Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-02-04
THRGOKsTITUTIOE-sTGTE RIGHTS.
RICHMOND. WHlG.
THURSDAY MORNING, FEB. 4, 1854.
A Suggestion.

value, where an offer OF advance payment has been
made and refused These obligations have seen fixed
in conformity with the present DEPRECATED standard Of
Government securities; and under the appreciation
which our currency will undergo through the operation
Of the financial schemes now being matured they will,
three or four months hence, degree Of dspro-
portion 10 tn, value received, which will severely teat
the financial resources of those who incurred them
Men who have rented houses, hired slaves, borrowed
Money or contracted any other pecuniary obligation,
will be seriously Inconvenience, if not ruined, uoless
the light discharge these obligations in our currency
a. lis present standard, is legally recognized
There ia no reason why it should not be. The con-
tract being negotiated with reference to the present
deprecated value of currency, justice would &c
qure tia. all the terms Of its fuIhlment should be made
to conform TO that standard. If house heretofore
renting at 81 900 year, is let at IS OOO it is be-
cause of depreciation currency, and it would
certainly be nothing more than strict justice to the
putty renting cut at this high rate, to compel his
ospiance Of the s. 600 in the currency it is nov
bed. or is equivalent in the appreciated currency
which may be aaOa! when the diles of payment ms
ture. Tce sipul4tions being agreed upon in contem.
patton Of deprecated currency, compliance with their
upOa the principle should be the extent OF
legal resp FEASIBILITY attaching to the second party the
contract Any other rule OF adjustment will cat s. ee-
l,ss aud injustice to those iHeursng liabilities at
,hs time. To three, or twelve months hence,
apPree'a ed currency, payment for obligations in
Cured at the worsi crisis Of financial depreciation,
sOud o. to give legal sanction TO outrage OF which
he poor and the homeless refugees would be the iei
Ecams l. would, moreover, be administering to the
greed Of unprineipled SPECTATORS Who have aged
monopoly OF the real estate of the country
oy p.omps investment OF Their ill.gotten gains.
Wi bout such prOTiso in the finance bill the poor
nan viii be vieiniEsj and the Jew Spectator MADE
-ch. We have heard of "a instance in which the ten
30 II advance Of years OF house was refused
igom CONVICTION, 10 doubt, that at each recurring
quarter the money would become more valuable nnder
te oper ton OF the tending scheme which Congress is
lad sJstOod to be maturing. The law which, under
iuch circumstances, would compel payment in spprec
Led euretey Of thS whole amount Of tie liability in
cured, would he urrs. aud tyIsnnca. TIE ntctssi-
ies OF hose contracting obligations compelled cOmpr
with tie usGal terms OF contracts in respect to
atervls OF payments, Duration Of Oceupany and cur
rent OF renting hi7ing &c and while the terms
fNAN AASN IA VI tuC PEeocub
Que currency, the mersiess property holder, as ne
i'd from the instance referred to above kept eagerly
@ view the prospect Of enhancement of the cur
cncy aud the realz alton thereby of handsome add
ION to his already large ecoumu.atiOns,
Congress should if there yet time to 90 SO, insert
proyiso in their finance bill making treasury notes
in circulation represent their full stated value in
ieAergs Of liabilities incurred with the opening of the
present year. in every instance where tender of pay
Eent made in advance, and not accepted Indeed,
dou9. the ju tee prOprety of qualifying This pro-
ss0 by any eand ton Of tender OF prepayment 1t is
nOugh that the contract was predicsted as all con-
rlc,s mads within the present year have teen, upon
he deprecated value Of our currency AID 50 long
terms IL filed III accordance with that predicl
lon, room for complaint can exist.
Ii Coz gees have ia led to furnish Ibis security 10
lJot IS, they guilty o. great oversight, which
aey should lose no time 10 remedy If remedy be pos
bic. The grinding cupdty OF spseu Of the prop
'tyholdng caSs-and they little less ruthless and
Kaens than those who speculate in the necessares OF
e-sih hnd in any scheme Of finance, without pro-
so o, the character have indicated legal shield
punder more hateful aud obnoxious because OF this
alction. Kindred acts Of robbery perpetrated with
- any other justification IS involved in the dire
tiles which creates and the concurrent nfu
snces OF isola:ed condition aud deprecated cur
-ency find sufficient sanction in public need without; the
aid OF abcrtive legislation. Tue inelciency of moral
uasOn conscientious srcaples 10 cOuoterac evils of
this character have been too well proven to rely upon
hem as legal substitutes The thief burglar or muir
De needs more the restraint of legal power than
does tie base and unpriueiped SPECTATOR and 10 crt
should DO spared force submission on hs part to what
q iair aud JUS.
Il needs the exercise of no little legislSYe talent
aud legal acamen to foil the purposes Of this Glass;
Jonscripicn beng in conflict With their mercenary
aims they leaving device un.ried to escape ser
vice in the amy Even in this, their proyerbial cu1
ang serves them, for no sooner was the so-called
substiiu,s Law" introduced than they hurried to- the
lntract bureau, in the Post Ofics Departments, and
sought there su6eriuge from conscription in mail
contracts negotiated for some nominal consideration,
cent or h,lf cent. They can well aif1sd to pay
thousand or two thousand dollars year for it's fulfil
uent in view Of the large profits which they will realize
in the exercise Of their old vocation, FREQ from the
-oJiog visits OF the eonscrps officer Congress should
BY all means shut the door against this subterfuge by
providing thai no mail shall be given parties
within conscripi age, where there applicants
age ready 10 comply With all the legal conditions The
same rule should be made to apply to all local Organi-
saiOns Of Whatever Character for i. cannot be doubted
.bst men bsyoad cOnscrip. age ehscually per-
form services which are only required sometimes at
oag nlerYal3 as men liable to CONSUMPTION.
Ii oOngtes will I'LL up the nerstiees through which
Escape On legal responsibility this matter is Effected
hey will relieve the community of the class most OBJ
lOxous to it. and mos injurious to tho public interests
# these resorts are left available the net results boxed
or as consequence of making principals aHenable to
eryics will fall far short of the estimates made out
T COagres would call for return Of tbs number and
ames of those who havs taken mail contracts at nOmi-
sl conrensAtiOns, they would probably learn enough
n saf;sfy than If the nronretv of closing thu door