James Kent:
When the United States ceased to be a part of the British empire, and assumed the character of an independent nation, they became subject to that system of rules which reason, morality, and custom had established among the civilized nations of Europe, as their public law. During the war of the American revolution, Congress claimed cognizance of all matters arising upon the law of nations, and they professed obedience to that law, “ according to the general usages of Europe.”* By this law we are to understand that code of public instruction, which defines the rights and prescribes the duties of nations, in their intercourse with each other. The faithful observance of this law is essential to national character, and to the happiness of mankind.
These are NOT my words, these are Kent's words, the Law of Nations is essential to national character aka nationality aka citizenship. Or as Kent put it here as well as is wriiten in the Ceclaration of Independence, the happiness of mankind.
“These are NOT my words, these are Kent’s words, the Law of Nations is essential to national character aka nationality aka citizenship. Or as Kent put it here as well as is wriiten in the Ceclaration of Independence, the happiness of mankind.”
Ummm...one problem with discussing things with birthers is that they are used to reading sentence fragments, or sometimes stretch themselves to read an entire sentence. But as Ha Ha Thats Very Logical has pointed out, “I don’t think every reference to “the law of nations” is necessarily a reference to the book “The Law of Nations.”
When Kent wrote, “Congress claimed cognizance of all matters arising upon the law of nations...”, he didn’t capitalize “The Law of Nations”, nor did he cite the author, so he is not referring to a book written by Vattel.
From the Encyclopedia Britannica, “jus gentium, (Latin: “law of nations”), in legal theory, that law which natural reason establishes for all men, as distinguished from jus civile, or the civil law peculiar to one state or people. Roman lawyers and magistrates originally devised jus gentium as a system of equity applying to cases between foreigners and Roman citizens. The concept originated in the Romans’ assumption that any rule of law common to all nations must be fundamentally valid and just.”
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/308654/jus-gentium
Also see:
http://www.constitution.org/cmt/law_of_nations.htm
Vattel wrote a book about the law of nations (jus gentium), but he did not originate the concept nor copyright the term.