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11.\x511I/.0♦wofeK\xaiblt;PC3ti8ticIqJudicial Decisions. —The United States Circuit Court for the District of Indiana, Judge McLean presiding, com menced its regular session at Indianapolison the 19th uit.On Tuesday (says the Sentinel) a cause came up involving the validity of the relief laws. The decision of the Court was confirmatory of previous decisions on the same question, and to the effect that debts must continue to be subject to the provisions of the law affecting the contract when it was made.On the same day the great slave case came on for argument, on demurrer to the declaration. The points made were thefollowing;1st. That slavery is only a Stale or local institution. 2d. That slavery is based on local laws, not sustained or supported by either moral, natural, or national law.— 3d. That if a slave escape from the State in which he is held in slavery, cither by accident, consent of his master, or against that consent, he is forever free. 4th. Thatthe ordinance of 1787, organizing theNorthwestern Territory, only guaranties the delivering up of fugitives from labor to citizens of the original States, and that as Missouri, whence the slave escaped, was not one of the original States, the citizens of Indiana were not bound to deliver up to Missouri her runaway slaves.Judge McLean delivered the opinionof the Court. He admitted the correctness of the first and second propositions, and held in regard to the third proposition, what is recognised as well-established law, u that if a slaveholder removes to and becomes a resident of a free State, taking his slaves with him, they become free, and no subsequent act of his can legally make them slaves again.” As to iho fourth point, he decided that if Indiana lud remained a terriiory, under the ordinance, she would not have been bound to deliver up the slaves; but having adopted a constitution, which in part abrogates the ordinance, she is bound by the Constitution of the United Suites; and, Missouri being one of the great sister family of Slates, is entitled to til the rights and privileges of the origin d States from all other States in the Union.Reserving the further discussion of this point on arrest of judgment, provided judgment should go for the plain tiff, the Court overruled the demurrer, and she cause was put at issue, and is now readyfor trial on the merits.The above case, as we learn from another source, originated as follows.%CA gentleman, holding slaves,removed from Kentucky to Illinois. He purchased land, erected a house, and, by the labor of his slaves, improved his farm. In five or six months thereafter he look his negroes to Missouri and sold them. They ran away from the purchaser and went to Indiana, where they resided a few years. The Missouri purchaser discovered them anti attempted to take them back, but was prevented by the defendant, for which suit was brought. It was decided that having been rendered free by that fact of their former master or owner becoming a resident of a free State, the Missouri purchaser had no legal claim to them, and of course there is no liability incurred by the defendant, and in the Court below verdict was rendered accordingly.—Nat Intel.
Newspaper Details
Logansport Logan Chief
Logansport, Indiana, US
Sat, Jun 14, 1845
Page 3
Full Page
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USA 10 Jul 2020
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