Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-12-15
For the Burlington Free Press.

SEIZURE OF PROPERTY FOR DEBT.
Much has been said and written ere now, touching
the evils of slavery and little Of the disposition
too often manifested by the rich TO take advantage Of
the poor, and there is too much truth and justice in
what has been published under this head, for
cessfuy to deny the fact 1t strikes me however that
there scarcely more of what consider lack ofhu
mainly in using power to Cypress his fellow
tures because they chance to be the weaker party than
nthe privilege given by our laws, relating TO the COL
lection Of debts to the creditor to seize the personal
property of the debtor, tender for debt due, espe
caly where the failure of the person indebted is the
result of misfortune and not of dishonesty. The fault
of this mode of obtaining satisfaction for debt not be-
fore voluntarily discharged, is that it more often falls
upon the honest, than upon the fraudulent and dis
honest, and when property is thus taken satisfac
ton for debt it is oftcn and indeed amo, always soid
for much less than its real value. The fraudulent and
dishonest are more generally dishonest evade this
summary proceeding for the recovery Of the just due,
by making pretended assignment of their pro-
perty to some friend no, responsible therefor. Now
it does 10 that while the law allows the cred
lie to obtain redress for dues fraudulently withheld,
there ought to be provision made for those who,
while they unfortunate, still sustain known repu-
tation for honest industry, that they shall not with
the dishonest be made victims to the shyocks of the
day, who look to nothing but the rigorous exaction Of
their pound OF flesh As tits, think any man Of hon.
or and human feelings would be ashamed 10 take ad
vantage of the law or of mans Indebtedness to him,
where the amount due is SO large that would swa-
low all the property he has got, and reduce him to
beggary, to put on the screws in the manner that ID
sometimes done. For sooner would forgive debtor
10 such an amount half he me, than see him dis
tressed on my account. The foregoing remarks a.e
elected by the recent circumstance Of a man in this
town having been sezed of his whole property by the
unexpected treachery of one not an original creditor,
and this too after the man had been to him and en-
gagged him to take lot of pork towards the debt at
the time. What renders this rascally proceeding tho
more trying is that the individual on whom il was
served industrious, and had engaged in the dairy
business till the fall in the price of cheese, &c obliged
him 10 renqush 1t, and had furthermore, practised
more than usual economy in living and family ex.
penses in order meet his liabilities Ii is duo
friendly public 10 say that by generous bidding, the
stock, hay, &C., disposed of at good prices, bu
justice will point the finger of scorn the meanness
OF The old hunks, through whose agency this sacrifice
OF property was made. ], is probably but one cas<
among thousand similar to it and il is Time that The
public sentiment was enlisted in behalf Of those who
thus made to suffer thro the rapacny Of unee!inl
creditors as well as in behalf os the southern slave
u Indeed so far asst effects the who, though unor
tunalc honest and INDUSTRIOUS the siezng propert!
for debt is but legazed robbery and envy not tina
disposition which without regarding the ruinous con
sequences of the proceeding lays upon him his hug
paw, and Ike shyock, rather than lose the value OF
s few shllngs the pound of flesh for his deb,
Shame on such wretch. Phanth,opos.
Huntington Dec To- IS43.