Reagan v. Farmers Loan and Trust Company‪.‬

We are met at the threshold with an objection that this is in effect a suit against the State of Texas, brought by a citizen of another State, and, therefore, under the Eleventh Amendment to the Constitution, beyond the jurisdiction of the Federal court. The question as to when an action against officers of a State is to be treated as an action against the State has been of late several times carefully considered by this court, especially in the cases of In re Ayers, 123 U.S. 443, by Mr. Justice Matthews, and Pennoyer v. McConnaughy, 140 U.S. 1, by Mr. Justice Lamar. In the former of these cases it was said (p. 505):