Contrarian Founding Father Luther Martin

Luther Martin (February 9, 1748–July 8, 1826) was a politician and one of United States' Founding Fathers, but refused to sign the Constitution because he felt it violated states' rights. Download high resolution version (700x850, 38 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (700x850, 38 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... February 9 is the 40th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events April 24 - A congress assembles at Aix-la-Chapelle with the intent to conclude the struggle known as the War of Austrian Succession - at October 18 - The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle is signed to end the war Adam Smith begins to deliver public lectures in Edinburgh Building of... July 8 is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 176 days remaining. ... The oldest surviving photograph, Nicéphore Niépce, circa 1826 1826 (MDCCCXXVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... ... States rights refers to the idea, in U.S. politics and constitutional law, that U.S. states possess certain rights and political powers in relation to the federal government. ...

Like many of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention, Luther Martin attended the College of New Jersey (later Princeton), from which he graduated at the head of a class of 35 in 1766. Though born in Metuchen, New Jersey, in 1748, Martin moved to Maryland after receiving his degree and taught there for three years. He then began to study the law and was admitted to the Virginia bar in 1771. Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States, by Howard Chandler Christy. ... one of the earlier names for Princeton University Trenton State College is now known as The College of New Jersey This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Princeton University is a coeducational private university located in Princeton, New Jersey, in the United States of America. ... 1766 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Metuchen borough highlighted in Middlesex County Image:Metuchen. ... Events April 24 - A congress assembles at Aix-la-Chapelle with the intent to conclude the struggle known as the War of Austrian Succession - at October 18 - The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle is signed to end the war Adam Smith begins to deliver public lectures in Edinburgh Building of... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area  Ranked 35th  - Total 42,793 sq mi (110,862 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 7. ... A bar association is a professional body of lawyers who, in some jurisdictions, are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession. ... 1771 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

Martin was an early advocate of American independence from Great Britain. In the fall of 1774 he served on the patriot committee of Somerset County, New Jersey, and in December he attended a convention of the Province of Maryland in Annapolis, which had been called to consider the recommendations of the Continental Congress. Maryland appointed Luther Martin its attorney general in early 1778. In this capacity, Martin vigorously prosecuted Loyalists, whose numbers were strong in many areas of the state. Tensions had even led to insurrection and open warfare in some counties. While still attorney general, Martin joined the Baltimore Light Dragoons. In July 1781 his unit joined Pierre Lafayette's forces near Fredericksburg, Virginia, but Martin was recalled by the governor to prosecute a treason trial. Somerset County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. ... A map of the Province of Maryland. ... Britannia gives a heros welcome to returning American Loyalists. ... Location in Virginia Coordinates: Country United States State Virginia County Spotsylvania County* Founded 1728 Incorporated 1781  - Mayor Thomas Tomzak Area    - City  10. ...

From 1778 to 1805 he was Attorney General of Maryland; in 1814-1816 he was chief judge of the court of Oyer and Terminer for the city of Baltimore; and in 1818 to 1822 he was again attorney-general of Maryland. Martin married Maria Cresap on Christmas Day 1783. Of their five children, three daughters lived to adulthood. His postwar law practice grew to become one of the largest and most successful in the country. In 1785 Martin was elected to the Continental Congress, but this appointment was purely honorary. His numerous public and private duties prevented him from traveling to Philadelphia. Oyer redirects here. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Monument City, Charm City, Mob Town, B-more Motto: Get In On It (formerly The City That Reads and The Greatest City in America; BELIEVE is not the official motto but rather a specific campaign) Location Location of Baltimore in Maryland Coordinates , Government Country State County United...

He attended the Constitutional Convention of 1787 at Philadelphia, but opposed the ratification of the United States Constitution and refused to affix his signature. This article discusses the history of the United States Constitution. ... Nickname: Motto: Philadelphia maneto - Let brotherly love continue Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States Commonwealth Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Government  - Mayor John F. Street (D) Area  - City 369. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Constitution of the United States of America Page one of the original copy of the Constitution. ...

