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To: Uncle Chip

Never mind, I found the article. I strongly question Apuzzo’s claim that “We can reasonably assume that the other Founders and Framers would have defined a ‘natural born Citizen’ the same way that Ramsay did.”

Ramsay’s definition does not seem consistent with what Madison said before the House of Representatives in 1789: “It is an established maxim that birth is a criterion of allegiance. Birth however derives its force sometimes from place and sometimes from parentage, but in general place is the most certain criterion; it is what applies in the United States; it will therefore be unnecessary to investigate any other.”

I don’t see how Ramsay’s and Madison’s views can be reconciled. If they can’t be, then there was disagreement among the Founders as to what a “natural born citizen” was. If so, then the issue of whether “natural born citizen” derives its Constitutional definition from English law or French law cannot be resolved by an article by Ramsay.


90 posted on 05/14/2010 9:41:09 PM PDT by The Pack Knight (Duty, Honor, Country)
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To: The Pack Knight
Ramsay’s definition does not seem consistent with what Madison said before the House of Representatives in 1789:

Check out post #37 and the link there. Madison's quote was regarding citizenship during the time of the Declaration of Independence.

91 posted on 05/15/2010 6:24:25 AM PDT by Uncle Chip (TRUTH : Ignore it. Deride it. Allegorize it. Interpret it. But you can't ESCAPE it.)
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