2208fi^

I Rcnrsay,
DovldI, 1749-1815.
A Diserfqtionon the Monnersof A"qriring the Chqrqcter
ond hivil"g.r of o Citizen.
m.p.' 1799. I pp.
AAScopy.
DI S S E RTA TI O N
ON THE

MANNER O F A C q U TR IN G

THB

CH AR AC T ER A N DP R I V I L E G E g

OF A

CITIZE N
OF THE

rv N ITBD STATE s.
'I'" *''
ft,.) , r( r'r-11'r!" t't t' j
L J,*r^ i

P R INTBN ; Ti{E YEAR M DCCLXXXI , Y.

DISSERTATION,8fc,

-r g E llnitcd Statcs
aree newnation,or politicalfociety,
, formedar firft by tlre declararion of independence,
our of thcfe BritiJblabjctts in Antica, who weiethrown
out of _royal prore&ionby a& of parliarnenr,pafed in
Dcccmber, r77S.
A citizenof theUnitedStatcsr meansa memberof this
newnarion. The principlec
changedby the revolution,
peoplewasalfochanged fron
The diffcrence is immenG. Subjedtis derivalfrom thc
latinwordsn fub mdjacio,andmeans onewho is,ndarthe
powerof another; but a citizenis anuit of a rnafsof frec
people,who, colledtively, polfeGfovereignty.
Subjedts lookup to a mafter
that nonehaveheredita,ry rigt
citizenof a freeftatecontain
and the conftitution,asmuc
asanother. In theeyeof rei
tical conditionof citizensi
noblemen.Dukes andearlsare the creatures of kings,
3nd.Tay be madeb1 tfery at plc.afure : bur citizenspof&fr
in theirown right originalfovcreignty.
There is alfo a greatdiffcrcncebetweencitizens, and
inhabirants or refidents.
Any perfonliving within a coilnrryor ftare,is an inha.
birantof it, or relidentin it.

Tlrc
 t + l
The precifcdiffe'encqmeybc thusftatecl:The citizenof
a freeftateis fo unitcdto it as to poffcfsan indiviciual's
proportionof thecommonfclvcreignty i but he who is no
i'noiethanan inhabitant, or refidenf,fiasno fartherconnec-
tion with the ltate in whichhe refides,thanfuchasgives
lrirnfccuiityfor hisperfonandproltrty, agreeably to fixed
l;trvs,withoutanyparticipation in irs governrnent.
d modern,havebcenjealous
Thc ncwconftitudon carries
'e not onlyprefentcirizcnftip
cttit
fenators,but antecr:dent

theUnitcdStatcs, is therctbrcw
The followingeppear to be rheonly modcsof acquiring
tihisdiftinguilhingprivilcgc.
rft. By beingpartiesto theoriginalcompa€t,thedecla.
r;rtionof indcpendcnce.
2d, By taking an oathof fidclity to fomc one of the
ttnitcdStatu,agrecably ro law.
3d, By tacitconfent andacquiefcence.
4th. By birthor inheritance,
5th. By edoption. Of eachof thclbin thcirorder.
t(t. By the declaration of
cllaimed to the wc.rrld,
that th
of theunitedcolonies, werer
were
d tlrat the latecolonies
," tor the fupporcof this
ted together,by pletfgingto
rnes,andfacredhonour." By
n,
tlriscventfuldeclaration, a nationwas born in a dry,t
I\ earlythreemillionsof geoplcwhohadbcenfubjedts,be-
cilme citizens. 'l heir forrir,

s this wasdoncby thc repre-

fcntativee
 t5l
fentativesof rhepeopleof th
anclon their behalf,all wl
conqrefs with power,acquirer
to thisfolemna€t. Thefcori
ersof theUnitcdStttct Citi
in thiswayby abfentees from,
Strchwerenot thrownout of Br:iti/bprotcfiionby the re-
ftrainingadt of parliament, andtherefore condnuod hitiJb
-And, and in quiet poffettion
fubjetlsiundertfre oblig.tions, of
theirBritilh allegianca
r fecondly,Suchcouldnot bc
partiesto the conftirutionof congrclt. The membersof
that bodywerenot theirdeputiesr or agents,andthcrefore
couldnot bindthem,or a& for thenr.
zd. To cementthe people
ther,oathsof fideliryto the(
fteredfoonafierthedeclaratior
a certainage. By thefeoaths,a compa&wat cftablilhed
between the ftateandthe individuals i andthofewhotook
theircitizenlhiphy their own
do thedutyof citizens,they,
rc privilegesandprote&ionof
l, wereordercdto drparq as
bcingperfonsunfriendlyto therevolution.
3d. As thewardrewneara clofe,the admirriftration of
oathsbeingleGnecelfary, was
then,andnowis, dailyacquir
fcence. Minorswhoweren(
the declaration of independc
fidcliryto theftatesar thc tim

