In Crowell and Others v. M'Fadon, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that a slave owner had no right to take possession of a fugitive slave who was in another state without first obtaining permission from the state's government. The case involved an African-American man named Thomas M'Fadon, who escaped slavery in Maryland and fled to Pennsylvania. His former master attempted to reclaim him as his property under federal law but was denied by Pennsylvania authorities because they believed it violated their own laws protecting free persons within their borders. The Supreme Court agreed with this decision, ruling that states have authority over such matters and can choose not to enforce federal laws regarding fugitives if they deem them unconstitutional or contrary to public policy. This landmark decision established important precedent for future cases involving interstate disputes between states and individuals concerning rights related to slavery or other issues of personal liberty.

In Crowell and Others v. M'Fadon, the Supreme Court was tasked with deciding whether a slave owner had the right to take his runaway slaves from Maryland into Pennsylvania in order to reclaim them. The majority opinion held that he did not have such a right under the laws of either state or federal law. However, Justice Story dissented from this decision on two grounds: first, that there was no evidence presented at trial indicating that any law prohibited such an action; and second, even if there were such a prohibition it would be unconstitutional as it violated both states’ rights and individual liberty. He argued further that since slavery is legal in some states but not others then allowing one state to interfere with another's property rights could lead to chaos between different jurisdictions which would ultimately undermine public confidence in the judicial system itself. In conclusion, Justice Story believed that while slavery may be morally wrong it should still be respected by all courts until Congress passes legislation prohibiting its practice across all states equally.