Mason at the Virginia Ratification Convention:
"...Should the national government wish to render the militia useless, they may neglect them, and let them perish, in order to have a pretence of establishing a standing army... An instance within the memory of some of this house will show us how our militia may be destroyed. Forty years ago, when the resolution of enslaving America was formed in Great Britain, the British Parliament was advised by an artful man,[1] who was governor of Pennsylvania, to disarm the people; that it was the best and most effectual way to enslave them; but that they should not do it openly, but weaken them, and let them sink gradually, by totally disusing and neglecting the militia.
[Here Mr. Mason quoted sundry passages to this effect.] This was a most iniquitous project.
Why should we not provide against the danger of having our militia, our real and natural strength, destroyed? The general government ought, at the same time, to have some such power. But we need not give them power to abolish our militia.
If they neglect to arm them, and prescribe proper discipline, they will be of no use.
I am not acquainted with the military profession. I beg to be excused for any errors I may commit with respect to it. But I stand on the general principles of freedom, whereon I dare to meet any one.
I wish that, in case the general government should neglect to arm and discipline the militia, there should be an express declaration that the state governments might arm and discipline them. With this single exception, I would agree to this part, as I am conscious the government ought to have the power."
A much underappreciated Founder.
"It's far more likely that it referred to the necessity of having a militia that's set up to be effective at doing its job, being properly "regulated" for that purpose the same way a watch is properly regulated."Nope. The term "well regulated" is not a descriptive legal term of art which describes some form of effective organizational infrastructure. It is purely concerned with military logistics and refers to the use of like arms, ammunition and equipment necessary to a uniform military force.
Further the term "militia" certainly does not refer to a national guard as we know it today. That organization was created in the year 1913. When first conceived during the time of the American Revolution such personnel (Citizen Soldiers) would have been referring to the Tories loyal to King George! Certainly such was on the minds of the Framers when the Bill of Rights was finally codified just after the war...as can be seen in the writings and papers of the Founding fathers.
Correction noted. Thank you.