The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1866-08-01
Our CORRESPONDENTS.

WI WI OiiSStJSIlNCltS.
1t is always pleasure to US to give puLlci.
ty to the views OF correspondents upon sub,
Jccts OF general Interest, even whcr their views
conflict with our own. The mere fact Of A dir.
ference Of opinion bctwcen ourself and a cor
respondent Is wholly innaterill. and the only
question involved H. whether n communication
OF doubtful utility can be made to contribute
to the great end which all public journals should
have in view-that Of the public good,
We publish in this paper two Spmmunca.
tions on the subject of relief to debtors"
which we fear may have the opposite effect
from that which these correspondents doubtless
intended (the public good) by exciting cxpecta,
tions which never can be realized. They would
revive a subject which, as We endeavorcd to
show some time ago, is res aljudicata, the
highest Court in South Carolina having settled.
so far IA our State is concerned, :he question
OF "old debts"
From this decision there is no appeal. The
decision OF the Court Of Errors in rcspcct 10
any law Infringing the Constitution o the State
~ conclusive. Its decision in respect 10 q law
In supposed derogation Of the Constitution of
the United States is lk ewse conclusive, as to
this State, when their decision is AGAINST the
law. If its decision is in faror of the cons,i
tutionality of the law,-if, for example, the
Court OF Errors bad decided that the STAY law
was mol repugnant to the Constitution Of the
United States, there might have been an sppcal
from its decision, by Writ of Error, TO tn e Su.
preme Cour: Of the United States as the an
pelate Court Of the last resort. And in such
mn appeal, who can doubt the result, in view of
the uniform decisions Of the CouIt on tiis
subject
Neither of our corrcspon dents hsSe sucg-s,
ted any mode by which we can get around
these decisions Of the Courts; and we would
submit to them, whether it is wise and profira.
BILE to dwell upon the necessity for relief with,
out suggesting any rational mode by which rel
lief can be obtained. Neither have indicated
any line Of policy. One OF them tells us that
''old debts" will never be paid, "stayliw or no
stsy.la~," and tie other Gays that indulgence
is of no advantage to the debtor, DID we not
believe that our friends would not harbor a
sentiment 30 manfestly unjust and unchristan,
Ing in favor of wping out all lial ilities by some
general act of reputation.
That there is need for some lawful and con.
stitutonal measure of relief, we do no, sainsay;
on the contrary, We have advocated a line OF
policy which We had supposed wonld banef,
the debtor-that of indulgence. The EditSrs
OF this paper can fully enter into the sympathy
expressed by Farmer" for tho widows and
orphans, who may be turned out of their homes
by an enforcement Of the lava for the collec.
tion o. debts Tho subject il one OF earnest
coEcern and sympathy with us. And we have
likewise had occasion TO feel sympathy and
compassion for class OF creditors, "widows
and orphans" who have their all invested in
personal securities, whose debtors arc luxuria.
ting In the best the land affords living in
houses and working plantations bought with
the money of the creditor, while the latter have
only the debt which will not shelter nor feed
them.
Our friends should remember that there are
two sides to this question of Relief to debtors
and while We would go as far as any one else
in support Of a policy that would favor the
honest debtor, we would condemn, as unworthy
and inhunan, any measure which did not have
some regard for the rights Of the creditor.
But we are depressing from our original de.
sign in commencing this article. We only de
sired to reite:ate what We before endeayored
to demonstrate, viz that RELIEF, whether in tho
way of reputation or by stay laws, il not now
within the power, either Of the Legislature or
Of a State Convention and we have sustained
our positier by facts and arguments which We
conceive to bs ineon.rovertible. II. however,
we are mistaken; or if any practical course for
relief, just to all parties, and not liable to con.
stitutional diificulties. Can be suggested. our
correspondents will fnd no more earnest sup.
rorters OF such measure than the Ed tors Of |
this paper.