The Camden confederate. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1861-1865, 1863-05-15

But what Is debt in the general pecuniary
sense? l hold BIS promise to pay me this day
five hundred dollars--that is five hundred pie
ces of silver deDominatcd dollars Under the
circumstances I demand no payment; but B
impressed with the patriotic" idea that pro-
mise he holds of another party to pay $500
SIX months after the ratification Of treaty of
peace" is the thing it promises Though not
convertible, in fact, into moro than $lOO) and
respectfully good" (good for him, doubtess)
tenders it accordingly. o6ject.--That it is
not the thing he owes me, nor its equivalent in
any sense, has no attibule of it, and is not con.
vcrtiblc anywhere in the world into more than
one-fifth of its nominal amount, or of my debt
therefore decline it; keep it, say, till you be-
come able to pay me in the currency | lent you :;
till then | shall not trouble YOU and as it is
within the range of "patriotic uscs," tend IL to
tie government--inve$tu It IN Confederate Bonds:
it is not the equivalent Of the money due me ::
but it Is the equivalent of the Bonds; the
government desires, and greatly needs it, to
carry on the "gigantc and thrilling DRAMA" to
its grand and glorious catastrophe do not
distrust the govcrrmcnt before it has given YOU
any cause to suspect it." To so use
your currency would be just and patriotic; to
pass it TO me, us equivalent to my debt, would
be selfish and dishonest
Again you say, to refuse it in payment Of
debts, "discrcdits and depreciatcs it, How {?
Would the refusal of silver dollar discredit
or dcprccate it, OR divest it Of any of its es-
scntia qualities? l refuse the Trcasuarv Notes
hot because they are not good Tor certain
patriotic uscs"--but because they arc nothing
but promiscs--most valuable promiscs--sub-
serving, undoubtedly, most patriotic purpose
indispensable indeed to that purpose--but
not The thing due mc--and, | repeat, 1 GO
not demand these or anything, but will wait
patiently for that good time for which we are
all fighting and praying, when B can pay me
according to his contract. Till then, | say,
once more, let him devote his money (?) to
"patriotc' selfish uses. AS may be most
agreeable to his. nature. But if, in fact, my
refusal, does in some degree further "discredit
and dcpreciate" BIS currency, whose fault is
that? Mine? Or his, who, from ignorance,
or prejudice, or dishonest purpose, subjected
it to the test and then unpatroticay and mis-
chievousIy published the fact.
If they are good" you say, then the
debtor int1icts no injury on the creditor in ten
dering them in payment of his debt" But if
they are not good, as [ have shown, for the
purpose the debtor offers them, then he does
attend to nilict injury on the creditor. At all
events, the creditor inhicts no injury on him
in letting him keep and devote them to the
"patriohc use" Of loaning them to the govern
ment, for which they are especially good, and
greatly desired.
81 But still the best investment man can
make, when he sells his produce, is to pay his
debts To "pay his debts" in the proper cur
rcncy--such as he borrowed--to pay in fact
and IN tuH, would be an honest use of his mo-
ney; but to pay as you contemplate, would
be to keep the promise to the ear but break
it to the hope"--to give mere promise for
the thing promised.
Finally: Let lis not dstrust the govern
ment' so | say: SO says every man who prop
crly appreciates the patriotic uses" of his mo-
ney-currcn .cy-and 90 he does, too, show
ing his faith by his works vindicating his sin