Federalist #68 (Alexander Hamilton):
Nothing was more to be desired than that every practicable obstacle should be opposed to cabal, intrigue, and corruption. These most deadly adversaries of republican government might naturally have been expected to make their approaches from more than one querter, but chiefly from the desire in foreign powers to gain an improper ascendant in our councils. How could they better gratify this, than by raising a creature of their own to the chief magistracy of the Union? But the convention have guarded against all danger of this sort, with the most provident and judicious attention.
What could Hamilton possibly have meant by "creatures of their own" raised by foreign powers? Could these "creatures" be children of non-citizen parents who still hold allegience to their home country?
What did Hamilton mean by "the convention have guarded against all danger of this sort" if not for both the natural-born citizen requirement for the President and the original intent of the Electoral College?
Earlier in Federalist #68, Hamilton writes:
It was equally desirable, that the immediate election should be made by men most capable of analyzing the qualities adapted to the station, and acting under circumstances favorable to deliberation, and to a judicious combination of all the reasons and inducements which were proper to govern their choice. A small number of persons, selected by their fellow-citizens from the general mass, will be most likely to possess the information and discernment requisite to such complicated investigations.
Today's Electoral College is a rubber-stamp for the candidates, pre-selected state-wide slates of party insiders that vote the Electoral College allocation for the candidate.
What the Framers intended was for non-government citizens to be selected in each locality (Congressional district) to meet at the designated time, to "analyze the qualities" of the candidates, and "possess information and discernment requisite to such complicated investigations."
In other words, the Hamilton expected the Electoral College to review the qualifications of the candidates, weed out the reprobates and foreigners, and then vote for the person whom they thought was best "adapted to the station" to be President.
These were the "guards" of "provident and judicious attention" that Hamilton was referring to, that would be on the lookout for "all dangers of this sort."
The biggest danger, enough of a concern to be mentioned in Federalist #68, was "creatures" of foreign powers becoming President.
-PJ
This is awesome!
Ironic coming from a British citizen. ;-)
I truly hope that someone, now and in the future, will be just a vigilant in monitoring those that have snuck across our borders and may one day seek power in our government.