The Abbeville bulletin. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1865-1865, 1865-08-24

teIngent district u A"beviile, there are
some who are in favor Of ''.brogati'g by
law all private debts" We understand
that it is urged upon the ground ,ha,
the emancipation Of slaves has deprived
debtors of their principle item Of property,
and Therefore the means of paying deble.
! The proposition, as we are informed, is not
limited to debts CONTRACTED for negroes
the property taken away--bpt extends to
all debts contracted before as we'll as during
the war. AS thus stated the idea i. both
novel and extraordinary, and the reason
assigned for it is, il possible, still more ex.
tr"ordinary. 1t seems to be though. tha.
because our people have lc.t large Part
Of their property, it would mend the mat.
ter by TAXI, & from them another portion.
That because they have been made pour.
it is now necessary for their prosperity that
they should give up their honor also. II
this could prevail. we fear. the next propo
si'ion would he to give. up the lands also,
and all toke an even start. The right Of
property, rs all :nust admit. il the first ele.
"eut Of civilization. This spunging Oh.
sration is discreditable as being unprec..
d,nted in hstory--agrarian in principle
unsopnd in policy and impossible in fact.
Unprecedented, because this is not re-
pudiation, once go famous or rather infa.
NOUS. That wa. bad enough and covered
with disgrace certain Western States of the
Union. Tha, was the refusal of State to
pay its own debt. and pleaded IN m,tiga
tim, that The debt WAS contracted by fraud
nlant agents and without authority. But
in this case it ia proposed that the State
shall by law a6rogate the private contracts
Of her citizens. When in the history of
the world was such thing esed be
fore?
Agrartan because debt is but the repro
sentative Of property, and il as sScr.d as
that which it represents. The m.n who i.
IN possession Of plantation has no more
right to BE- p. otec,-d than the Individual
who sold The place, and h"lds the mite oil
the possessor. 1t is the sams in principle
to vote the land away as to con6scate its
value. The next step ate- voting away
your neighbors note: is to vote Yourself
bis farm. In both cases uuadultera,ed
robbery through the forms OF law!
Unsound in policy. because it would be
unequal and unjust. Wehave lost nearly
everything but our character, let US not
wantonly relinqnish that. We are going
back into the Union, let US carry With u.
at leas, our old fashioned notiors OF truth
aud integrity. The creditor is citizen a.
we'll as the Debtor, and as mnch entitled to
tha protection oi the State, which should
not he mother to one and a step molher
10 the other. Honesty is the hest policy.
We need the credit, which nothing but a
good name af,'fds, to obtain the means of
recruiting our shattered condition. VIII"
would give credit to people, covered alf
over with the tiffany Of attempting t."
abrcg .te private CONTRACTS.
We say attempting to do il, fot it. is ,ol
not only unjust and inpolitic bu, in,possi.
ole. 1t every man in Abbevile District
were clamorous for it, the thing could not
be done. We mean that il cannot he done
by law. II any good citizen has the desire
to cancel his claims upon lis deL,or., he
may do 80. No one wou d have An inter.
est in it or the right to oijeei. But IT.
can't be made comruls"ry by 4:iaw. The
Constitution Of the United States prohibits
it. and any law Of any Legislature or
any Ordinance Of y Convention attempting
u, would 10 Instant Hdeclared uncoI,stitu.
tional anil set aside. The 6:st article OF
the tenth section provides tat "no state
SHALL pass any bill Of a'iainder, &c post
taeto Law. or ia,0 inpairing tie obligation
Of contracts" &c. This CY,s,i.uIi,n is
blLdtng ON us and is the -supt NE law OF
the land. That ends tho tpatter. 1t ia
true, and pity ills, It's trus, that the coun.
try RgrealIy exhausted and Impoverished.
but the remedy is in indulgence to debtors,
not abrogatiUn of contracts. Executions
should be s,aid for the present, anil war.
debts razssd according to proper scale.
This will afford the relief which the cou,,-
try 50 much needs. -.