Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1843-08-03
From the Philadelphia Inquirer.
A LETTER FROM MIR BIDDLE.
THE DEBT OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ANDALusrA, july 20, 1913.
To The editor Of The Inquirer:
| l have. as you know. post poncd the discussion o.
the Pennsy lvana Debt wnilst there was a project %
exchanging some part OF It lnI the puJlic works -
That however has Jailed aud the last legislature
not only made no provision fOrpaying the interest
which Is thus added 10 the principal but IA fac re-
peaied. by not continuing halfcG The eI listing
iaNes-t Is clear that affairs have grown worse
The delay moreover has produced It's natural effect
by rendering The creditor embIIIered the de ht-
or more indIHerenl-while IN that MOOD; a few
quiet but very plain words may not be useless 10
either.
The most remarkable part then. Of this jarring be.
tween England and Pennsylvania, il It's extreme
absurdily.
Here are Two nations in the worst p1ssiblo hu.
NOR with each other, ready, with only a lIue more
POvocaIIon, 10 60 10 war; and yet. neither parry
has the least idea Of the nature &c the quarrel nor
OF his own rights and duties. The English ON their
part assert that they have bought the public Stocks
Isseud by several SaIes which DO not pay their IN
IeresI' and especially the stocks Of Pennsy lvana-
IWhereuPOn, believing themselves without redress
they are naturally vexed and cunfOund'ng as angry
people are prone 10 do. the innocent with the RuIl.
Iy. they denOunce the United States for violating
their engagements. which they ascrIbe TO their Dem
ocraiic institutions. On the OiheT hand Penssy Iva
MA, thinking that. sovereign State, she has the
monarchIcu privilege Of not being obliged 10 pay
her debts and chaled by the abuse lavished on her
Is in no haste 10 do her duty although she thinks
she will certainly DO it hereafter. Both parties
| therefore. are ia false pJsiIIon-and It is high
lime that they should understand their true rela lion
/ TO each other, Now, the debtor aud the creditor
perhaps will be equally surprised to know
! LIST. That by the Constitution Of the United
States. there Is created tribunal wholly inJepen.
dent of the States ~ decide all questions between
Pennsylvania and any other foreign Stuie.
ID. That before that tribunal. judgement can be
obtained for every dollar OF principal ard Interest
oi these PennsylyunIa bonds. aud that all tho pro
perry Of the state can be seized and sold TO satls
~ that Judgement just if il belonged to the hum
blest CItIzen; and
Sd. Tuat all the other tweniy Eve states are boun,
10 carry into eEecutiOE-by arms, n neces nry --th
Judgement OF that tribunal against Pennsy vania
All this n few words will make manifest
After the war OF Independence. the States. re
; ieved from the pressure Of foreign enemies yer
soon ouigrew The feeble restraint OF the cOu(edera
r ton The Stale Legislatures became the real so,
reigns. that is. the real lvrunis Of the oOunry-an
Their misconduct must have been intolefable ndee
wien Il could eIIori from Mfr jefferson himself On
great champion Offhe Siltes expressions like tbos,
"a hs letter 70 Nc MonrOe-"lt will be said ia or
Is 200 money m tie Treasury. There never will d
money ~ the Treasury unul the Con federacy show
'ts teeth. The States must see the rod--pcfhaps
most be felt by sumo one Of them"
Accordingly ihe gfeat object Ofths present con
}. "HuloH was 70 create government able 20 main
{ 'a'n it'eli wuh the aid Of the Stats Legislature,
and 10 correct The abuses which those Legislature
deluged the country with paper money tn
constitution declared that "t1t no Stale thoulJ em
oiis OF credit They had then 6rceJ the psopl
70 receive these "a payment The Constitution de
/. e'a'ed nat GEO siae should make any Thing bu
goid 400 silver legal tender "a payment Of dsls.
lss o'l'e Leg'a''ufes hsd fofieiied the estates
b political enemies made crimes Of acts NOT RIO,
, illegal and passed laws violating the engagement
, Of individuals. The C9natuHOa declared that m
stats should psss any bd Of attsiodsr sr post fact
taw-0T law mpaHing Obligation Of contacts. !" =