Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1841-03-20


chaa.s.-Tls ua..au is nor va- 4y aCaay Dosos
.-r whenever .t 10 tie interest O.. Urea, Eu.7l o.
maN So 9a oar commerce. ~.# wi.i never vsHt
.gr an excuse. - wuct .-t-s legal .rli-agon
Co nry ,ar Union Bank bonds It there be 10v
ereafea oy tire supplemental act, it has treu very
clearly shown lha, il has been br0l-b, about by
an admitted violation Of the constitution, fais
would be TO create a legal obligation, by palPa-
bic violation OF the organic 3S. even The lr-isla-
ture that enacted the supplemental act, declared
that thsy had 90 power to alter Il, "uaiess Il
should be agom submitted 10 the people
Next, as 10 The "maral obligation, which, II IS
said rests on the state to pay these bonds. What
Is moral obligation, 1t Is a conscientious con
yic'on resting on our rnnds, that We are bound
by the laws Of justice to do or not 10 d. a certain
thing; and 10 have any virtue or mellt IN IT. we
must be sensible that il lsour duty 20 90 il, or not
as the case NAV be- rom this, agreeably to my
ideas OF the moral lax, there can lie no such thing
| attaching TO the body polite: It Is thing peril
nent to the individual members composing the
/ body polite only; for they Gave CONSCIENTIOUS
convictions upon the subject, and 50 far as the
individuals composing It feel this moral obhgl-
ton. It Is binding upon them, and all who feel
this "moral obligation to pay these bonds, are
morally bound to pay them, or at least their pro-
portion of them, bat feel uoue Of this moral OBJ
legation to pay the bonds; consequently il should
acknowledge it and pay my portion, | would not
be able to reap any benefit from II, for the simple
reason that cauno, seelhe moral obligation that
rests on me or on The state to pay these bonds OF
any part of them. | wll refer our moral stckerS
TO some good authority on this pont-ThS gen
eral opistle Of James, chapter H. verse %: alike
wise also was not lahb the hadoi justified by
,rOrks, when She received the messengers &c
Ii seems that she had the aith-the belief that q
was her duty: this II was, that was her Jusufca
ton. The next verse, same chapter says: - "SC
faith without works is dead also" Now agree
ably to these quotations, those who contend tina
the state Is morally bound 10 pay the Union Baat
bonds are bound to pay them, or al least theI
proportion Of them, they being sensible that there
is moral obligation resting on US to pay them
and SO far as am concerned they may reap TIM
rich harvest of glory, honor and morality, II they
will only pay the reapers.
Much has been said about tho honor and dig
nifty OF the state; that these were involved IN thu
matter: this is true; but II is not to pay thes'
bonds, but to see that the acts of mllscreot agents
shall not involve the innocent people to pay TN
price of reckless speculation conceive tina
not only the honor of the state, but It's very exis
tence require us TO repudate the whole transac
ton; for if the Legislature can create state bond
,ithout restrictions and make agents Of thel
own not the peoples, to sell them, We have
slender tann,o Of our liberties The Legislature
at its last sitting bad a much better excuse 70
creating aud selling state bonds, than any other
that has had sitting since M fSAlueneo ~ II"
state we had not a cent IN the tfeasu:J e%eep
some three hundred thousand real Brandon re
bellies, and other uncomfortable trash, with Whol
10 pay officers salaries, and the members pc
diem, besides our state house Is on the common
and the Executive mansion, remains not hall I'm
ished also without my Enclosure; and oustand
ing Treasury warrants to large amout, 10 b
provided for. These excuses were not suthclen
IN my estimation to Justify the creation OF stat
bonds More than all, there can be no ctntin
gepcy that would Justify the selling state bonds
TIE present generation are but tcnatS for lie, an
have no right TO borrow aud squander any none
and leave 1t for our after generation to pay. Muc
more might be said Oh this fruitful theme, but III
space lotbds.
JOS. S. LEAkE.
Lowndes, March l6, lS4l.