Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1824-03-30
FACTS-PUBLISHED BY REQUEST.
Fran the (Ph,lada,) National Gazette.

IL was about 10 be boroe 10 toe grave
yoa have MT publ ed the case per.
baps you omitted to do so from sense OF
shame as an American, aud lest ut should
be known 10 your foreign readers that
there are statutes, or common law, IN the
United States which authorlse such pro.
fa,sti m. ''One touch OF nature makes
the who'll world kim" That touch was
d ata 10 Shakespeare s meaning; but tear
i, must be experienced by all parties 10
verify The pets maxim. II seems that
we have among US harpies, whose avarlce
cau feed on the CHASTITY corpse; who are
not 10 be affected by the most striking OF
all lessons tor our animated ctoy' VINO, 10
pursuing the remotest chance OF securing
little pelt, would aggravate, by The most
unexpected and poignant OF Affections, The
sorrows that fli he awful house OF moarh..
iag ant accompany The sad procession OF
the hearse. Debt, with Insolvency, IS
bitter enough TO persons OF delicate souls;
but what idea can be conceived more eX'
cruciatiug tor such persons, than the pare
possibility of the seizure OF their bodies
after denise, by the officers OF the law,
with the consequent shame aud cumuia.
tive anguish INFLICTED upon their trends
and relatives! This lndignity 10 the
mortal remains of the fellow creature IS
one of those BAD peculIarities OF the CiVI-
liZed stale OF society which degrade II I'D
some aspects below absolute barbarism'
I had read of legal arrests OF human CAR
cases IN British newspapers and novels
bad shu idered, and SAID 10 myself this
can never happen in America-.lt Is prsc.
tJcr reserved tor old Europe The Anieri-
can novelist, who shall wish 10 employ II
"a me CLIMAX OF bis tale ot VINE and hor-
Tor, must p zee his scene abroad
Upon the general question OF Inc pro-
priety or utiEiy of imprisonment ior oeo!,
lh,ye not been able TO make up an OPP
MON. The dread Of the punishment may
operate as ssluiary restraint upon 'mpru-
dence and dlshonesty-property must DC
protected against depreciation oil every
kind. This reasoning was indeed oeVis'
ed, believe, by the ancients' who COR
demned insolvent debtors to the rack, 10
perpetual slavery, to be thrown to wild
beasts and fish, &c. Ii it be true, as has
been lately remarked in Congress, that,
in an insolyeut, you as often see oe-
frs.ded creditor as a fraudulent debtor,
we should al all events nicely diseriui-
nate cases. when we would resort TO me
1n,I az ? remedy. Though rogues deserve
punishment universally, yet their innocent
families, tor whose bare subsistence Their
personal freedom may be Indispensable,
deserve our consideration and sympathy. |
The power of incarcerating your Debtor
is an encouragement to isnc, and a source
of securi,y--but if you wanted that po5ssr' |
might you not be either more cautious or
scaerous2 and would not additional caution |
or generosity compensate society 10 general
for the evils which might result tom the !
personal immunity OF debtors Such oil
the class as deserve imprisonment care
but little about il as IL is managed noW-a- !
DAYS those who do not deserve 1.-THE |
honest in intention, the victims OF Dlsfor-
tune, isel it deeply, suffer greatly by 1t,
IN all respects. The lists OF debtors con-
6ned for very small sums. which ! have
seen here and in other parts OF the UnIon,
are indeed appalling, they shew that re.
sulat,on at least is needed in the last de. |
gree; they display an incaIculsble amour,
of unnecessary and Doxious misery anu |
debasement; they prove how tar the
worst forms of litigation are iostered, and |
the morals Of the poor exposed almost
gratui,ously aud indefinitely to corruption:
The inquirer and economist who should |
visit all the debtors apartments IN our
country, and ascertain by rhom and IN
ayhat manner they are occupied, would
probably be at no loss to decide whether
their doors shoGld not be immediately
thrown open, aud after they had been e.
yacuated, for ever closed.
The foregoing suggestions are loose.
Mr.. Editor, aud unpTemedrated: nave
not studied essays nor speeches on the
.ubiect: do not pretend TO be versed III
legislative and administrative matters;
do moi mean 70 argue, and cannot trust
nv plain Judgment because my feelings
have interiered irresis,ibly with 1t ever
since the personal adventure which 1t 's
my object in th,s communication 10 relate.
Some years ago detained a Judgment
for sum not very large nor yet inconside-
rable, againsta fellow citizen, the father
of a numerous family, who lived with them
in decent aud apparently comfortable
style. He plead=d present inability to
psy-my lawyer told me that bis house
hold was well provided-that his chill.
dren were placed in good schools, NC and
in short, persuaded me that 1t | pushed
things to extremities, The monies would De
forthcoming | consented. or directed
that this should be done, and in due time
was jnformed-not that my debtor had
discharged my demand, but that be had
been lodged IN Jail, and his business bro,
ken I'D. The intelligence startled and
cbagrined me; complained and remon..
strated, but was urged to try the eject OF
the new situation upon my man. tort
night elapsed-my heart and Imagination
were at work in the interval in favor OF the
prisoner; determined to relieve my dis
turbed conscience by visiting him aud as
ror,a;n;no dire chv his case