Vattel's Law of Nations and the Founding Fathers
Nobarack08 ^ | Nov 30, 2009 | syc1959
Posted on Monday, November 30, 2009 4:41:03 PM by syc1959
Vattel was the key in the United States Constitution in determining the Article 2 Natural Born Citizen clause. Here is a list of the references used by John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington in regards to Vattel’s Law of Nations. This should dispel any notion that the Founding Fathers did not use the Law of Nations as their guide.
Read the list off my blog. Contains references from John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and the Ratification.
A natural Born Citizen is a person born in country to parents who are citizens. Per Vattel
The citizens are the members of the civil society; bound to this society by certain duties, and subject to its authority, they equally participate in its advantages. The natives, or natural-born citizens, are those born in the country, of parents who are citizens. As the society cannot exist and perpetuate itself otherwise than by the children of the citizens, those children naturally follow the condition of their fathers, and succeed to all their rights... The country of the fathers is therefore that of the children; and these become true citizens merely by their tacit consent. We shall soon see whether, on their coming to the years of discretion, they may renounce their right, and what they owe to the society in which they were born. I say, that, in order to be of the country, it is necessary that a person be born of a father who is a citizen; for, if he is born there of a foreigner, it will be only the place of his birth, and not his country.
(Excerpt) Read more at nobarack08.wordpress.com ...