The native American., 1840-01-25
GET TING IN DEBT.

A man who goes in debt gives in pledge q
certain portion of his liberty and of his GOO
name. 4 failure to redeem it subjects him 10
penalty from which no leuity of his creditor can
relieve him. In a!uding to the loss of liberty
which is consequent, we have no reference to
the incarceration of the person, but to that kind
of restraint which is imposed by the pressure Of
conscious obligations without the power Of meet.
ing them-a species OF seryi,ude more CALLING 10
an honorable mind than bodily confinement. Ii
was doubt reck oned very foolish act Of the
Neuitan merchant to pawn pound of his owl,
flesh as security for his debt; yet hundreds are
daily putting i'll jeopardy what is of m" value
than whole carcass If ilc>h-even /! ou III il
were such a one as Fastaff owned
1t is no small matter which one is about when
he puts himself in the power Of another man
as every debtor does. The sense of benefits re-
ceived even from friend is very painful SEN
sation unless il be accompanied BY the ability OF
returning equivalents. How much more op-
pressiveis such feeling when man is conscious
that he has been using the mrrn3 Of another to
whose lavors he had no claims, and finds that
ae must now trust to folbeaIaDcc W hich he has
no right to expect! The facility with which
some run in debt is astonishing. 1t is as though
a man who knows not whether he can swim
should plunge into water over his depth for the
purpose Of trying. How often are the prospects
of life clouded by the consequences Of sucl. rash
adve nturing Many who by strenuous efforts
retrieve the errors Of first wrong step earn a
dear y purchased experience by years Of subse-
quent embarrassment.
We speaking Of men who become debtors
by reason Of nnthoughtiulnpss and ovgr-hasty
ecipitancy-men of honest purpus, bat want
ing OF prudence. These are they who feel most
l. sanjy fha Tai of
fetters the spirit OF mal.-which presses upon
his feelings of seIt-respect, and wounds his sense
Of personal independence. To all who are in
this predcament there is but one course-i!r
honest, manly and resoue one Of redeeming--
however long the time or difficult the undera-
king-of redceming every claim which stand il,
the way OF entire delivcrance from the srrvitudc
of debt. There is hardly more noble specta
Gle than that OF man who By inadverttnce or
misfortune has fallen into pcrnnary difficulties
from which the operation Of the laws has given
him nominal freedom, yet who, distainjng a
quittance which comes as II boon, applies him
sell with unabated energy to retrieve the conse-
quences Of his errors, and devotes years of labor
to the complete fulfment Of every coutrartei
obligation. Such men are con aueors and deserve
wreaths.
To view the subject in another light, there
II.
Johnson likens the first to cannon bas-if YOU
stand in the range Of ono YOU are swept by the
board the Others are small shot !: no limbs are in
danger Of being broken BY them, but you are
sure OF constant pepperng. Some men take
these latter with great sang .froid. We once
heard parsonage Of this SOFT boast that he had
been served with warrants enough to make
PLAID cloak. But to sensitive individual moth
ing is more annoying. It he walks the streets
his creditors appear to be all abroad too. IIe|
lancieS there is an upbraiding look in each ones
eye as he passes. and it is very plain that they
meet him OH purpose. In turning corner hast
lily he is sure Of josting against dun. He gets
to know constable by instinct and qnickers
his pace II he observes man looking at him
from the opposite side Of the street The sight
Of a magistrates Office causes dsagrceable sen.
sa,ions. He dreams at night Of executions and
shsrlls sales-a knock at the door fills him with
apprehensions, and every note that is handed 10
him looks like capias. He may be brave
enough man under ordinary circumstances, but
now he trenbcs at touch upon the shoulder
and the face Of a creditor, though meek look
ing man, becomes more terrible than the yisage |
of giant in whiskeIs.
We shall conclude our chapter uron debt BY |
aludlng to notion pretty generally prevalent,
which seems to assign to them different charac.
ter from that of other obligations which are not
enforced by legal compulsion. Debts being
thrown into courts of law are in measure
thrown out Of the court ofhonor That is to say,
they are not always regarded in so sacred light
as those other claims which appeal only to ones
sense OF seIf.rcspec and courtesy. From this
follows that the paying Of debt is not. look ed
upon as so exalted an action as the returning oil
other obligations wherein there is no legal exac-
ton. The one is simply called honesty; the
later receives the more honorable appelIation of
magnanimity. Without wishing in any manner
to weaken the force of those generous feelings
which prompt to actions Of the latter kind, we
cannot but think that The views of pecuniary
obligations as above stated are quite mistaken.
\ debt IS the representation Of benefit eujoycd |
Whatever may have been the motive Of the
person who conlerredit, nay allowing it to have
oeen purely selfish we are nevertheless under
an obligation. If our own sense of personal in
dependence and justice require that il be repaid,
the force OF this consideration is not essened
because the law requires il too. Besides, an
honest man will consider that a compulsive
penalty OF the law was meant not for BIN bnl
Tor those who would disregard other reonirc