In the case of State of Georgia v. Stanton, the Supreme Court of the United States was asked to decide whether the state of Georgia had the right to prosecute a former Confederate soldier for treason. The defendant, Stanton, had been a member of the Confederate army during the Civil War and had been charged with treason by the state of Georgia. The Supreme Court held that the state of Georgia did not have the right to prosecute Stanton for treason. The Court reasoned that the Confederate States of America had been a separate and distinct government from the United States, and that the United States had no authority to punish its citizens for acts committed against the Confederate government. The Court further held that the state of Georgia had no authority to punish its citizens for acts committed against the Confederate government, as the Confederate government was no longer in existence. The Court's decision in this case was significant in that it established the principle that the United States government could not punish its citizens for acts committed against a foreign government. This principle has been applied in subsequent cases involving the prosecution of individuals for acts committed against foreign governments.

In the case of State of Georgia v. Stanton, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether or not a state could be sued in federal court without its consent. The majority opinion held that states were immune from suits brought against them in federal courts and thus dismissed the suit. However, Justice Stephen Field dissented on this ruling and argued that under Article III Section 2 of the Constitution, Congress had been given authority to make exceptions to state immunity when it came to cases involving citizens from different states or foreign countries. He further argued that since Congress had not yet made any such exceptions for Georgia specifically, then they should have been allowed their day in court as provided by law. In conclusion he stated that if an individual has a right granted by law then no one should be able to take it away without due process being followed first; including sovereign states like Georgia who are otherwise immune from suit in federal courts unless expressly authorized by Congress itself.