Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1849-01-24
Homestead Exemption.

Seneca Co., praying that Family Home
steads may be exempt from sale, on execu-
ton TO pay debts, make the following
REPoRT:
That the exemption Of the Family Home.
stead from sale for debts is intended as q
beuigu protection Of the innocent and un.
fortunate from the seventies Of the law
judicial sales Of a deb,or's real estate usu.
ally arises from his misfortune or his i'm
providence. In either case, the calamity
falls most heavily upon the wife and chill.
dren, who are innocent and helpless suf:
erers. The provision, therefore, is hu.
name; in the light ofPoli,ical economy i,
IL also wise.
The object Of law is TO promote public
happiness the sufferers from ;ad,cia]
sales form large portion Of The most nu.
merous class Of citizens; small farmers and
traders, artisans, mechanics, manuGactu.
Ters and laboring msn; in towns and cities;
and upon these iall most frequently and
with greatest severity.th inevitable calam.
tiles of your race,such as disease, ,pestilence,
revulsiens OF trade, commerce and mnnu.
factuEessa. The happiness Of this numerous
class s6t6ld not be contingent upon the
chances Of health or public prosperity. To
secure their Independence, the roof that
shelters them, should not be al the mercy
Of an emp.oyer, who, by Withholding work
can deprive them Of bread, take away their
home, and fofce them asunder 10 seek shell
ter where it may be found-or at the mer-
cy Of creditor, who may force it to sale,
and buy i. himself,et mere nominal price.
The homestead, then, should be q place
of refuge, where the poor and weary may
lap his head, with none to make him afraid
-an altar where family love may always
burma castle where the oppressor may
not approach. Give permanence 10 the
poor mans home, and he will be virtuous
and independent. Shelter bis wife and off:
spring by an established homestead, and
they will seldom become victims Of vice,
want or crime. Happiness, virtue, indie.
pendence. and the welfare Of Republican
Government; in the family homestead they
mus: grow and expand; withou. it they
must perish. So that security to the home.
stead is one Of the greatest ideas to be real
lied for the improvement Of our race.
II is lamentable truth, that the tenden.
cy Of past Legislation in Ohio, and in our
National Legislature, has been to build up
and protect capital OF the expense Of labor
--,o enhance the profits Of commerce, man.
ufaclures, and mercantile, and speculative
pursuits, and render the laborer, the agri-
culturist, and the poor mechanic mere OBJ
jscts to be protected by the capitalists;
than as being under the protection Of gov
ernment. In fact, the whole system Of
present class legislation seems to have been
effected on the maxim ascribed to dstin.
guished siatesman-Let the government
care Of the poor!-The reverse should be
the motto Of all Republican Governments
-"let government protect the poor--ihe
rich will take care Of themselves" The
object Of all law should be ''the protection
o! the weak against the aggressions Of the
strong" And while in this State, every
possible expedient is resorted to, in order
to confer exclusive and important privi.
leges upon bankers, and ut the same time
exempt them from the operation Of just and
Wholesome laws-t is high time that the
hand Of protection should be held out TO the
poorer, more numerous and more worthy
classes OF community. And who are those
who would reap the advantages Of the
Homestead exempti That large class
Of citizens, and their families, who dig the
wealth of your State from the soil--who
build your roads and canals, who erect
your pobie edifices, and beau:i(y your
towns and ci,ies--the FIRST TO take up arms
in defense Of your iiberties-the same class
Of men who have carried US triumphantly
through two wars at home, and carried the
American flag triumphantly 10 the far
south and west; placed it VIGOROUSLY upon
the ancient walls Of Monie-..,uma, and rails.
ed ii IN srlun',ra.. p. on the shores Of the Pa.
talc. This is the class that will reap the
most benefit from this law. The bulwarks
Of freedom in war-the pillars Of govern.
ment in peace. The miser, the moneyed
Shylock, the Banker, the specula.or. 1t
is against the ruthless touch Of these wiley
men, that we ask the Homestead to be pro.
iecied-yet we do not desire to prevent
them from also securing its advantages.
Nothing tends to form a happy, con-
tented, hard working yeomanry, attached
to their country and its insti,utions,so much
as direct and permanent interest in the
soil they cultivate. So in an equal pro-
portion, nothing can tend SO much to en-.
hance the happiness, virtue, family, family
love, love, intelligence and independence
of the people, as the certainty that amid
all the revulsions Of trade, all the specula.
tions and competitions of commerce, the
family Homestead cannot be wrested from
them, and that they may improve and o.
dorm with flowers, vines and shrubbery;
with fruit, shade, and ornamental trees,
and render it rural paradise for the shell
ter Of old age, and the retreat and enjoy
,snent Of innocence and youih-conscious
thai it is their own beyond all contingent
cies!
In country like ours, where all classes
are rushing into competitions in trade-in
speculatiohs ofevery grade, and character,
and where the whole currency of the coun.
try is under the control of corporations
who can, by ssespansien," encourage the
most dangerous and unlimited. ..speculations:
and by "contractions" at their will, pro.
duce the most overwhelming and disastrous
revulsions; it is truly wise and benifcent
measure that will place the family Home