What were the reactions to the McCulloch v Maryland decision?

Answer 1

Citizens of the state of Maryland were infuriated by the decision in McCulloch v Maryland, and blamed both Maryland Attorney General, Luther Martin, and Chief Justice John Marshall for the outcome.

According to Susan Dudley Gold, in her book McCulloch v Maryland: State v. Federal Power, "...Baltimore residents hanged Martin -- and Chief Justice John Marshall -- in effigy. The protesters labeled Martin "Lawyer Brandy-Bottle," no doubt a reference to the attorney's fondness for drink."

Proponents of States' Rights continued to believe the bank was unconstitutional, despite Chief Justice Marshall's reasoning. Thomas Jefferson publicly supported the decision, but privately encouraged dissent.

John Taylor wrote a book, Construction Construed,denouncing the decision, and others wrote newspaper articles and essays arguing against it. John Marshall allegedly responded anonymously to some of these letters in the Richmond Enquirer, a Virginia newspaper.

Even President James Madison, who had signed the bill chartering the Second National Bank, was critical of the decision, believing Marshall's constitutional interpretation was dangerous. Both Madison and Jefferson favored addressing the matter as a political question outside the court's reach by constitutional amendment.

Those who supported nationalism, like Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, and John Quincy Adams applauded the decision.

Case Citation:

McCulloch v. Maryland, 17 US 316 (1819)