The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1852-04-21

suggest such thing to any man. If man |
were to ask of one of your merchants credit
to the amount ofTwenty or Thirty Dollars
for few snecessaries, we ask the question, |
if the, ,prosiso would be included in the reply
"No, not unless you surrender to me the
right in your Homestead" But again,
Would any man with Il spark Of the
influence of that noble, and rich, and inesti-
mable gift which God gave him, blended in,
and inspiring him with nobleness Of soul
which elevatcs and characteristics him above
all created beings, ,oould such man APP
peal to the merchant and say, a will re-
nouunce my Homestead if you give me the
credit" Does this bear any semblance to the
every day business Of life Why then bring
up abstract points, to endeNvor to show the
law is right and proper. If every state in
the Union adopted it. we would still hold to
what we now say. The Spartan proceeds
as follows, "Now we admit if n man has
been credited, on the faith of property in
his possession, that the property rs a gencr-
al rule ought to be liable to pay such debts"
What sophistry. If Mr. \. credits me on the
faith of my owning Printing Press, should
| fail TO pay him, he would be perfectly right
to sell my press, but if he depended on my
honor and honesty, then my Press should
not be sold to pay the debt. But again
"If cvcay thing man has should be taken
for debt, then his personal services should
be taken also, and the labor and time Of his
wife and children: then they Ill ought to be
sold as slaves until the debts are paid" 1t
would be just as reasonable for me to say
If a man becomes insolvcnt, and his proper
| ty is taken to satisfy his creditors, cXcmpting
only his Homestead, then it should be the
duty and there should be law compelling
it to be the duty of every citizen in that neigh
borhood, to give to such insolvcnt citizen so
much money, or so much provisions, for he
has his house but nothing TO eat Because
Il bcggar stops at my door and give him n
six-pencc, must hunt up bcggars to give
them all siXpcnce each Now" SAYS the
Spartan " one or two words To vindicate the
wisdom, the policy. the humanity of this
eral distress and pecunary pressure, it will
give poor men time and leave the medus to
pay debts, and support their families" We
agree here entirely with our friend, tor by
the enactment of this Law the means will
already have ic6 the poor man.
2nd. 1t will induce men, who are not now
land-holdcrs, to acquire farms under the
cherished conviction that their wiycs and
children will be provided for agninst misfor-
tunes and accidents" II this is one of the
objects intended by the adoption of the
Law, then we see greater cause to be oppo-
scd to it. What, use legislative means to
induce man TO reside in South Carolina
And more than ths-throw this out as an
inducemcnt for men TO purchase land, know
ing it cannot be taken for debt If men
purchased land from this fact in the name of
all sense and justice, we ask what kind ofpo-
pulation would we have!
In conversation with a friend the other day
on the subject, he mentioned that he knew
men in his neighborhood, wlro, they would
have been glad to get rid of, but now these
men were determined to stay, rs they were
aware ofthe fact that their land could not be
taken to pay debts they might contract
Such men are of no advantage TO the coun-
ty, and our opinion is, the sooner we get rid
of them the better
Sd. at will counteract that tendency in
all well settled countries of the aecumula-
ton in the hands of few men, comparative
| ly, of all the real estate; leaving the large
| n,yOruy toitiom lands, in which event, one
| of two results will follow. lst. The larger
proportion Of the free white working classes
will 60 to the West and South for landed
settlements, and thus drain away the very
bone and sinew of our wealth, as State, and
leave Us weak and meagre in numbers. with
an OrcrgrO'cn Stare population to MANAGE
Or I'd. Ifthey do not thus emigrate, but re-
main here, to sustain the relation of Tenants,
hirelings and day laborers in subordinations
to priviledgcd class, who have monopolised
the lands, then the sooner or later feeling
of disaifcction and hostility will prevail, be-
tween the landholders, and the other Glasses
which may threaten the rights of property,
and disturb the peace and safety of the coun-
try" In other words, We will give the yer.
sion Of what our friend says. BY having
such a Law, we will compel the industrious
portion OF our State. men who have striyen
hard and by their industry and economy have
accumulated little; we will compel these
mon In cradit an idle ,laos .,,,-.y, A., L.
them here as thebonc and sinew Of the coun-
try. Is it not strange that none of the dam
gers our contemporary aPprchcnds have yet
occurred! "A feeling Of disafection and
hostility will arise" and for what, prayl be-
cause the State does not secure to man
his home, never mind If the man who sold
him the land, or the mechanic who built the
house, are without their pay. Yet the State
must keep the bone and sinew of the con,