THIS struck me ...
"To cement the people of America more firmly together, oaths of fidelity to the states were respectively administered soon after the declaration of independence, to all above a certain age. By these oaths, a compact was established between the state and the individuals; and those who took them acquired or confirmed their citizenship by their own personal act. By swearing to do the duty of citizens, they, by law, acquired a right to the privileges and protection of citizens. Those who refused, were ordered to depart, as being persons unfriendly to the revolution."
... because (and color me weird, but it IS what I thought first .. ) it sounded like the marriage vow one takes at THAT time of their life.
It has always been amazing to me that people could/would stand before God and man and avow un-ending allegience to each other, broken only by death .. only to (some time later) break that vow for no more of a reason than "I don't like you any more" (for whatever reason) ..
Not such a weird thought?
Buckle up ...
Every divorced or estranged politician has already broken a most sacred vow that it is no problem to be anti-American.
I haven't fleshed it out yet, but THAT was the thought ... our early citizens, by a sacred vow (never renounced?) were more stalwart in their (inner) constitution than many of the watchdaogs FOR our Constitution.
I forget who said it, and the exact words, but someone said that a Republic is only fit for a moral people (or a religious people .. I forget)
The point being a man must have a religious or God based sense of morality in order to be a citizen of the Republic.
Comments greatly welcome.
Thanks again djf
I’m interested in it for a couple reasons. First, of course, being historical. There is no doubt he was part and parcel of the whole revolution. He is also quite specific with his language and phraseology.
Secondly, the part where he talks about oaths almost make me cry when I consider what’s happening in our country today. People seem to be able to just stream across the border, demand any kind of benefits and privileges, and NEVER take any kind of oath that they support and defend the Constitution.
And supposed “Americans” who are representatives, and who HAVE sworn to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, don’t give a turd about it and many in fact try to make political hay with it!
Citizenship is not just a privilege, it is an honor. And it takes honorable men and women to make good citizens.
There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that when they wrote “natural born citizen” they meant a person born in the United States from parents who were citizens. That’s the ONLY natural right of citizenship, and the same as Vattel’s definition.