Constitutional Aim

I receive via email everyday the Founders' Daily Quote from the Patriot Post. They're usually pretty good, but today's struck me as all wrong:

"The aim of every political constitution is, or ought to be, first to obtain for rulers men who possess most wisdom to discern, and most virtue to pursue, the common good of the society; and in the next place, to take the most effectual precautions for keeping them virtuous whilst they continue to hold their public trust."

-- James Madison (Federalist No. 57, 19 February 1788)

Here, I think Mr. Madison got it wrong. While moral, decent, upstanding individuals are indeed what we need as public servants (not rulers), the aim of every political constitution should be, first and foremost, the protection of individual rights and liberties. Only then should you worry about the common good of the society. Society, after all, is nothing more than a collection of individuals.