▁importance ▁of ▁doing ▁so ▁during ▁the ▁often ▁content ious ▁rat ification ▁deb ates . ▁By ▁taking ▁the ▁initi ative ▁to ▁propose ▁am end ments ▁himself ▁through ▁the ▁Congress , ▁he ▁hoped ▁to ▁pre empt ▁a ▁second ▁constitution al ▁convention ▁that ▁might , ▁it ▁was ▁fe ared , ▁und o ▁the ▁difficult ▁comprom ises ▁of ▁ 1 7 8 7 , ▁and ▁open ▁the ▁entire ▁Constitution ▁to ▁re cons ider ation , ▁thus ▁risk ing ▁the ▁dissol ution ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁federal ▁government . ▁Writing ▁to ▁Jefferson , ▁he ▁stated , ▁" The ▁friends ▁of ▁the ▁Constitution , ▁some ▁from ▁an ▁appro b ation ▁of ▁particular ▁am end ments , ▁others ▁from ▁a ▁spirit ▁of ▁conc ili ation , ▁are ▁generally ▁agreed ▁that ▁the ▁System ▁should ▁be ▁re vised . ▁But ▁they ▁wish ▁the ▁revis al ▁to ▁be ▁carried ▁no ▁farther ▁than ▁to ▁supply ▁additional ▁gu ards ▁for ▁liberty ." ▁He ▁also ▁felt ▁that ▁am end ments ▁guarantee ing ▁personal ▁libert ies ▁would ▁" g ive ▁to ▁the ▁Government ▁its ▁due ▁popular ity ▁and ▁stability ". ▁Finally , ▁he ▁hoped ▁that ▁the ▁am end ments ▁" w ould ▁ac quire ▁by ▁degrees ▁the ▁character ▁of ▁fundamental ▁maxim s ▁of ▁free ▁government , ▁and ▁as ▁they ▁become ▁incorpor ated ▁with ▁the ▁national ▁sentiment , ▁counter act ▁the ▁imp uls es ▁of ▁interest ▁and ▁passion ". ▁Histor ians ▁continue ▁to ▁debate ▁the ▁degree ▁to ▁which ▁Mad ison ▁considered ▁the ▁am end ments ▁of ▁the ▁Bill ▁of ▁Rights ▁necessary , ▁and ▁to ▁what ▁degree ▁he ▁considered ▁them