The Constitution does not, in words, say who shall be natural-born citizens. Resort must be had elsewhere to ascertain that. At common-law, with the nomenclature of which the framers of the Constitution were familiar, it was never doubted that all children born in a country of parents who were its citizens became themselves, upon their birth,
citizens also. These were natives, or natural-born citizens, as distinguished from aliens or foreigners.
Some authorities go further and include as citizens children born within the jurisdiction without reference to the citizenship of their parents. As to this class there have been doubts, but never as to the first.
For the purposes of this case it is not necessary to solve these doubts. It is sufficient for everything we have now to consider that all children born of citizen parents within the jurisdiction are themselves citizens.
To repeat, for emphasis:
For the purposes of this case it is not necessary to solve these doubts.
Minor expressly refused to give an authoritative definition of NBC.
“For the purposes of this case it is not necessary to solve these doubts.”
That is, for the purposes of the case of Minor, a female seeking the privilege to vote.
Now is the time to settle the case for the purposes of Obama, the son of a British subject seeking the privilege to be president of the United States.