The northern tribune. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1847-1855, 1848-02-07
For The Northern Tribune.
Imprisonment for Debt.


its worst features. Scenes, to be sure, are not
now enacted such as occurred in the town of
Vassalboro' some thirty or forty years ago.
A quite noted Deputy Sheriff of those days
town, who was not at home when the Sheriff
called to serve the writ. The wife of the man
was lying sick on the bed, with an infant of
but two days old. 1t was the law then to take
all the furniture in the house. The man of
the law was not to be defeated, and taking the
young child from its mothers arms, apparent
ly to caress it, he proceeded to the door and
into the yard and deposited his treasure before
the swine The frantic mother, springing
from her bed, few to the rescue of her child.
while the fend in human shape seized the bed
and left the house, to make return of his do.
;ngs. This was lawful then, and it is in some
respects not much better now. The power of
Selling the sick woman's bed, revolving as it
appears, perhaps was not the worst feature of
this barbarous law, or much worse than some
that are retained. The bed might not have
rightfully belonged to those who held it, and
thus some show of reason given for the act of
seizure, but that man in Gods image should
be seized and immured in felon's CELL except
for crime, or the apprehension fully authorised
that evil would follow to the community, un-
less SO secured, is an outrage on humanity.
But, in relation to imprisonment for debt,
what are the facts, the bearings the reason,
the utility or necessity? Why has this law
remained to disgrace our statute books, in
stead of passing away with similar laws of the
ject advanced at such snail-like pace Why
has not this law been abolished with the 9TH
ers Of like odious character. which had their
origin in the dark ages } This is the question
we want those who make our laws to answer.
hold that all compulsory process, what
ever, to pay debts, ought long ago to have been
abolished. No good can, come ultimately
from such process either to creditor or debter,
but is most fruitful source of dishonesty and
crime in the places where it is the most used.
However some may doubt, it is nevertheless
true, that love, and not force, kindness, and
not coercion, arc the best officers and attorneys
for the collection of debts. 1t is no part of
the agreement, when the debt is contracted,
that the creditor should, Shylock like, receive
his pound of flesh. The bare thought of this
last and very desperate measure being resorted
to would at once prevent the completion of
the bargain between the creditor and debtor.
would have all debts. not secured by tan.
gible property. debts of honor, but l would
not force man to swear when God has said
"Swear not at all" And I assure You if
man is driven to swear out of Jail his sense of
obligation to his creditor is materially dimin-
ished, nor will he be likely to have stronger
affection for such creditor than he does for
the one who has not driven him to the wall,
who has confded in his honor. Indeed l
know of men to whom it is safe to lend a ten
dollar bill, trusting to their honor, whom we
would not trust for one dollar on book ac-
count.
have frequently heard and seen accounts
of the abolition of imprisonment for debt in
several of the States, but on more particular
inquiry have. invariably found them false. 1t
is even said of Maine that she has abolished
it, bullet man be without friends or money
and in debt TO merciless creditor, and he will
soon End the difference. In no place in this
Union can a man be said to be free from re-
straint with regard to his creditor when mis-
fortune has laid its hand upon him. No mat
ter how honorable or upright he may be, he is
liable to be arrested for debt in its frat stages,
ana if he does not leave the State before the
execution is issued, he can be seized on that