It is true that when the Constitution was framed the word "persons" would have been construed at that time to include aliens. although the word "aliens" had no clearly defined judicial meaning at the time the Constitution was adopted. for the reason that there were four. and I believe five. States which had no naturalization laws. and there was. therefore. no legal distinction common to all the States between an alien and a citizen. It is true that In many. if not all. of the Colonies aliens were permitted to vote and they were therefore at that time an organic part of the people. or of the "persons." to use the word of the Constitution. What is the situation now?
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naturalization