The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1852-05-19

! uoh, VINO are tortured with the pangs OF
hunger; and who know not how to pro.
cure bread or shelter for tomorrow, not
for soant Of industry, but for ,cant Of en-
ptoy'nent-Jfor ,oant Of cork to doP And
why are the poor rates-the taxes for the
support OF the poor-in England, beeom-
ing so oppressive and enormous as to
make it subject of apprehension and
just alarm to the British Public; while in
almost every county of England there are
persons Of princely fortune-of untold, in
calculable wealth.
The student of History and Of Juris-
prudence will solve the Problem by tell
ing us there is wrong-there is an error
there is an inequality in the adjustment
Of the interest Of society. The Govern
ment has not done its duty. The rich
have been fostered. Trade has been ia
vored, while the working classes-the
great mass of the people-the poor, have
been overlooked and neglected. The Po-
litical Economist will significantly point
our attention to the startling fact, that
in a population Of little more than Twcn-
ty-six millions, the whole Real Estate of
the Kingdom is owned by Thirty-three
thousand persons one Landholder to
!Seuen Hundred and Eishty-eight per-
sons; who shave no little spot of free earth
to call their own," whereon to make bread
and rear their offspring! But we shall
be still more surprised when we learn that
the population of Great Britain and
Ireland is annually, g'owing smaller, de-
creasing from year to year
The wisdom Of this supervision of Go
vernment over the various, and often con-
fiicting, interests of men, is based upon
the nature and constitution Of man, exhibited
in its action and manifestations in State
of society. 1t is snowhere better illustrated
than in its application to the relation sub
sisting between Debtor and Creditor
And here the question may arise,
Should the Debtor be allowed any
property that may not be taken to dis
charge his obligation to his Creditorl
This, PERHAPS, after all, is the real ques-
ton to be settled; and the only one, in
the solution Of which, any serious difficulty
can present itself. Once satisfactorily de-
termined in the affirmative, our deductions
flow easily from the main premises, and
the results attainable will be clear, definite
and conclusive.
n It, then, right and proper that Go
vernment should, in the exercise of it's dis
cretionary power, set apart and exempt
any designated property that shall not be-
come the subject of levy and sale for the
satisfaction of debt without the consent of
the esDebtorl ..... .. -.. ,
Cases Of individual insolvency--of the
inadequacy of the Debtors effects to salts
fy the demands of the Creditor-have oc-
CURED, as common and ordinary circum-
stance, from the first community Of men
to the present moment; and will occur till
the dissolution Of the last that shall exist
in the world. "The poor ye have al,cays
with you"
Suppose, then, we appeal, for decis-
sion Of the main question, to the tribunal
Of Human Nature; knock at the door of
mans Humanity, and require an answer
to the question. Shall q man, his wife
and children, be utterly stripped of ALL
their property and effects to satisfy their
creditors claimsi Shall the mother sur
render her last bed; the ,con,dn give up
her wearing apparel; the husband release
his plough, his horse, his books, his home,
his all the children loose their last loaf Of
bread, while they cry with hunger shall
they all be rendered desolate, and aban-
doned to utter destitution, because Il ey
owe debt which they cannot at the
time discharged Shall Shylock be allowed
to extort the penalty of his Bond though
its written terms require, a pound of Ep-
ing, ,orithing, human flesh, cut from near
the heart of Antoniof
Mans better nature revolts at such an
horrible and damning conclusion! The
moral feelings and common sense of man.
kind will settle this question, at once and
forever, in the affirmative there should
be an exemption Of property for the BEN
eft Of the DEBTORS family.
But we have higher authority than
this. That which was, IN itseJ; right
and proper, when applied to man in a
state Of society, a: any time, will continue
to be right and proper everlsstingly. The
Hebrew Code Of Law, in its adaptation to
man, his wants, his necessities, his rights,
and his duties, was the embodiment of
perfect wisdom as it emanated from the
mind ofDeity. Did that Code contain no
law to perfect the Debtor, and to restrain
the Creditori Every seventh year the
whole spontaneous produce Of the land Of
Judea was expressly given to those Who
oWned no lands.
Every seventh year was expressly de-
siovn atad M A vaap E,y HD eolsoss and nan
collation. Of ali debts: "And this Is the
manner Of the reieasei Every Creditor
that lendetli ought unto his heighbor shall
release it; he shall not exact il Of his
neighbor, or Of his brother" (Deut. xv.)
Nay more; the Creditor 10 expressly eau
toned not dssignedly to collect his debts
80 as TO have nothing TO forgive at the
septennial release :--"Beware that there
be not thought in thy wicked hear.
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