Editing Martin v. Hunter's Lessee (section)

==Facts==
During the [[American Revolution]], the [[U.S. state|Commonwealth]] of [[Virginia]] enacted [[legislation]] that allowed it to confiscate [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|Loyalist]]s' [[property]]. Land owned by a loyalist, Martin, part of the [[Northern Neck|Northern Neck Property]], was confiscated by the State and transferred to David Hunter. The [[Treaty of Paris (1783)]] between Great Britain and the United States nullified such confiscations, permitting Martin to sue for the return of the property. The trial court ruled in  his favor, but the [[Virginia Supreme Court]] upheld the [[confiscation]]. The court did not rule that Virginia law was superior to U.S. treaties, but held that the treaty did not cover the dispute in question. On review in ''[[Fairfax's Devisee v. Hunter's Lessee]]'',<ref>The reference to Hunter's lessee is due to a technicality in actions of [[ejectment]].</ref> 11 U.S. 603 (1813), the U.S. Supreme Court disagreed with this conclusion, ruling that the treaty did in fact cover the dispute, and remanded the case back to the Virginia Supreme Court. The Virginia court in turn decided that the U.S. Supreme Court did not have authority over cases originating in state court:

<blockquote>The Court is unanimously of opinion, that the appellate power of the Supreme Court of the United States does not extend to this Court, under a sound construction of the Constitution of the United States; that so much of the 25th section of the act of Congress to establish the judicial courts of the United States, as extends the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court to this Court, is not in pursuance of the Constitution of the United States; that the writ of error in this cause was improvidently allowed under the authority of that act; that the proceedings thereon in the Supreme Court were [[coram non judice]] in relation to this Court, and that obedience to its mandate be declined by the Court.</blockquote>

The U.S. Supreme Court reversed the state court's decision on [[appeal]], ruling that questions of federal law were within its [[jurisdiction]], and thereby establishing its own supremacy in matters of [[United States Constitution|constitution]]al interpretation.

Though Chief Justice [[John Marshall]] wrote most of the Supreme Court opinions during his tenure, he did not write this opinion.  Marshall instead [[judicial disqualification|recused]] himself, citing a [[conflict of interest]] due to his relatives' interest in the property. Justice [[Joseph Story]] wrote the decision for a unanimous court.