9 ▁provided ▁an ▁early ▁preced ent ▁for ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁keep ▁and ▁bear ▁arms ▁( although ▁this ▁applied ▁only ▁to ▁Protest ants ) ▁and ▁prohib ited ▁cruel ▁and ▁unusual ▁pun ishment . ▁ ▁The ▁greatest ▁influence ▁on ▁Mad ison ' s ▁text , ▁however , ▁was ▁existing ▁state ▁constitution s . ▁Many ▁of ▁his ▁am end ments , ▁including ▁his ▁proposed ▁new ▁pre am ble , ▁were ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁Virginia ▁Dec laration ▁of ▁Rights ▁draft ed ▁by ▁Anti - F eder al ist ▁George ▁Mason ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 6 . ▁To ▁reduce ▁future ▁opposition ▁to ▁rat ification , ▁Mad ison ▁also ▁looked ▁for ▁recommend ations ▁shared ▁by ▁many ▁states . ▁He ▁did ▁provide ▁one , ▁however , ▁that ▁no ▁state ▁had ▁requested : ▁" No ▁state ▁shall ▁viol ate ▁the ▁equal ▁rights ▁of ▁conscience , ▁or ▁the ▁freedom ▁of ▁the ▁press , ▁or ▁the ▁trial ▁by ▁j ury ▁in ▁criminal ▁cases ." ▁He ▁did ▁not ▁include ▁an ▁am end ment ▁that ▁every ▁state ▁had ▁asked ▁for , ▁one ▁that ▁would ▁have ▁made ▁tax ▁assess ments ▁volunt ary ▁instead ▁of ▁contributions . ▁Mad ison ▁proposed ▁the ▁following ▁constitution al ▁am end ments : ▁ ▁C raft ing ▁am end ments ▁Federal ist ▁represent atives ▁were ▁quick ▁to ▁attack ▁Mad ison ' s ▁proposal , ▁fear ing ▁that ▁any ▁move ▁to ▁am end ▁the ▁new ▁Constitution ▁so ▁soon ▁after ▁its ▁implementation ▁would ▁create ▁an ▁appearance ▁of ▁inst ability ▁in ▁the ▁government . ▁The ▁House , ▁unlike ▁the ▁Senate , ▁was ▁open ▁to