Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1866-08-31
W RITrEN FOR THE ABBEvILLr PRESS.
RELIEF OE DEpTnps

WRITTEN FOR THE ABpEvILLE PRESS.
Relief OF DEBTORS.
Nin EDITOR: The near future, unless guided
nna con trolied by the people, who will be the
actors in the scene, will certainly eugulr us in
"retrIev"bie ruin. We appear sufficiently
alive to all that is likely to affect our political
status, aud promptly seize upon every oppor.
tunity presented, 10 rtinsLnte us in our former
relation to the Union; but there nre breakers
ahead which wiii cause much more solemn and
dreadful consequences than failure to regain
admttance into the Union. CONSEQUENCES
which involve the peace and order: ven. the
very safety OF society, for who can tell the ex
tremity to which people mny be driven when
their wives aud children are being cast out of
doors with no shelter to shield them from the
storms ot autumn and winter. We are told
that our laws and Constitution should be as
unalterable rs. The Medes and Persians. The
safety of society is paramount to oil law, for
the good Of which constitutions ore ordained
and laws enacted. and when n peoples laws
afford them 10 remedy against threatened an
arohy and confusion the peace and order of
that people rise superior to the law. The
payment of the debts or the country is nm i'm
possibility. With the emancipation OF our
slaves which were Estimated as amounting to
four fitths Of our property. NOT one.il fifth re-
mains, because the estimate was made upon
the value of property before emancipation,
when the possession Of slaves impaired value
to both real and personal estate. and now, that
they arc taken away, our lands arc unsaleuble
and wnrth1oaa In mn. hat 81 =.
vithdrawp, and instead Of four fifths that il
abstracted it is litto short of fue G7hs; not
less than nine tenths Add to this public ca r
iaaity the stern fact that our daily ansiety IS,
how Shall we obtain supplies to, sabsist for the
next twelve months and 80 have m increased
conviction of the ust.f folly of any attempt to
collect debts by suit It is vain to talk Of the
Constitpiionality of this or that measure, The
ys>5 state OF affairs under whicl, we are now
bowed down. have been brought about by vio
lence to tho Constitution. It is lmpairipp rtbe
obligation of contracts" to stay all processes
from the Court for the collection of debt. but
there no violence done when nine .tentLs of
the debtors property is taken away. which he
possessed at the time, and upon the faith of
which he made the contract. If the organic
is in the other. IF it is unlawful to deprive
the creditor Of the means Of collecting his
debts by suit it is equally unlawful to demand
OF the debtor paym yment when the very means
with which to pay have been taken away and
sanctioned by tie same law. A contract ia de.
eiared to be 80 sacred thing" So it is, and is
as sacrad TO the debtor as it is to the creditor
in oil its bearings and relations. which are az
unalterable in behalf of the debtor as for th e
creditor We nre considering the position OF
debtor and creditor frsm strictly Iegsi stand.
ing. Every species Of property existing and
every law jn relation to the contract at the
time it 10 executed is within the intent, and
becomes part and parcel of the contract. In
reference to the former, the contract is execn-
ted aud undertaken With the certain knowl-
edge Of his ability 20 comply with it's terms at
tho time, bot, by dne stroke, (not of the un.
altsrable DEGREES of Providence which man
eannot resist, but) Of "the powers that be-. it
fswreated from his grs,p without his agency.
In the latter, 10 reference to the existing law.
.. g., ifa contract is made for the purchase of
property to which Che vendor has no title. he
cannot enforce the payment of the purchase
money; if,the property is taken away from the
vendor BY the Providence Of God, or by stealth
or violence, go that he csnnot deliver il, It is
bis misfortune, but il the law itself ahail de-
clare that nine tentLs of the vender's property
shslteeAss TO bepiopstty, how :wil1it enforce
lts deerses foria demand based Upon tha aholtf
Its principles are perfectly consistent and nni-
form and can never Be construed into such ab.
surdity. II tbs destruction Of nina .enths Of
The dtbtors properly s. BY law, then thss max, max
idisof the common faw s.Bxce,x;o iuyI. nom
Aa6s ssjsrismy rsquifes ihat din .tsp,hs Or ,he
debt fhasla BE- removed from the slopIder of
ths dsbtcT otl,srR,ss th.s ds,tsnstion of ths
proPsrty e Illegal. Whas shep d opr consin-
sioS. viswing tie ,qpsstion from ttiitfs moral
sssndpoins list Siaseiess b do6s' thssuueh do
:hsstsns lsil ihs In nsxsrabis ety SfijSst,xs
in:bsbst Of tbs creditors ha 10 ssausoraus s;for,
.ths |ltasals AZ aontrsot; thinks
.is ia3ysti shst hs slsonId loose
poaad sf Asst, 3. YET The dsbgor q withcnt
6 ~ taid aSas]
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