milton and Jay's letters were also important documents, but it was Madison's arguments that won the belief that the proposed new government would be a success, focusing on its own problems and solving them, rather than denying their existence. This ready candor that had won Jefferson's approval also won that of the public and of more and more of the Virginia council. Madison's use of language and mode of argument showed that he not only fought for the Constitution to be ratified, but that he himself believed in the Constitution as a capable rule for a nation. He admitted the document's flaws and discussed them at length in the Federalist Papers in such letters as number 58, which discusses an objection to the number of representatives given for a population (Federalist, 1787). Madison admits that the argument is valid, and proceeds to show how he believes the possible problems will be extinguished. Madison can be distinguished from his colleagues in the Federalist Papers with his ready admittance that the Constitution did have flaws, but also that he believed those flaws could be overcome - and would be (Garraty, 1795).On June 25, 1788, Virginia ratified the Constitution, an act that can largely be traced back to Madison's arguments and writings on the document. New York almost immediately followed Virginia on July 26, 1788 (Nat. Archives, 2000). It is here that one can realize the true impact of Madison fighting for ratification in Virginia. Had Virginia not ratified the document, New York almost certainly would not have either, despite the Federalist agencies arguing for it (Bent, comp., 2000). New York, it seems, was almost waiting for Virginia's 'go-ahead' to ratify, for as Chancellor Kent stated, watching the Virginia convention, "When Hamilton read Madison's letter announcing Virginia's ratification to the New York convention, the mood of the convention swayed to ratification" (Overview, 2000).Without the presence of New York and ...
