THE MILITIA OFFICERS ARE APPOINTED, forms a barrier against the enterprises of ambition [a reference to expanding federal power], more insurmountable than any which a simple government of any form can admit of.”
Further underscoring the above, George Mason wrote: “Americans need never fear their government because of the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation”, as well as, “I ask, sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people except for a few public officials.”
This link will give you a pretty comprehensive examination of the Second Amendment, relevant writings and court decisions: http://www.guncite.com/gc2ndpur.html
NOTE: The National Guard was created by the Militia Act of 1903. It falls under the National Guard Bureau (NGB), a component of the Department of Defense, and administered by the Chief of the NGB, who is appointed by the President. The chief serves as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, serves as a military Advisor to the President, Secretary of Defense and the National Security Council and is the Department of Defense’s official channel of communication to the Governors and State Adjutants General on all matters pertaining to the National Guard. He is responsible for ensuring that the more than 453,000 Army and Air National Guard personnel are accessible, capable and ready to protect the homeland and to provide combat ready resources to the Army and Air Force. The above is all from the NGB, which clearly does not embody the concept of “militia” as originally conceived in British Common Law and our Constitution.