[philman_36]

For Vattel it didn't matter where the wife was from because according to HIS view of natural law - children would follow the condition of their father.
It obviously did matter as preceding sections to section 217 show.
Vattel plainly explains that "civil or political laws may, for particular reasons, ordain otherwise" and those laws, duly enacted, would determine what the case would be.

[allmendream]

And in ALL cases such as McCain's - if we are to follow Vattel - then McCain would be deemed born in the USA and would be a native or indigenous citizen - and thus natural born as a citizen of these United States.

Under what particular interpretation of what particular passage of Vattel would, in your opinion, render McCain ineligible?

And how do you address that if the USA followed Vattel - the children born in the USA of foreign parents wouldn't be citizens of the USA at all?