“Obligation, for Jefferson, is the result of free choice on the part of the individual. One is not bound to a ruler, to whom he has not given his free consent. Thus if an individual chooses to depart from the regime of his birth and to associate with a new one, he has an inherent right to do so. This is not a right of Englishmen under English law, but an inherent right under “the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God.” It inheres in all individuals as individuals, simply by virtue of their humanity, and may not be rightfully curtailed and destroyed. The individual only owes allegiance to those, to whom he has freely given his consent.”
—Kevin Portteus, Immigration and the American Founding, Hillsdale College, 2012
The American Soul Podcast
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