. ▁ ▁This ▁r uling ▁was ▁issued ▁on ▁March ▁ 2 , ▁ 1 8 2 1 . ▁ ▁Having ▁resolved ▁the ▁significant ▁juris dict ional ▁issues , ▁the ▁next ▁day ▁the ▁Court ▁issued ▁a ▁relatively ▁un remark able ▁opinion ▁on ▁the ▁mer its ▁of ▁the ▁case ▁constru ing ▁a ▁Cong r essional ▁stat ute ▁author izing ▁a ▁lot tery ▁in ▁the ▁City ▁of ▁Washington , ▁District ▁of ▁Columbia . ▁ ▁( At ▁this ▁time ▁the ▁District ▁of ▁Columbia ▁consisted ▁of ▁two ▁cities , ▁the ▁other ▁being ▁Alexand ria , ▁which ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 0 s ▁was ▁retro ced ed ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁State ▁of ▁Virginia , ▁so ▁that ▁it ▁could ▁keep ▁its ▁role ▁as ▁a ▁major ▁slave ▁market ▁without ▁t ain ting ▁the ▁national ▁capital .) ▁ ▁The ▁main ▁issue ▁in ▁the ▁case ▁was ▁the ▁pre lim inary ▁issue ▁of ▁whether ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁had ▁juris diction ▁to ▁hear ▁an ▁appeal ▁in ▁a ▁criminal ▁case ▁decided ▁by ▁the ▁courts ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Virginia . ▁It ▁was ▁argued ▁by ▁Virginia ▁that ▁the ▁Constitution ▁does ▁not ▁give ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁app ell ate ▁juris diction ▁over ▁criminal ▁jud g ments ▁by ▁the ▁state ▁courts . ▁Virginia ▁also ▁argued ▁that ▁the ▁Constitution ▁does ▁not ▁give ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁app ell ate ▁juris diction ▁over ▁cases ▁in ▁which ▁a ▁state ▁is ▁a ▁party . ▁In ▁effect , ▁Virginia ▁argued ▁that ▁its ▁decision ▁was ▁final ▁and ▁un review able ▁by ▁the ▁federal ▁courts , ▁even ▁though ▁the ▁decision ▁involved ▁the ▁interpretation ▁and ▁application