Today is the 261st
anniversary of the birth of James Madison.
Madison was the Father of the Constitution, the Father of the Bill of
Rights, and our fourth president. He was a small man. In fact, a contemporary
claimed he was “no bigger than half a piece of soap.” Despite a soft voice, he
successfully debated Patrick Henry, who at the time was considered the best
orator in the United States. His voice might have been low and a bit high pitched, but
his words were powerful. It seems fitting that on his birthday we allow Madison
to speak for himself.