It doesn't tell us what the meaning of "is" is either because it's not a dictionary. Of course, the intent of the definition is what it was in 1776 and where the founding fathers became familiar with the term - Vattel, Blackstone, etc.
“It doesn’t tell us what the meaning of “is” is either because it’s not a dictionary. Of course, the intent of the definition is what it was in 1776 and where the founding fathers became familiar with the term - Vattel, Blackstone, etc.”
Exactly my argument - I further made the case that since the founders cited Blackstone more frequently than Vattel, that any differences in their respective definitions of the term must resolve in favor of Blackstone’s; his writings being more frequently cited and presumably more widely (commonly) familiar to all signers.