Madison Amendment - a focus on "militia"

There was little support for a standing army.  Patrick Henry’s June 1788 speech argued forcefully it was not necessary, and was dangerous to individual liberty.  Since the federal government was in charge of the militia under the Constitution, maybe Madison was saying to the states do not limit or infringe on the right of the people to bear arms, especially since it was in the interest of the national government to be able to regulate how the militia would be armed and organized once called into national service

Or maybe he wanted the states not to infringe on citizens' right to bear arms to facilitate a nationally called up militia.