The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1852-07-21

nave oeeh out q great deal lately building
the carpenter, the mason, the sawyer, the
painter, and the merchant are all dunning
me, and Rev. Mr. has said nothing
about some | am owing him, neither has
the editors of my papers, (unless in gener
al remarks.) These men | will pay the
first money l can spare-as for the rest
OF you, get your money outside of the ex-
emption and welcome. If you take the
benefit of the law, will take the benefit
OF its protection. 1t would be useless to
continue the picture throughout, as the
creditors after prosecuting claims by law
found from the return of the Sheriff, that
all the property that could be sold by him
was sold, and barely covered expenses lea
wing their debtor in possession of a fine
house and much better property than Ell
ther OF them possessed; and also learning
that he was about to sell hiss reserve, indi-
vldually, to which he could make a good
title, pocket his cash, and move of. The
only consolation of these creditors would
be, that according to law, they must of
necessity do as he had done, violate their
contracts, and let the creditors charge it
against or to the laws of the country, and
not as prcmeditated thing by them.
Such must be its bearing upon all the
industrious class, whether merchant, far
mer, mechanic, pastor, or teacher in n
greater or less degree. Can it then be eli
ther ben, fit or protection to that class p
Move answer no. 1t compels him who
IN good faith promised, to violate that pro-
misc; circmscribes the limit of his credit
deprcsses that spirit Of industry and encr
gy which makes men worthy of the name
OF sons of South Carolina. We may fur
ther see that it will rather iniure than hclp
those for whom it was intended to benefit.
Inc young man commencing business
could extend his credit and also credit 9th
ers to the full amount he was worth: but
under this protection, the public consider
him worth nothing outside of the excmp-
ton, whether he be honest or not, it will
take all inside Of the exemption to ensure
him to be honest, let that be five or ten
hundred dollars, and though he should be
strictly honest, he must deal with others
nccording TO the same rule. He who has
family, but no house or land, must feel
1t sensibly. The landlord Ton application
t. rent) would consider what has that fam
i,v to pay with outside of exemption. If
hey cultivate my lands they may use or
dispose of the product as they make it.
On what then can distrain? The conse-
quencc Is, he has to 60 farther and accept
of any shelter he may be able to get. In
deed, history furnishes no record of good
State or national policy interfering with,
or making void, any part of faithful pro-
mises or bona fde contracts. On the con-
trary, we read of contract Of n whole
birth. right sold for mess ofpottagc, (and
that in no mean family,) and notwithstan-
ding the mess of pottage was not fair
consideration for it, yet it was a contract
- was observed and fulfilled.
The next is to consider it rs a kind of
hencvolence or charity to enable poor wild
ows aud INDECENT families to be raised and
educated. Now, the end OF the command
ment is charity, DC. But let as enquire
what is charity-to whom should il bc
extended, and who should give it. Char
lty Is something given from the bountiful
to the needy, from pare motives, without
gruding, and we think no gift can be real
ly charitable where the donor knows the
donee is less needy than himself, or that
the donee will not apply it to a proper use
In accordance with the old axiom, cEari-
ty begins at home, and if it travel away
II should be III accordance with the will of
the donor. But farther, charity ought to be
extended by law in rearing and support
ing institutions, as well as Tor taking care
of the INSANE and intirm, rs also for edu-
eating the poor who are unable To make
a living-of this kind Of charity we are
happy TO boast our state is not altogcth r
hindmost, and hope much more may vet
he done by her in that RESPECT. But this
kind Of charity is not maintained, or got
from the people by any law authorizing
an individual catch-and-keep system, but
10y proper order-requiring every man TO
pay according to his abIIily, (for which we
refer you To the tax book) am inclined
to think that the homestead law of which
We are speaking, has no just claim to eth
er individual or public charity. For it
would be poor case Of reasoning to over
tax the sympathies Of the provision seller,
when the buyer did not have the cash in
hand, but had other visible property, and
on pay day tell him he might have known
better--and the debt must be booked to
charity. Such a law may be designed for
the protection of widows and children, but
we see that the shrewder the knave, the
greater the gain can be made by it. Such
protection may be found fault with, as was
the case with an Irish seaman who had