Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1849-07-12
imprisonment for Debt.

The State Sentinel continues its attacks upon Mr.. Matson's
character, both personal and political. with most savage fe-
roeiiy. The editor charged Maison with advocating a policy
by which men ate torn from their weeping families aud
buried in lOa:hsome jaiIs. thee TO lay and rot month after
month by which men ae torn from the marriage altar. from
the funeral procession and from their homes al the hour Of
midnight, " that he looks upon poverty as a crime to be pun
ished not a misfortune calling FOR sympathy and aid"
The citizens Of our county have had the pleasure of hear
ing Mt. Maison on the subject of Imprisonment for debt, and
we venture the opinion, that there is not a man in The coun-
ty so destitute Of common sense. so bereft Of every noble
attribute Of humanity, so sunk IN the dark depths of a mis-
cradle ~paiyism, as 10 believe that here is a single word Of
truth in the above charges. Mr.. Matson ever has been and
stiI is in favor Of aboIishing imprisonment for debt, bu, he
Is not in favor Of passing a law by which s~eoundTels and
%swindlers can defraud their creditors. The Sentinel in con-
ed advocate and defender of a corrupt and vicious law. "Is
it wonderful, says the Sentinel, that Matson is not a good
citizen: not a',alL II is almost impossible that he should
be-" Ii IS not " almost % but quite :" impossible - that he
would thus attempt 10 tarnish the character Of an honest
and honorable maa-should be a good einzen.-MOaigomery
Journal.
~rascality and falsehood. We have not attacked Mat
sons 20 personal" character, as all who have read the
Sentinel well know. We have, it is true, a~rraigned
him for his political acts and opinions, and shall con-
tinue to do so, if we choose.
Why does not the Journal refute our facts if it can,
instead of stupidity and falsely denying them There
stands the obnoxious vote recorded in the House
Journal. and we gave the page where it could be
found. What folly and nonsense, then, is the Jour-
nails stuff above quoted. It does not dare deny Mat
sons vote to continue the odious and disgraceful law
of Imprisonment for debt. and yet would have us be-
lieve Matson was opposed to that law! He was op.
posed to the law, says the Journal, but would not vote
to repeal it! Nobody will believe such a thing.
But the Journal says, by condemning Mr.. Matson's
vote, we virtually stand forth the avowed advocate
and defender of n corrupt and vicious law,""a law
by which scoundrels and swindlers can defraud their
creditors" We leave our readers to Judge of the
consistency between this and the pretence that Mat
son is 10 favor of abolishing the law in question. We
are perfectly aware that the wing leaders generally
regard all poor and unfortunate men as " scoundrels
and swindlers, ~ and any law for their protection from
the grip of avarice as Z" corrupt and vicious" We
certainly do stand forth the avowed advocate and de-
fender of the law abolishing Imprisonment for debt,
as well as all other laws calculated to place our fell
low-men in possession of their natural and inalien.
able rights, and if the Journal and the wings choose
to regard it as corrupt and vicious they are al
perfect liberty to do so.
As 10 the rascally misquotation from our article
about 1" BIatson's not being a good citizen" our read
ers very well know that we said no such thing.