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Introduction
A keen observer of the political scene in Washington, Thomas Dorr urges George Turner, who was helping to manage both Thomas W. Dorr vs. Rhode Island and the Luther v. Borden case. Luther v. Borden, a somewhat complicated legal case, stemmed from a supposed trespass by Charter authorities in the spring of 1842. The old charter state government declared martial law to put down the rebellion, and while no Federal troops were involved, the U.S. government did send reinforcements to Fort Adams in Newport as well as deploying additional troops in New York state in case the national government were to become involved . A Dorrite named Martin Luther brought suit claiming the Charter government was not "a republican form of government" - a popular Dorrite refrain - and claimed that all its acts were thereby invalid, including the trespass in his house. Dorr paid close attention to the ideological leanings of the justices on the Court. The “Pennsylvanian” Dorr references was Robert C. Grier, a Democratic appointee to the high court by President James Polk.