The daily Mississippi clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1866, 1866-05-08
Legislative Relief.

Legislative Relief.
We have given prominent place in
our columns to the accounts which
come from different parts of the State,
of the distress of the people in conse-
quence| of the coercive measures of
creditors, and in so doing we have in
obliged in few comments. The proper
course, we believe to be, to collect
facts and opinions, that the voice of
the press and of the people may be
understood. There is much distress
the cries of the people reach US from
all quarters, but there is much apathy.
Our journals scarcely dare to suggest
any plan for relief, and yet they admit
that there is great grievance Even
the correspondents Of the press rarely
speak out as to what is wanted Thus
we find a recent correspondent of the
Standard saying:
Your articles in the weekly Stand
ard of March the 22d, upon the in
debtedness of the country, and espe-
cially upon the wholesale suing that is
being instituted against our people in
many if not all portions of the State,
are being read with great interest by
the mass Of our people, and from them
meet with hearty Endorsement. 1t is
hoped that the Standard" with other
leading journals of the State, will fire.
quently speak out fully and freely up
on this subject, and thereby as far as
possible hold things in check, until
some plan can be devised to save the
people Of Mississippi from utter ruin.
While we do not question the motives
of the Supreme Court in its decisions
upon the ".Stay Law," the obvious eff
feet of it is to open the way for every
''shylock," or rather "highland shark"
in the country, who have remained at
home during the late war engaged in
speculation, to harrass the poor debtor,
and thereby paralyze the industrial
contest now is, who will get the first
judgment.
One of the results of the wholesale
suing, is to drive some Of our best men
from office, for such is their sympathy
for the present condition of the cOun-
try, they are refusing to be used as in
struments by "shylocks' to break up
and sell out the poor families of the
country. Some have already resigned,
and others | understand intend doing
so.
This writer, keenly as he feels the
situation, seems to hesitate on the
very verge Of suggesting some RENE
dial measure. A correspondent, how
ever, in a private letter to us, comes
more fully to the point, and we take the
liberty Of copying part of his letter
promising that his course in the Legis
lature, Of which he is a member from
one of the northern counties, was
strictly conservative, and that he is
from his natural habits Of thought
as well as from principle, about the
last man in the State to favor rasl
legislation. He says:
Our Circuit Court has been in ses
sion one week. About five hundred
suits have been instituted to this tern
Of the court. Much dissatisfaction
and complaint exists in regard to sucI
an amount Of suits and litigation
The people generally are very desir
Gus that some steps should be taken
for the relief of the country. | have
seen and conversed with great many
persons from different parts of the
country in the last ten days, and the
belief is strongly expressed by almost
every individual, Hhat it is the duty OF
the Governor to convene the Legisla-
ture at an early day, for the purpose
of giving relief in some form, to
the citizens Of the State who
are now on the eve Of fnan-
cial ruin, bankruptcy, and distress.
Gov. Humphreys has hitherto, and
does now, stand high in the conf
dence of the people of this, as well
as other portions of the State l hope
he may at this critical period take such
steps as he may have the power to do,
for the relief of our distressed citi-
zens. If lie does, it will endear him
to those who placed him in the high
| position he now occupies. l agree
with you that other important legisla-
don is needed. 1t is true, the Legisla
ture at its last session may have erred
in the passage of some laws, and in
emitting to pass others, but no body OF
men ever assembled themselves to-
gether under more unfavorable circum-
stances. The Representatives and
the people have now had time to con,
suit together, and experiment upon
some measures upon which we had
neither precedent nor instruction
The minds of the people have under
gone a great change since last year
especially in regard to the rights o.
the freedmen. l do hope the Gov
ernor will feel it his duty to comply
with what is now the almost unanim
Gus voice of the people of Missis