Washington telegraph. [volume] (Washington, Ark.) 1839-1871, 1862-10-08

military tyraht. Let all obey 1t cheeri ullY
high and noble duty, without distinction of
persons. Let the officers remember that they
command, not mercenary recruits or slaves IF
the press-gang, but citizens accustomed to
walk erect IN the presence of all but Almighty
God, and let all be united AS brothers in the
CONSCIOUSNESS that they are the free and SOW
erelgn citizens of great republic, with a COM
mon object, common danger, and a common
destiny. And thus only will our victory be
brought near at hand, and the common DANGER
the sooner passed
DEBTOR AND CREDIToR.-From the senti-
nents expressed by the different candidates
ror the General Assembly, and the universal
assent OF the community in their propriety, We
INFER that it Is the fixed opinion OF the citizens
OF the State that some action should be taken
TO stop the collection Of debts ntil after peace
In this debtor and creditor all concur. =
The wish is hardly less universal, that all our
courts of justice should be kept open, and the
machinery of our civil government maintained
in full operation. The importance of this is
acknowledged, not only for the suppression of
crime, and the protection of the persons and
property Of the citizens against unauthorized
violence, and society from anarchy, but also
for the purpose of adjusting civil and social
rights, and determining the justice of those
claims even, which might not be proper to be
| enforced by execution when reduced to money
demands.
Hence, there can be no objection to suits on
money demands Any of them may be litiga-
ted, and the claimant has right to demand
thlJ they may be fixed and established by the
action of the courts. The policy of prohibi-
ting such suits from being brought, or of con-
tiauing them for any in definite length of time
on mere motion of the defendant. is unjust,
Witnesses may die, and evidence be lost. The
parties to suits may die, and complicated en-
barrassments may arise, from the claims pass
ing into the hands of insolyent estates In
the course of time, one delay after another
may suIervene, until the claim may be finally
lost The creditor should certainly be allowed
to prosecute his suit to Judgment, except
against soldiers absent in the service of the
Confederacy. In this case, there would be
great pr opriety in adopting that absence as
valid ground Of continuance. The same rea-
son does not apply to the citizen at home. He
is on the spot, may attend the courts, advise
with his attornies, and in all respects protect
his rights as efficiently as in times of peace.
At ii! times absence Of witnesses has been a
proper ground of continuance.
Enforcing judgment so obtained is differ
ent matter. Now is no time to run executions.
Ii would be ruinous to defendants Most of
the debts In the community were contrac Ced
when the present condition Of things was un-
foreseen. There is no law Of morals rcauir-
ing debtor to be ruined, by political acct
dents, when he may be protected with a fail.
regard TO the rights Of his creditor.
There IS some danger of our sentiments be-
coming demoralized upon this subject. 1t i
always the case when we look too long and
intently upon snly one side of any case. 1t
is the habit now to sympathise with the debtor.
and the undue entertainment Of this idea, may
lead us into the error Of attaching olium to
the creditor. We come to think of Shylock in
some very unjust connections. 1t may even go
to the unjust length (morbid sentiments al
ways do Of wiping out all debts wholly, and
beginning anew.
We should avoid these extremes, and one
very proper guard for ourselves, is to think
ever now and then of the creditor. Under our
system of business heretofore, the poore st men
are also creditors Our condition differs frem
older societies in that respect. All our pro-
fessionai men have served upon a credit, and
have uo means IF supp TT but from collections.
Almost all our merchants have sold upon a
credit, very long ones generaly.) and have
most Of their capital in the debts of those
chanics have worked upon a credit. They can
neither support their fanatics nor lay in ma
terial for other work but upon payment by
their patrons. Our farmers have sold prodnee
on credit, and many of them cannot pay for
| their lands, nor supply their farms and fama-
lies without making some available use of what
| they have tout" Indeed, the creditor may
! be a very worthy man. The large mass of
them are estimable gentlemen, and many OF
them have, in these times, our hearty sympa-
thy. For the times have developed here and
| there, an exhibition of human selfshness which
|
sin of having trusted his neighbor Money is
plentiful now, and easily procured by those
who have anything to sell. Some men have
their pockets well lined with it, and owe poor
men who nee6 it badly to purchase food and
clothing for their wives and children. They
avail themselves of this sympathy for debtors
and viii not pay. sit is a great evil under
| the sun"
Nevertheless, laws must be universal, and
except by their own conscenccs we suppose,
! such cannot be reached We alude to them
only for the purpose of intimating that there
may possibly be two sides to this question
When we take calm and just views of the
matter, we will admit the propriety of allowing
the creditor at least to establish his claim. We
do not think it just to run executions now, nor
have we heard a single creditor ask it. We
have not, on the other hand heard of a single
debtor asking to be discharged of his debt
He should not object to its being adjudicated.
The cost is trifing where there is no litiga-
ton and he may avoid them all together, by
confession Of judgment. Any creditor will
81, t.ff l.af H,r, I,AY