Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1842-03-17

co. ahd' without some gross act of fraud, detected
during the process, is discharged. The boor
""c" rs awarded TO him is that of dragging out q
Ii'lseraoie existence. with the privilege Of loco
noon indeed, but he is destined for life TO be the
| save OF his creditors-living, moving, and hav.
ing MS being Tor their benefit. What motive has
ie 'o inc honest surrender of property, if he has
any ie'', which Is covered from the view of his
creditors - Why, all his hopes for the future de-
penn upe2Fonceament. He is doomed TO life
u oeIet%0n' III he is detected. what then. He
roses nus adventure; il is seized by his creditors;
but his discharge is untouched. He NAV try
again. ne privilege of dragging his wre,ched
corded hif '''i az
LOOK, now. said (Mr. b. at the condition Of
the bankrupt and insolvent, when the respective
processes against them are closed, and say which
Is hkely to prove the better and more upright cit-
zen! The bankrupt has surrendered his all. He
Is poor, nay, destitute, penuiless; but he is free
ana There Is the charm. He is really, truly free.
IL Is not merely the poor privilege of locomoto
Which IS accorded to him. His hands are un-
shackled. The energies of his mind are unfetter-
Cd lie is Tree 10 exert them for his own and the
benefit OF those whom nature and affection have
endeared TO him. His recovered freedom is his
stimulus. The lesson of experience which adj
versi'y has laugh, him is his safeguard The al
most utter inpracicabilty of receiving second
time the boon which has been once accorded to
him is his voice of warning. Thus stimulated.
thus fortified, thus warned, he enters upon his
new career. lin this world of trial, which we
have Invested OF its original beauty and lowell
ness, any man may be delivered from temptation,
by feeling. by reflection, by external circumstai,-
ccs, this man is secure. The path of duty, ofup-
ngtness Of honesty. which i, is tie hest intcres,
OF oil to pursue, is that from which he is almost
without temptation TO wander.
And the insoireni, what (said Mr. b. is his
condition! He, too, has surrendered his all; at
least ak which he dare openly claim; and for
what! To purchase exemption from impriSon-
ment. He breathes the free air of Heaven, but
not as freeman. lie is still the ''doomed slave"
OF his creditor. The fruits Of his labor belong to
That creditor, and can only be withheld from him
by fraud. The necessities Of helpless family
appeal to him. The eagle eye of his creditor is
upon iim. He looks upon that creditor as his
enemy. IL he be merciless, he is Indeed his enc
my, the enemy of those who are drarer to him
than life. whom he is bound to protect even at
the sacrifice Of life itself. What then! As an
enemy, he fences himself against his CREDITOR
Eo resorts to fraudulent conveyanccs, TO secret
trusts, TO regular system of inbtna deception
ana ms children, into whose young minds it |
would have been. under more propiiiouS circum- |
stances, his grateful task to have nstlled the !
lessons of virtue, are trained up under the blight
Ing Influence of that system of concealment to |
which he and they indebted for the comforts
and conveniences life. Such is the actual con-
diiion of mutitudes under the operation OF State
insolvent laws. Look at the progress of this op-
Grafton, and Judge of its effects on public morals
lhe discharged insovent escapes from his CELL or
his prison bounds, to the wretched howell which
oenevoience may have secured to him, for he has
nuught which he can claim as his own. The
wants of his family call to labor, and he does la
Dor. Ills earliest efforts are rewarded by the
pound of beef and the loaf of bread with which
he appeases their hunger. Even these are flched
from his CREDITOR for the law awards them to him
\ our law did award them. But there is a pub !
lie opinion, to the moral force of which even laws
must yield, and the wretched insolvent is secure
IN the enjoyment of these. By-and-by he is ena. |
bled to provide some little comforts for his help
less wife and infant children These must be I,
enjoyed by stealth, Or the hand Of the creditor |
may wresi them from their grasp. In process of
time his labors rewarded with the means by !
which ho can do something more than provide
Tor tie present wants Of his family. He consid- |
ers their dependence, his liability to be taken
from them, and the desire to make some provision
Tor the future becomes strong, irresistible. He
has no right To Indulge this desire His earninos
are the property of his creditor If they are dis
covered. the law will give them to that creditor.
II stict morality he is bound to yield them. But
Nature urges her own strong claims, and a wife
whose split has been broken by adversely. and
the advocates through whom she prefers them -
The appeal may not be resisted. The morality !
which conflicts with it becomes, in his view cold, !
heartless, and is disregarded. He is man with |
the affections and with the impertections of cur
common nature. He yields to it; he hides his
earnings; he cheats his creditor; and then with
a newly awakened spirit labors TO increase his
little store. The repetition of the fraud is more
easy. Habit renders it familiar il becomes the
business of his life. There is an occasional
twinge Of conscience; but that passes, and all
that now dsturbs him is the apprehension which
sezes him, perhaps on his bed of deati, that the
depository of his secret earnings may be as faith
less to his trust he has been TO the legal claim
of his creditors. Such scenes belong to, or rather
more frequently occur in Inc crowded society of
our great cities. more rarely beyond their limits
Speaking generally. the air of the country is too
pure for them. But who doubts their existence
the frequent recurrence Of this struggle between
the claims Of nature and affection, and the stern
er demands Of legal justice! And shall; we sit
here, dciiberatjng in cold debate. whether men
shall he saved from moral wre,cheduess like
thsl
PHILADELPHIA MONEY MATTERS.