, cveryfreeman is at libcnyro
r, andhis allegiance.Thofc
n tlreallegianccunderwhich
rome,by tacitconfenc,
'be. ei:her
t'ubjcCts
or citizens,asthecat'emay In rhismanncr,
youngmenare.nowdailyacquiring cirizenlhip,withoutrhe
intervenuonof an oath. Il
 t 61
It is to treobfcrveC, that i
rcguirecidzenlh ip in this w
corherevolurion is indifpenfa
comrnencement of theirLirir.
P n: to.acqu.ielcg in, or confenrro a governmenr, bcforehe
haslivedunderit, asro become a cirizenthereot'by tacit
confcna.
- Citisenftip,whenacquired in thiswayby an abfcntee at
the timeof the declaracion of independence, cantherefore
onlybedatedfromthetimein whichtheclaimantof that
highprivilegebecame a refitlent underthe indcpendent go-
vcrnmentof rhcftrte of whichheclaimsto be a cicizen.
4th. Nonecanclaimcitizen
ashavcbeenborn lince the,
fbr thisobviousreafon : no m
id not exiftat the timeof his
itanceof thechildren of rholb
latcrevolurion l bur this is
idren<lfthofewhowgrethem-
fclvescitizens.Tholbwhodiedbcfbretherevoluti}h,could
leaveno politicalchrra&erto theirchildren,bqt thar of
fubjedtsr. whichthevrhenrfelves poffeficC.If theyhadlived,
no onecouldbe certrinwherhcrtheywouldhaveadhercd
to the-king.or to congrel's.Their ,:hildrcn, therefore,may
claimby inhcrirance the righrsof Britift tabjcB,t,bucnot
cif lncrican citizens,
5th. Perfons bornin anycountrymeyhaveacquired ciri-
zenfhipby adoption,or naturalization, agreeably to law.
The citizenlhipof I'uchrnuftbe datedfrom the timeof
theiradoprion.
Fromthefcobfcrvations, thefollowingihferences refult.
Citizenftipis an adventitious chara&er to everyaduJtin
tlrclJnited Eiatui andtherewilsa certainperiotlin thelives
of fuchperfons, whentheyceafcd to be fubjefts,andbegrn
to be.citizens.
The citizen{hip of noman(
rationof independence, and,
nonebut thotbwho havebE
4thof |ub, t776.
 t Tl
This aceounts
for theufcof

e repreGntatives fevenlesrs3
rcfidentmuft bc a citizen for
s inrpofiible,for indepeadence
'sdeclaredlthereforetheword
er to comprehend dmebefore
the declaradon of independence.
By the fameparagraph,the diftin&ionbetwecna citizen
snd a relidentis conftitutionally recognized i for tho' it is
ncccffary,that rhe prelidenrmuft havebcen(3fourreen
yearse rcfdantr"it is fufficientfor him to havebecomea
dtizcn c3at the dmeof the adoption of the conftiturion."
By thisit ir acknowledged, thatonemaybc muchlongera
rcfidcntwithintheUnitld Statcs, thana citizenof thelims.
The precilionof this paragraph, in refpc&to langurgc,is
worthyof obfcrvation.ft isnot faid,thattheprefident muft
havcbeena refidentin,ot aninhabiranr of theUnitcd$tatu,
for fourtcenyears, The word ufcd is uitbin, which, as
cxplainedby Do&or Jobn[on,means,.3 in the compafs
ofr"-----" the inclofureof." The fentence, therefore,when
analyfcd,means nothingmorethantbarthe prefidenrmuft
havebcena rc0denswirhin thelinitr of theUnitcdEtatcs for
fourtecnyears.
Though the ftatcshavenot exiftedasftaresfor fourteen
yeanii leh theirgeographical boundaries, or limits, havc
exiftedfrom thc 6rft Gtdementof lmrica, Bur to proceed
with inferences.From the premifes alreadyeftabliihed,ir
maybe farthcrinferred,thatcitizcnftip,by inheriunce,be-
longsto nonebut thc childrcnof thofclmricaw, who,
havingfurvivedthc declaration of independence, acquired
that adventitious chara&er in rheirownright, andtranfmir-
ted it to theiroffspring. The childrenof ihofcwhodierJbe-
foretherevolution, whoareno,
th_atprivilcgcin theirown rig
afti ihatis,byjoiningtheircor
Citizenhip,acquiredby tacirconfcnr,is exclufively con-
6ncd to the cafcsof pcrfonswho havc relidedwitliinthc
Unitcd
 181
Unitcdstatcsfince the declararionof independencer ancl
couldnot havecommenced prior to their dclualrclitlence
undertheirncwanrlindependent goyernmenrc.
Fromthewholeit is plain,
a native.whowasabfcntfror

Dangenous confeguences r
that birth andrelidence,bcfc

lf thislhouldbc eftablilhec
libertiesandindepndencGr rn
citizens. All 'nachildrenh

turers,who havecontributed
mentof our liberries:for thc
beforctherevolurion,whoare
mighr,on tharprinciple,6l
Inaia, comeherernd-fcll rhei
of cidzcns,fromrhecircumftr

manyotherconfeluences, in-
nmcrccof thefettetes,would
lerouspofidon,thatbirrh and
brc thc revolution,conferred
Edentgothcir rerurnafter thas
evcnrhadmhenplace.

h'I JV I . t ,