South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1836-10-01

|
and in direct conflict with my opin.
ions. public and private, through the
, whole course of my life. No such
proposition was ever submitted to the
Legislature ofOhio-none such would,
for a moment, have been entertained -
nor would any son Of hers have dare
to propose'it. *
So far from being willing to sell
men for debts which they are unable
TO discharge, am and ever have been,
opposed to all imprisodmen, for debt.
Fortunately, l have it in my power to
show that such has been my established
opinion; & that, ina public capacity, l
avowed and acted upon it, Will those
who have preferred the unfounded and
malicious accusation refer to the Jour-
nails ofthe Senate ofthe United States,
I'd session, 18th Congress, page s25
|, will there be seen that | was one of
the committee which reported bill to
abolish imprisonment for debt. When
the bill was before the Senate, advo-
| Gated its adoption, and, on its passage,
voted in its favor See Senate jour
nal, Is, session, 2oth Congress, pages
1Ol and 1O2.
| II is not a little remarkable that, il
the effort am accused ofhaving made,
to subject men to sale for the nom
payment Of their debts, had been sue.
cessfuI, might, from the state Of my
pecuniary circumstances at the time,
have been the first victim repeat,
the charge is vile calumny. Atno
period OF my life would I have con
sented to subject the poor and unfor-
tunate to such a dsgradatan.; nor
have omitted to exert myself in their
bshalf against such an attempt to op-
press them.
tits sought to support the charge
by means Of garbled extracts from the
| journals of the Senate of Ohio. The
section of tbs bill which is employed
for that purpose had no manner of re-
| ference TO the relation Of creditor, and
| debtor, and could not by possibility
subject the debtor to the coatrol Of his
creditor. None know better than the
authors of the caiumny that the ale-
ged section is utterly al variance with
the charge which it is attempted to
found upon it and that, so far from
proposi.ion.o invest creditor with
power over the liberty Of his debtor
i, had respect only to the mode OF dis
posing Of public offenders, who had
been found guilty by "a jury of their
felIow.citizens Of some crime against
the laws Of their State, That was ex
cluaively the import and design of the
section OF the bill upon this motion toI
strike out, which ! voted in il t ts p pigaas
ofvoting TO enlarge the power. OF cred.
itors, the vote which gave concerned
alone the treatment Of maIefacsors,con.
vieted of crimes against the Public.
# would extend this letter to an in
convenient length to go fully into the
reasons which led me at the time to
an opinion in favor Of the proposed
treatment ofthat class of ofendets who
would have fallen within its operations,
nor is such an expose called for. The
measure was by no means novelty
10 other parts Of the country. In the
State of Delaware, there is an act now
in force, in similar words with the Sec
lion of the bill before the OHIO Senate,
which has been nj 4de oflate the pre-
text of such insidious invsciivs. Laws
with somewhat similar provisions may
probably be found 10 many other of
| the States. la practice the mea-
sure would have amaliorated the con-
dition Of those who were under con-
| demnation. As the law stood, they
were liable under the sentence to con
| liuemen. in the.comnon Jail, here Of
fenders of various degrees of profliga
cy-oi different ages, seq; and color,
were crowded together. Under such
| circumstances, tits OBVIOUS that the bad
must become worse, whilst reforma-
ton could hardly be expected in res
pect to any. The youthful offender,
it might be. hoped, would be reclaim
ed under The operation of the propos>
ed system; but there was great reason
to fear his still greater corruption a.
mid the contagioa Of common recap.
tacle OF vice. Besides, the proposed
amen imsnt of the law prasupposed
thatthe Delinquent wasin confasmsnt
for the non payment OF a fac 81 cost,
ofprosecutioa-(the payment of which
was part Of the sentence i, seem
ed, therefore, humane, ia respect t.
the offender, TO relieve him from con
, tiaement which deprived him of thu
meass OF d!ach5rgiog the paaaity, anc