Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-10-25
RICHMOND WING.
TUESDAY MORNING. OCTOBER
RELIEF TO DEBroRs-A sTAY-LAw.

RELIEF 10 DEBTORS-A STAY-LAW.
The Legislature Of Tennessee seems TO be over
whelmed with petitions for what is called Relief
the means, StoP-aws or Stay-aws, Valuation
laws, Issues OF Pos, Notes, and such like
Many of the petitions somewhat indis;inc; in
their suggestion OF the particular mode Of ease
The greater part We dare say. care lil. what mode
is adopted, by which the inconvenience of payment
in thsso hard times shall be go, over.
Two, however, seem to have rather more dsi.iis
plans One OF these is from a venerable malTon,
named Martha Bradley-a friend, it is obvious,
OF the Temperance cause, as well as Of Punctuality
who urges that she is too old 10 work and too
poor TO play; and that, she has great need Of
Reli.f, she hopes the Legislature will grant her,
without the usual pecunary mule, Licenee to re
tail spirituous Liquors.
The other petit oner is no, OF the softer sex. IL
is David NJ. Lsc and Mr. Lee (who sees that dou-
bls measuros-two strings TO one'. bow--arc much
the ssfe.') proposes. first. tho passage OF stay
| law; 2dly, the issue of Post Notes, Ivy way (no
doubD Of giving people who are out of money
something to go upon; and 3dly, and most porticu
-.iy, tia. tI..s .L~Ii Ls Dee, oIss his LVu.s,
and he be Post Master OF the same.
| These last instances present the whole matter in
a somewhat grotcsquc form. We'll considered,
however, they arc but slight exaggerations of the
general folly and wrong OF those things, and only
Iudierou, because they directly discover the mere
Iy Individual motives which urge thcse petitioners.
but urge them moro than all the rest, whose pri.
va:e necessities really at the bottom Of all they
feelingly represent, about the general distress
Greatly, indeed, is that general distress 10 L
deplor.d: but far less in view. for the ,uf
r II r.
the sense Of what is right, which can alone permi,
the public mind TO endure the thought Of that dis.
as,rous kind of Relief, at which these most mistaken
measures aim.
Yet nothing is more difficult than to argue down
this unhappy state Of things, when has arisen to
plead against personal distress; to persuade the
kind out Of compassion for suffering; to eounleract
sympathy for misfortune, perhaps the most unmert
cd, or which can always be made 10 sum so. The
debtor claims and obtains an universal pity; while
against the credilor-however mild, however com.
PEELED even 10y his own interests, we'll by the
feelings Of all around him. 10 be as mercfu ns lie
can safely be,-thera is common, an almost uni
versa! association Of every thing that is hard and
harsh, grinding, cruel and ex,ortonnie.
Though he has, on his side, every claim OF the
law and Of morality and Of honor and Of conscience
and OF public policy and Of every thing like the ne
cessi,ies OF commercial dealing: though laws like
these orc only solemn legislative dispense ion to
men to break Their faith ns bad and as propos,erous
ns any Popish lndulsenco for the remission Of past
or future sins; though they directly overthrow the
character Of people abroad, md so bring on you
external pressure f-r than the internal one
which it falsely hoped to removoyo, in spite Of
all this ard much more, nothing is more difficult
than to resist Thing like this, when, in the midst Of
violent s;s,e Of public distress, when three
fourihs Of tho world are deeply embarrassed and
the eve Of being driven to terrible sacrifices, on
idea like ibis lie once sstsh3at.
At first, pnehed as they ore 10y want, mons mo
rality rejects il. IL is repealed from each ones
thought as II enters there; and he tells 1t not
10 his n,ghbor. Bu, should the calamity continue
and deepen, all grow desperate by degrees, and en-
,crtain fsmiliarly tie shocking thoughts I'LL finally
Wfung past all shame, ono whispers il TO another,
md that man 10 a ihifd-ii is buzzcd around md
each man starts to discover that tho idea from which
rccoil,d and which ho feared 70 mention, was in
the mind Of every ono around him I! is Ike that
dreadful extremity 10 which wo SEQ men sometimes
e5uced in tales Of shipwreck; where, when vessel
boat without provisions, the poor wreichos f1mi,h
on, alone on the vide sea- for few days: they
gnaw each tone, and bit Of leather in their poor
little barquo. Finally, thoy begin to glare each
man Of his neighbor, and oil the wolfe the eanni
bal wakes up in their Tortured en,rails. Then, at
asi, wien tho rage or hunger has stiIled every hu
Imam feeling, ono bends darkly 10 another, and
breahes into his car the hiJsous thought Of eating
a companion. The horid Imagination which, at
any other limo. would have ffOzs their hood, IL
welcomed with an internal howl. The appa ling
rites begin; a vicli is chosen. they tear him limit
| by limb, and suck his very hood. Another dsy
orngs but a now tragedy, Gl ono-half the crow
have devoured the rest. OF such sort arc laws like
those proposSd-shocking to every thought but
such ss tho lac, desperation engenders. Afo vo
yet reduced TO the copd ton when should listen
o these terrible suggesiion.1 Can We do nothing
.lse7 II NC cannot, will this frighlfuI remedy res
cue u,7
To-monow, we shall give Communication, press
ing this matier, with great eaInsslnsss. We shall