These papers by Madison cover topics that had previously been addressed by Hamilton in Federalist Nos. 24 – 28, and 30 – 36 (covered here, here, and here).
Federalist No. 41 focuses primarily on the issue of standing armies, Federalist No. 42 concerns issues of foreign relations, law enforcement, and interstate commerce, and Federalist No. 43 addresses further specifics of law enforcement, interstate commerce and other miscellaneous powers specified in the Constitution.
I love this description of the Articles of Confederation from Federalist No. 42:
the articles of Confederation have inconsiderately endeavored to accomplish impossibilities; to reconcile a partial sovereignty in the Union, with complete sovereignty in the States; to subvert a mathematical axiom, by taking away a part, and letting the whole remain.
Federalist No. 43 contains a statement that describes a principle weakness of the United Nations:
Governments of dissimilar principles and forms have been found less adapted to a federal coalition of any sort, than those of a kindred nature.
I do not consider the words of Madison either inferior or superior to Hamilton on these subjects. I do believe that some people would be more swayed by one approach while other people would connect more with the approach of the other.
