>> “Hamilton told us to look to the language of the English legal system to define the terms of the Constitution.” <<
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Hamilton was not a patriot, he was a banker from Neves.
Second, we have no parallels with England. We cannot adopt their definitions because we have none of their kind of population. We have no “subjects,” and they have no citizens. What was “understood” by essentially slave subjects was overcome by sovereign citizens.
That is why our founders looked to other nations for our definitions; we rejected almost all of what was England.
“We cannot adopt their definitions because we have none of their kind of population. We have no “subjects,” and they have no citizens.”
Someone should have reminded President Washington,
“Gentlemen:
While I now receive with much satisfaction your congratulations on my being called, by an unanimous vote, to the first station in my country ...
“...And may the members of your society in America, animated alone by the pure spirit of Christianity, and still conducting themselves as the faithful subjects of our free government, enjoy every temporal and spiritual felicity.”
“G. Washington”
Apparently Massachusetts didn’t get the message that they were not to use the term “natural born subject” anymore,
In 1786, the Massachusetts legislature passed “AN ACT FOR NATURALIZING JONATHAN CURSON AND WILLIAM OLIVER” in which it was declared that Jonathan Curson and William Oliver “shall be deemed adjudged and taken to be free Citizens of this Commonwealth, and entitled to all the liberties, privileges and immunities of natural born citizens.
In 1787, the Massachusetts legislature passed “AN ACT FOR NATURALIZING WILLIAM MARTIN AND OTHERS.” in which it was declared that William Martin and Others, “shall be deemed, adjudged and taken to be free Citizens of this Commonwealth, and entitled to all the liberties, priviledges and immunities of natural born subjects.”