The Georgia, 1868 was a landmark Supreme Court case that established the principle of tribal sovereignty in the United States. The case involved a dispute between the state of Georgia and the Cherokee Nation, a Native American tribe. The Cherokee Nation had been forcibly removed from their ancestral lands in Georgia and relocated to Oklahoma in the 1830s. In 1868, the state of Georgia attempted to impose its laws on the Cherokee Nation, claiming that the tribe had no legal authority to govern itself. The Cherokee Nation argued that they had retained their sovereignty despite their removal, and that the state of Georgia had no authority to interfere with their internal affairs. The Supreme Court ultimately sided with the Cherokee Nation, ruling that the tribe had retained its sovereignty despite its removal from Georgia. The Court held that the Cherokee Nation was a "domestic dependent nation" and that the tribe had the right to self-governance. The decision established the principle of tribal sovereignty in the United States, and it has been cited in numerous subsequent cases involving Native American tribes. The Georgia, 1868 case is considered to be one of the most important Supreme Court decisions in the history of Native American rights.

In the case of The Georgia, 1868, Justice Field delivered a dissenting opinion. He argued that Congress had no authority to pass legislation which would interfere with the rights of states in their internal affairs. He believed that it was unconstitutional for Congress to attempt to regulate state laws and proceedings regarding slavery or any other matter within its jurisdiction. Furthermore, he argued that if such power were granted then it could be used by future legislatures as an instrument of oppression against citizens who may not agree with them on certain matters. In conclusion, Justice Field concluded that allowing Congress this type of power over state governments would lead to tyranny and should therefore be rejected by the court.