THE RUNAWAY SLAVES.––The eight slaves recently captured in this county all made their escape but one, who was brought to this city by a constable and was committed to jail upon a warrant of a justice of the peace, which warrant was based upon section 4 of chap. 74, Revised Statutes.
The slave was brought before the supreme court on Saturday last, upon habeas corpus, and discharged from custody. There was no evidence that Jones had any authority from the master to act, nor was there any evidence that the negro was a slave.
The court decided in this case that the section of the law to which we have referred was designed to aid the master in the capture of his runaway slave, and, as such, by the decision of the supreme court of the United States in the case of Priggs. vs. the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is declared to be in violation of the constitution of the United States.
This decision does not impugn the right of the master or his authorized agent to recapture his slave any where within the state and convey him to the state from which he escaped.
"The Runaway Slaves," Springfield (IL) Illinois State Register, January 21, 1850