The Eleanor. Donnell case was a dispute between the claimant, Eleanor Donnell, and her husband's estate over the ownership of two slaves that were owned by her late husband. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Mrs. Donnell, finding that she had acquired title to the slaves through an agreement with her deceased husband prior to his death and therefore should be allowed to keep them as part of his estate. The court also found that since there was no evidence presented showing any other legal claim on behalf of either party regarding these particular slaves, they belonged solely to Mrs. Donnell under common law principles governing property rights at the time. This ruling set a precedent for future cases involving similar disputes over slave ownership in which one spouse has passed away without leaving clear instructions about who owns what assets within their marriage or partnership

In the case of The Eleanor, Donnell, Claimant, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a vessel and its cargo were subject to forfeiture for violating U.S. neutrality laws by carrying goods from England to France during wartime. In a 5-4 decision, the majority found that there had been no violation of neutrality laws and thus no basis for forfeiture. Justice Story wrote an eloquent dissent in which he argued that Congress has exclusive authority over foreign commerce and therefore can impose restrictions on vessels engaging in such trade with belligerent nations during times of war or peace; as such, it is within their power to declare any vessel forfeiting these rules liable for seizure or condemnation without regard to intent or knowledge of wrongdoing on behalf of those operating them. He further noted that this interpretation would be consistent with international law principles regarding neutral rights at sea – namely that all vessels are presumed guilty until proven innocent when caught trading between hostile powers – and concluded by stating his belief that “the safety & welfare”of our nation requires strict enforcement against violations like those committed here by The Eleanor's owners/operators