Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1832-01-19
IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT.
[From the Boston Courier.
Suggestions for the Removal Of the achoie DIFF
.fcuity.
Much has becn said and written. with

Much has been said and written, with
in few years past, on the subject of I'M
prisonmcnt for debt. / his subject has
claimed the attention of the Legislatures
Of the nation, and of the States. Much
time has been spent in examining and de-
batting on it, Bills have been proposed,
debated and rejected, and very little has
been done. 1t is justly considered a
very difficult point, to secure the rights
of the creditor and not oppress the debt
or. Now, there is one way, and can
see but one possible way, to remove the
whole difficulty. Make all men honest,
and you remove the whole difficulty at
once; and in removing this difficulty in
this way, you will remove large portion
of all the ills of life. Bring all men so
far under the influence Of the gospel as
to regard the sacredncss Of an oath, and
there will be no longer any difficulty nthe
case. l will go still farther and say,
bring all men under the influence of the
gospel, and there will be very few, if a.
ny, cases of bankruptcy; for you seldom
see bankrupt who has not become such
either by his own vices, or the vices of
others. Where is the man, who has
been in business any length of time, who
has not suffered from the dishonesty, the
extravaganza, or the want of moral prin-
ciple in others' Let this one maxim,
GAS ye would that others should do to
you, do ye even so to them," be univer-
sally adopted as the rule of life, so Us to
regulate the detail of individual and ma
ton intercourse, and nine-tenths of the
physical evils Of life, and almost all the
public expenses Of nations, will be done
away at once.
/ We have frequently seen and heard
statements showing the expcnsivcncss of
vice, but l have never seen or heard any
statements of this kind which appeared
to me to reach the case in halfits length
and breadth If we examine the case
minutely, we shall see that the expenses
which come in consequence of the vices
and evil passions OF men, are incalcula-
ble-that they reach every individual in
the community, and enhance the price of
every article we eat, or drink, or wear.
/ have not button on my coat, or pin
in my collar, but that in the purchase Of
it paid tax for the support of vice. l
cannot eat meal of victuals, if it be but
bowl of bread and milk, but that | pay
a tax for the support of vice; for though
these are articles Of home production, s.
pay no duty, the man who produces them
must make an extra profit on them, that
he may be able to pay duties and taxes,
which duties and taxes 60 to the support
of vice. Is not this plain and obvious?--
For what purpose does our national gov
ernmcnt raise an annual revenue oftwen-
ty or thirty millions' Who pays this
money, and how is it appropriated! Now
suppose that all men were to adopt the
maxim above mentioned as the rule Of
life. The War Department, with its
annual appropriation of millions, would
be no longer needed. OF paupcrism we
should have very little to support. Our
prisons, jails, and penitentiaries might
be converted to other uses. Legislation
and the administration of law would be a
very simple business, and would cost but
little.
But how shall we effect such a great
moral change, How shall we bring all
men to feel the obligation of this pre-
cept, and to believe that it is for their
present and future interest to be govern
ed by it? This is difficult and import
ant question. Yet l think an answer is
not altogether impracticable. Let a
small proportion OF the money which has
in times past been paid for the support of
vice, be appropriated to the purchase of
moral power to be employed for the cure
and prevention of vice, and with the bles-
sing of Heaven, the object will be eflec-
ted; and it is cheaper, it will require less
money to put in operation system Of
moral means, which shall go to the cure
and prevention of vice, than to meet the
expenses which will come in consequence
of the vice which may be thus cured and
prevented. In illustration of this remark,
let us look at one fact. The friends of
Temperance in this country have expend-
ed few thousand dollars in the employ
ment of agents to call up the attention of
the community to the destructive evils of
intemperance. And what has been the
result? Though but about four or five
years have elapsed since this benevolent
effort commenced, already has it saved
from worse than mere destruction mil
lions of the national capital 1t has saw
ed thousands of families from ruin; it has
taught hundreds of thousands successful
resistance to perilous temptation; it is pu-
rifying the atmosphere, which soon must
have poisoned the rising generation. Its
powerful influence is felt in every state,
and perhaps may add in every town 8
village throughout the union; and is be-
ginning to be felt in other lands. Could