[hinckley buzzard]

I checked the Familiar Exposition of the Constitution of the United States by Justice Joseph Story, published in 1859. In a brief discussion of the "natural born" qualification, which he seems to see as a fairly self-evident consideration, he uses the phrase "native citizen."

I know that doesn't answer the question, maybe muddles it more, but at least it goes back to the Founders, whom Story knew (he was appointed to the US Supreme Court in 1811 by President James Madison) and served with Justice Marshall for many years.So, find out what "native " meant in 1850's and you may find a clue.

[rxsid]

"Native" and "Natural" were synonymous in the 1700's, as was "Indigenous".

A few examples:

The new spelling dictionary
Author: John Entick
Published: 1780
Original from: University of Lausanne [Printed in London]
Digitized: Feb 27, 2008

From: http://books.google.com/books?id=xZUPAAAAQAAJ

 

A dictionary of the English language. Abstracted from the folio ed., by the author. To which is prefixed, an English grammar. To this ed. are added, a history of the English language
Author: Samuel Johnson
Edition: 3
Published: 1768
Original from: Oxford University [Printed in Dublin]
Digitized: Aug 10, 2006

From: http://books.google.com/books?id=bXsCAAAAQAAJ

 

Knowing that "native" and "indigenous" and "natural" are synonymous in the times preceding the Constitutional Convention...have another look a Vattel's "Law of Nations":

Original French version of Vattel's Law of Nations:

Emer de Vattel, Le droit des gens, ou Principes de la loi naturelle, vol. 1 (of 2) [1758]

From Chapter XIX, 212 (page 197 of 592) [Note: A ~22 MB PDF]: Section title in French: "Des citoyens et naturels" To English: "Citizens and natural" Clearly there is a differentiation made between "Citizens" and "Natural" (born citizens). See below. French text (about citizens): "Les citoyens sont les membres de la societe civile : lies a cette societe par certains devoirs et soumis a son autorite, ils participent avec egalite a ses avantages." ------------------- To English: "The citizens are the members of the civil society: linked to this society by certain duties and subject to its authority, they participate with equality has its advantages." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- French text (about "natural" born citizens): "Les naturels, ou indigenes, sont ceux qui sont nes dans le pays, de parens citoyens" ------------------- To English, gives this: "the natural, or indigenous, are those born in the country, parents who are citizens"

The first English translations of Vattel's work translated "naturels" to native. As we can see by the dictionaries of the time, "native" is synonymous with "natural." Later English editions of Vattel's work translated "naturels" to "natural." The point being, the words were interchangeable in this context, during and around 1787 when the Constitution was penned.