Fewer guns mean fewer killings. We want a handgun ban.

[jimmy the one]

96. pretzel logic take II

Jimmy wrote: Rawle clearly refers to the 2nd clause as a COROLLARY to the militia clause, and a corollary is something which is derived from a higher rule or law.

tortoise replied: There are two problems here. The first is that a corollary is not something which is derived from a higher rule or law, at least not in any online dictionary I found. However, I do have a definition from the online 1828 Webster's dictionary here:
http://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/corollary

Yes a corollary is generally derived from a higher rule or law. The higher proposition - rule or law - comes first, the corollary comes later, either as an inference or a consequence or result.

tortoise' pretzel logic: As you can see, in the language of Rawle's time, it meant simply a conclusion or inference drawn from a preceding premise or proposition. Thus, his "definition" falls down rather quickly, since it depends upon the militia clause being the main clause, instead of simply a proposition (Rawle's words, not mine - he defined it as a proposition in the first sentence of his section on the second amendment).

Well, inanely, you are both right & wrong. The millitia first clause is indeed a proposition, and what else is there in the 2nd amendment to qualify the individual clause to be a corollary to? One wonders if tortoise is drinking 'alternate facts' trumpian kool aid.

oxford corollary: proposition that follows from (and is often appended to) one already proved.
A direct or natural consequence or result.
Forming a proposition that follows from one already proved.
Associated or supplementary. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/corollary

cambridge corollary: something that results from something else: Unfortunately, violence is the inevitable corollary of such a revolutionary change in society. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/corollary

thesaurus synonyms for corollary: Synonyms for corollary noun conclusion, deduction
analogy upshot aftereffect consequence culmination effect end induction inference issue precipitate
http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/corollary

Tortoise cites webster's 1828 dictionary, coyly only posting the link without citing the definition, since the actual 1828 definition of corollary reinforces MY argument, not his:
A conclusion or consequence drawn from premises, or from what is advanced or demonstrated.
If it is demonstrated that a triangle which has equal sides, has also equal angles, it follows as a corollary that a triangle which has three equal sides, has its three angles equal.
A corollary is an inference from a preceding proposition.

webster's 1828 def of INFERENCE: IN'FERENCE, A truth or proposition drawn from another which is admitted or supposed to be true; a conclusion. Inferences result from reasoning, as when the mind perceives such a connection between ideas, as that, if certain propositions called premises are true, the conclusions or propositions deduced from them must also be true. http://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/inference

Note above, webster uses the word 'deduced' from propositions. Note webster's 1828 def of derive, which I previously used to define corollary: 3. To deduce or draw, as from a root, or primitive word.