29, titled "Concerning the Militia", is a political essay by Alexander Hamilton and the twenty-ninth of The Federalist Papers arguing for the ratification of the United States Constitution.

It challenged arguments that this power would be abused, saying that militiamen would represent their states instead of the nation and using militias for tyrannical purposes would be ineffective.

To address concerns about impressionable young men joining a militia and being swayed by the national government, Publius offers what he would say to a legislator representing New York.

Here he says that full national control over militiamen would be unrealistic because it would require taking away large portions of the working population for training.

Publius questions whether his opponents are being honest in their arguments or simply unreasonable, saying that militiamen will not turn against those whom they live alongside and the officers of the militia will be chosen by their own states.

He provides examples of unreasonable assignments and movements that would move militias around the country and into France and the Netherlands, suggesting that his opponents are trying to convince the people that these are realistic possibilities.

Hamilton and his co-writers presented a disciplined military as a virtue, which meant that less consideration was given to amateur militias prior to Federalist No.

[6][7][4]: 106  As the interests of the militia would closely align with those of other citizens in their states, they would remain loyal and serve as a measure of protection against tyranny.

[6] Cato of the Anti-Federalist Papers, which argued against ratification of the constitution, opposed any national control of militias and warned that it could induce tyranny.

[3] Hamilton took a provocative, mocking tone in his response, making more direct attacks on opponents of the constitution by questioning their motives and suggesting that their arguments about national control of militias was not worth taking seriously.

This likened the Anti-Federalists to the devils in Paradise Lost who sought to wage war against Heaven by creating these same images and corrupting humanity.

29 was first invoked by Joseph Story in a footnote in Martin v. Mott (1827), making it one of only three Federalist Papers to be cited in a majority opinion by the end of the Marshall Court.