George Washington and Vatell's Law of Nations

By Douglas V. Gibbs

In Article I, Section 8, Clause 10, the Constitution makes reference to the Law of Nations, capitalizing the title of Vatell's book in the text. It has long been my argument that Vatell's Law of Nations was highly influential on the Founders, especially when it came to definitions such as the one for Natural Born Citizen.

Benjamin Franklin owned three copies of the book, having two for the Constitutional Convention, and one for himself.

The liberal left has combated me on this issue, saying to me that there is no indication that Vatell's Law of Nations had the kind of influence that I claim on the Founding Fathers.

Interestingly enough, the truth has a way of revealing itself.

One such indication that Vatell's Law of Nations was indeed something the Founding Fathers read, and relied upon, comes from a recent story about George Washington, and his debt to the New York Library.

It seems that George Washington failed to return his library book, which by the way was Vatell's Law of Nations. The fee for his failure to return the book and another book? Today it has reached over $300,000.

In 1789, Washington borrowed from the New York Public Library Vatell's Law of Nations and the twelfth volume of a 14-volume collection of debates from the English House of Commons. Neither book was ever returned.

The library doesn't want the fine, just the books, and word has it that Mount Vernon has a couple copies of the book from Washington's collection, and promptly returned the books (though it is possible the returned ones weren't necessarily "the" books) to the library.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

How George Washington racked up a $300,000 fine for overdue library books - Christian Science Monitor