The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1852-04-01
From the Unionville-Journal.
The Homestead Law.

IN the private al1alrS oil ln1lvlduals. and 70
prevent idlcncss and mprovidcnce from
meeting its just reward, by Poverty nnd'
more or less suffering following in its train
has heretofore, and'aiways will ,signalIy fail.
The fiat of the Almighty has gone, forth
that man shall earn breal bf th,s, sweat
Of his brow; not by every one hoeing; or
plowing or chopping, or'harvcsthg, but by
energetically following some occupation or
pursuit, that will earn for himself and fami,.
ly an honorable livelihood. IfGovernment
were to act so unwisely rs to compel by Law
an equal division Of all property between
every individual, such condition ofthinps
would last but very short time. The
same inequality would soon again take
place, and those who, from want Of indus
try, frugality and economy had nothing
before the division, would suddenly relapse
into their former condition. We arc au-
thorized by the language Of the bible, in
saying that God himself contemdlated
such inequality in the condition Of his crea-
turc man Not only in the Old, but in
the New Testiment, we bear Of the" high
and the low, the rich and the poor and
no Legislature has the right (ifit could.
by its action,) to make the Iich man poor.
The moral code enjoins the obligation to
perform, and imply with contracts, with
out any compulsory process, and il is tho
duty Of the Legislature to give its sanction
to the moral cooley, by supplying this CON-
pulsory process in cases where the moral
obligation is not sufficiently bending TO in
duce the parties, from sense Of iustice.
to do their duty.-This brings rs to the
consideration Of what is called the Uoms-
stead Law, passed at the last session Of
the Legislature. The law provides that
the homestead of fifty acres Of land, not
exceeding in value five hundred dollars,-
to be laid off around tho homestead most
adyantageonsly to the owner, who does
not live in town, shall be exempt from
levy and sale by means Of final process,
for any debt contracted after thisiaw goes
into operation-the amount of which IN.
he may become indebted in. any way
whatever, and ifhe is only worth Eve
hundred dollars in land, he may laugh at
his creditor, and put him ut Defiance al
though this creditor may be man who
has built him the house in which helives
the day-laboror who has stoiled for him
in the fields, and his starving family at
home-or the kind neighbor who shas
loaned him half the proceeds OF, his last
little crop, to enable him to purchase corn
for his support. This is not all, nor tho
worst. He may recklcssly commit tres
pass upon his neighbor's lands--cut his
valuable timber-puil down his fences,
and let the stock destroy his arms and say
to him, put you at defiance. only own
four hundred and fifty dollars worth Of
land. 1t will not do to say that oil lie
may be done now by ono not owning
any land or other property. He would
have no foot-hold in the nsighborhood, and
could be driven out OF it. These are not
all the bad effects Of the law.yl II actnally
destroys the credit Of the ANAL farmer.
Before the passage of the law, q rnan
owning five hundred dollars worth Of land.
and failing in his crop, could 90 70 his
neighbor and borrow. Sl00 to buy grain.
Now it is unsafe to'him "A He may ba
ever so honest, but he may die, and hia
sons NAV not be like the husband. and
father; and his credit might not be very
good II he owned seven or eight hurdred
dollar worth Of land, for when the COM
missioners have laid of Eve hundred
dollsrs worth most adyantageously sfor
him, the balance Of the land, in the
shape Of q belt would be Of but litslo
value. Besides, the law must ilscessarily
work badly, in its practical operation.
Suppose the house Itself worth $1,000, how
must the officer proceed Must he cut Il in,
two, or give the whole Of il to the debt
ori Fit is given to the debtoy, one man
has $1,000 worth Of property exempted,
and Others only $500; and thes, the law
would operate unequalIy. II the house IL
cut IN two,or some person RESIDES the orr
ginal owner purchase half Of il, you win
have two families in one house, whieh vs
all know never does well. And again TO
show how utterly futile IL IN to atlSmpt 10
ieg'slate prevent Individual suf5ssiag, pro-
dueed by negligence or idleness, I AL, Why
should FIVE hundred dollars worth be en-
empted, and not SIX, ,six fifty, or ssyeni.
IL Is no answer 10 say that Il viii TAXA
about FIVE hundred dollars worthof land
TO support family, bccsuss SIX on ssvsa
hundred dollars worth il .as uecessary
for some families, a. five or even threa
hundred for others. Here's again, ahslaw
operates uaequally. Bot you win answer,
1t u impossible to avoid 4 sss rrcciselyy
80, and hence the obieetianf 10 anv at
tempt ut Legislation on the vruhiecS.s Il
Is said that honeat aad iudasisies,a slnea
sold o. I, lriven from lhemea lss want
OF q Law Of this sort, bytlssis hecoming
security and the psincipul falling. u SCI
dom or never happenssahae ~. honest,
Industrious man fails % hase fsieads to
sustain him IN his misfarssns and Z IN
stances Of that sass ncss asd .ihsas do
occur, W. should not otarnsssly afaptb an
experiment 20 remedy thens Shst lAay be
worse than tho disease.s u sosnelimes
harflaas that A;aaaan x. c,,-..1 L.. ...s...s