James Madison, a former Delegate, from the Commonwealth of Virginia, to the Constitutional Convention, using the penname “Publius,” publishes “Federalist #63,” explaining that the Senate being elected by the State legislatures is the most important feature of the success to constitutional government.  In paragraphs 9, 15 and 17 he writes,

       … The people can never wilfully [sic] betray their own interests; but they may possibly be betrayed by the representatives of the people; and the danger will be evidently greater where the whole legislative trust is lodged in the hands of one body of men, than where the concurrence of separate and dissimilar bodies is required in every public act.

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       In answer to all these arguments, suggested by reason, illustrated by examples, and enforced by our own experience, the jealous adversary of the Constitution will probably content himself with repeating, that a senate appointed not immediately by the people, and for the term of six years, must gradually acquire a dangerous pre-eminence in the government, and finally transform it into a tyrannical aristocracy.

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       Before such a revolution can be effected, the Senate, it is to be observed, must in the first place corrupt itself; must next corrupt the State legislatures; must then corrupt the House of Representatives; and must finally corrupt the people at large.  It is evident that the Senate must be first corrupted before it can attempt an establishment of tyranny.  Without corrupting the State legislatures, it cannot prosecute the attempt, because the periodical change of members would otherwise regenerate the whole body.  Without exerting the means of corruption with equal success on the House of Representatives, the opposition of that coequal branch of the government would inevitably defeat the attempt; and without corrupting the people themselves, a succession of new representatives would speedily restore all things to their pristine order. …

       [restored 12/7/2024]