National Bank of Xenia v. Stewart was a United States Supreme Court case that dealt with the issue of whether a state court had the authority to issue a writ of mandamus to a national bank. The case arose when the National Bank of Xenia, Ohio, refused to pay a judgment against it in favor of the plaintiff, Stewart. Stewart then sought a writ of mandamus from the state court, ordering the bank to pay the judgment. The bank argued that the state court did not have the authority to issue such a writ, as the bank was a national bank and thus subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal government. The Supreme Court ultimately held that the state court did not have the authority to issue the writ of mandamus. The Court reasoned that the federal government had exclusive jurisdiction over national banks, and thus the state court could not interfere with the bank's operations. The Court further held that the state court could not issue a writ of mandamus to compel the bank to pay the judgment, as this would be an interference with the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal government. The Court thus affirmed the decision of the lower court.

Justice Field delivered the dissenting opinion in National Bank of Xenia v. Stewart, arguing that the majority had misconstrued a provision of Ohio law which allowed for an appeal from a judgment rendered by justices of the peace to be taken directly to the Supreme Court without going through any intermediate court. He argued that this was not only contrary to established principles and practices but also contradicted prior decisions made by both state and federal courts on similar matters. Justice Field further noted that it would be unjust for parties who were unable or unwilling to take their appeals directly to higher courts due to financial constraints or other reasons, as they could potentially suffer irreparable harm if denied access. He concluded his dissent with an assertion that such a ruling would create confusion among litigants and lead them into error when attempting to understand their rights under Ohio law.