At the Constitutional Convention Martin opposed the idea of a strong central government. When he arrived on June 9, 1787, he expressed suspicion of the secrecy rule imposed on the proceedings. He consistently sided with the small states and voted against the Virginia Plan. On June 27 Martin spoke for more than three hours in opposition to the Virginia Plan's proposal for proportionate representation in both houses of the legislature. Martin served on the committee formed to seek a compromise on representation, where he supported the case for equal numbers of delegates in at least one house. Before the convention closed, he and another Maryland delegate, John Francis Mercer, walked out. June 9 is the 160th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (161st in leap years), with 205 days remaining. ... Year 1787 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... A proposal by Edmund Randolph during the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the Virginia Plan (also known as the Large State Plan) was notable for its role in setting the overall agenda for debate in the convention and, in particular, for setting forth the idea of destroying the population The Constitutional... June 27 is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 187 days remaining. ... John Francis Mercer (May 17, 1759–August 30, 1821) was an American lawyer, planter, and politician from Virginia and Maryland. ...

In an address to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1787 and in numerous newspaper articles, Martin attacked the proposed new form of government and continued to fight ratification of the Constitution through 1788. He lamented the ascension of the national government over the states and condemned what he saw as unequal representation in Congress. He owned six slaves of his own and opposed including slaves in determining representation and believed that the absence of a jury in the U.S. Supreme Court gravely endangered freedom. At the convention, Martin complained, the aggrandizement of particular states and individuals often had been pursued more avidly than the welfare of the country. The assumption of the term "federal" by those who favored a national government also irritated Martin. Around 1791, however, Martin turned to the Federalist party because of his animosity toward Thomas Jefferson, who in 1807 spoke of him as the Federal Bull-Dog. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C., (large image) The Supreme Court of the United States, located in Washington, D.C., is the highest court (see supreme court) in the United States; that is, it has ultimate judicial authority within the United States... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal      The government of the United States of America, established by the U.S. Constitution, is... ...

The first years of the 1800s saw Martin as defense counsel in two controversial national cases. In the first Martin won an acquittal for his close friend, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase, in his impeachment trial in 1805. Two years later Martin was one of Aaron Burr's defense lawyers when Burr stood trial for treason in 1807. The Justices of the United States Supreme Court, other than the Chief Justice, are termed Associate Justices. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Depiction of the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson, then President of the United States, in 1868. ... This article does not adequately cite its references. ... Traitor redirects here. ...

After a record 28 consecutive years as state attorney general, Luther Martin resigned in December 1805. In 1813 Martin became chief judge of the court of oyer and terminer for the City and County of Baltimore. He was reappointed attorney general of Maryland in 1818, and in 1819 he argued Maryland's position in the landmark Supreme Court case McCulloch v. Maryland. The plaintiff, represented by Daniel Webster, William Pinkney and William Wirt, Martin's fortunes declined dramatically in his last years. Heavy drinking, illness, and poverty all took their toll. Paralysis, which had struck in 1819, forced him to retire as Maryland's attorney general in 1822. In 1826, at the age of 78, Luther Martin died in Aaron Burr's home in New York City and was buried in the churchyard of Trinity Church at the corner of Wall and Broadway in New York City. Holding Although the Constitution does not specifically give Congress the power to establish a bank, it does delegate the ability to tax and spend, and a bank is a proper and suitable instrument to assist the operations of the government in the collection and disbursement of the revenue. ... Daniel Webster (January 18, 1782 – October 24, 1852) was a leading American statesman during the nations antebellum era. ... William Pinkney William Pinkney (March 17, 1764–February 25, 1822) was an American statesman and diplomat, and the seventh U.S. Attorney General. ... William Wirt (November 8, 1772 – February 18, 1834) was an American author and statesman who is credited with turning the position of United States Attorney General into one of influence. ... This article does not adequately cite its references. ... New York, NY redirects here. ...

References

• National Archives - Constitution Founding Fathers - Luther Martin
• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.