Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1865-09-13
From the Grcenville Enterprise.
Reputation.

MesSrS. Elit0ys-The prcssbsing tie gre a.
lever by which public opinion is corrected
and directed, with your permission l will
avail myself OF tito @l!u,le to i most vicious
public sentiment which find is being ASST
duousy cultivated BY Interested and corrupt
men, who, Notwithstanding The immortality
of their conduct. are un5fusbirgiy a,lvOca-
ting measure which, ii adopted, would sink
the State to the loves, depths OF degradation
and moral dishonesty lIat ever characterized
q people in the history Of thewcrld, and would
ruin thousands Of tho best citizeus as well
ss-nearly u. the widows and orphans il it.
aliude to the repudction OF all private debts,
and the passage oi an :.c posi- .tstcfo law lm-
pairing the cbligaiiua OF contracts. have
lcard, with the deepest humiliation, quite a
humber OF persons who, one would naturally
tAink possessed more moral honesty aid
integrity OF chaf4ctcr than 10 permit such a
sentiment to escape their lips, advocating the
rcicy oi 'wiplng cut all old dcb:s and be
ginning anew hy tie passage OF some law
that nii! re.;ege al debtors of their liability
TO their creditors. Tuat such q measure can
not be adopted withoa, deserving the Con
stitut.ons. both OF The State and uI the United
States, no one WHO Will read thcs-iMstrumepts
will for q rlomcnt donb:. In the State Con-
stitu,ien, which we al hope to sec soon re.
stored, it is declared. 10 Article Q, Section 2
that no :. Dill OF a,tainjar. cr post ft,c!o laS,
"a. Lalr ilaaui1ing tie obligation 81 contracts
ehall ever be passed by the Legislature or
tLisaState.';
In Article /, Section 10, of the Cansiilu-
tion of the United States, it is declared that
$40 State shall enter into any treaty, alliance,'
&c. &C., or pass anY bill Of attainCer, c.:
uost tacto lav. or lam impaUiag thc otttye
:ioA OF contracts"
In the name Of I'll that is honest, Messrs.
Editors, whist should become of people who
ere 50 utterly regardless Of ailthe obligations
OF consmon honesty, IS to PISS, or a'rtnpl TO
pass. such law? D1 the advocate, Of such
u measure Suppos" Tor . moment :liat the
Supreme Court of the United States world
permit such law to be enforced as would
enable debtors, with single stroke Of the
psn, to wipe ont al theiT Indebtedness to
their creditors? Can aay people become So
corrupt as to pass laws inipa!ring the oblisa-
tioa Of contracts, thereby destroying all con-
tidence that exists between man aud man,
and thus rcmanding themselves, as it were.
i0ac& 10 TIC conUitiON vi S1'iSe VI. Gii|'Ni.h''
ed life,? I trow not. And yet liud quite q
considerable portion of men in the comnuni-
~ who call themselves respectable, and who
would tight if their responsibility was deni
cd, who are advocating this measure: to !ram-
pie under foot the Constitution of this State,
and OF the United States anu vic, if per
mittea to carry out their p!ars, will leave
half the widows and orphans, who arc not
already ruined, besides a large number Of
citizens, entirely so, by enactipg some such
dishonest law as the one proposed. h such
schemes of Interested, selfish and dishonest
men were to prevail, I, sflr one, would rather
live under the laws Of Ho;tentots., Lot the
advocates of this measure be watched, and
told that the Government O" the United States
will allow no Legislative bady 10 put on re.
cord such q shameful and di>araccful law, or
eni5-ce it; and God forbid they should. Why,
sirs, il is absolutely mons:rous Think of
for enc moment Every corporation in he
State would thus be relieved of its indebted
ness, for corporations are the same as indi-
viduals in law. There is not railroad c5m
pany. or town or city corporation, but have
out hundreds OF thousands and millions ot
money, for bonds sold tie citizens of -tI,e
State, and who would bc released from their
indebtedness, TO say nothing Of individuals
the result Of winch would br4as great ruin as
that inflicted by the war; Mons!rous mon
strous, indeed. l hope yoar pen will scatsf
it on all occasions