New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-06-16
A LETTER
FROM ONE BEREFT or HIS PROPERTY, TO HIS
ATTORNEYS IN TENNESSEE.

GENTLEMEN: In reply to mine, incosing note for
collection you send me printed copy Of the law ap
plying to my unhappy case-here it i''
by Authority.l
PUBLIC LAWS OF TENNESSEE.
Az Acr 10 prr.n collection Of debit Ouing by eif-e.s Of
Tenneee 10 e'tisen' e) the non"dreh0tdn9 States during
Sc l. be IL enacted by e General Amby Of The STATE Of
.rep. of soIss IL this State shall have
Loot moneys ewing Or any pops ssd ey ss r
Tennessee and tie Federal Government
SEC BE further enacted That ard shall be lAwfo
~, nb debtors 10 paw snch moneys the Treasury OF the
State which shall be recsPea Tor by the and
SIC BE J,the, enacted That this take effect nom
and after its passage. VI, = u,--,o
Speaker Of the House Of Represctsives.
b. l.. SToyALI, Speaker OF the sensse-
true copy: j. Z. RAY. Secretary.
begin my reply with bic extract from another
statute, called The Ten Commandments:
SECTION o. /" Thou ,hah not steai"'
In rude old days, when credit dealings were few,
there crept into the law of war rule which allowed
dishonest debtors to repudiate their obligations to c-
zens of other nations at war with their But this
rule comforting the vest of all the begerent rights
was not it seems good enough for you. Your people
must have a promp,er and more stringent enactment
in shape of the above recited Itching for the spos
of war down to the ends of their pckes and steaers
tbey could not wait TO establish their independence by
manly battle (which requisite before the old Law
would apply to their cae but must grasp, In advance
at the fruits of victory
Commonly belligerents have TO wait till they have
conquered city before they proceed TO sack ii. But
your Legislature has contriyed way for every one OF
your shopkeepers to bag the property Of jewellers in
Northern commercial towns while standing safely be-
hpd their counters and without the rsk or trouble OF
firing gum
BS section second see your State, in its sovereign
CAPACITY, shares in the profits The State is thief
then, and carries a bag Also
Traly Tennessee has learned to step TO the Rogue
March in double-quick time.
Looking at 1t in the aggregate and considering you
must have made at least ten millions by the job 1t ap
pears quite respectable. Tracing back your debts 10
The values they represent find your acquisitions TO
include large and varied supply Of everything needed
70 make life comfortable ana pleasant. Those debts
represent general assortment Of groceries and pro-
visions furniture, machinery, and farm implements,
hardware dry-goOds, millinery, crockery and glass,
drugs and medicines, books and stationery. :,
But when We regard the details OF the affair, and
follow the stolen property into the hands OF all the re-
fers and receivers il has wofuy the aspect OF petty
larceny Your gentlemen and ladies have stolen from
ms boots Shoes and hats-stoen ribbons bonnets ana
Isoes-s,olen thread needles, and buttonsstoen bam
ners borse-shoes and candlesticks-stolen nutmegs
tweezers and dried appes-stoen mouseIraps, tooth'
picks, and night-caps-stolen prayer-books snovsls
and -stones-stolen tea coffee, and soap-soleL
sheets shifts, shrouds, and pillow-cases-st Gil
these and other things too numerous TO menon as An
aucticneers advertisement winds up
have seen similar inventory In bag, taken from
under the petticoan of female shopifter., wss
commodous receptacle. Each OF you soldiers, wnen
grding up his lons for battle should remember 70 e
on one Of the same pattern.
think know whose example you would emnAte'
The Spartans were brave people, and mighty theves
and you hope by turning thieves, IKE then, 70 become