Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1866-08-11
of honest debtors.

9th. Resolved That one of the first duties
of legislation, while it provides amply for tho
sacred obligation Of contracts, and the RENE
dies to enforce them, certainly is, to relieve
the unfortunate and mcrtorious debtor from
slavery of mind and body, which cuts him
off from fair enjoyment Of the common BEN
Gifts Of society, and robs his family Of the
fruits of his labor and tho benefits Of his pa
ternal superintendent. That a government
which did not possess this form of legislation,
would be little worthy Of the exalted functions
of guarding the happiness and supporting the
rights Of n free people 1t might guard against
political expressions on!yto render private OPP
prcs.ions more glarins.
10th. RcsDiUrd, That imprisonment for
dcbt, except in eases of gross and palpiblc
fraud is rcltt of barharisn, which ndmits
Of no defence, and should no }ngcr be allowed
to disgrace the statute. c.'bonks of FREQ couti-
try That when the debtors have no proper.
ty, or have yielded up the whole to their cred.
itors, to allow the latter to imprison them, is
refinement in cruelty and an Indulgence of
private passions, which could hardly find apol-
ogy in an enlightened dcspotism, and arc ut
|, terly ut War with all the rights ard duties Of
free governments. Such system OF cgsla-
tion is as unjust as it is unfceling, and is in
compatible with the first prcccpts OF christi
anity
] 1th. Rcsolrcd, Tint the object Of laws re.
lating to Msolt"nt Debtors son the one hand,
to secure to creditors mn appropriation of the
property Of their debtors, pro t"nto to the
discharge Of their debts, whenever tho latter
are unable to discharge tho whole amount; !;
and on the other hand, to relieve unfortunate
and houcSt debtors from perpetual bondage to
their creditors, either in the shape of unimit-
ed imprisonment to coercc payment of their
debts, or of an absolute right to appropriate
and monopolize all their future earnings That
tho latter course obviously destroys al! cncour-
agemcnt to industry and enterprise on the
part Of tho unfortunate debtor, BY taking from
him all the just rewards pf his labor, and lcnv
ing him miserable pittance, dependent upon
the bounty or torbcarnncc of his creditors. 1t
makes poverty and misfortune, in themselves
sufficiently heavy burthcns the subject or the
occasion of penalties and runishments.
18th Rcsolces1, That the mcccssities of the
people, arising from the rcculiar and anoma-
lous situation of the country, require that n
meeting is informed and believes that sucl,
laws, even when they come in conflict with
contracts of prior date, do not conflict Will,
ti!c ot ttc y nltcu kFthtcS.
| 18th Rc&o1rn2, That our Senator and Rep
rcsrntativcs in the Legislature arc instructed
to sustain any and all measures whicl, may be
introduced for tho relief of the people, and in
failing to do 80, they will not represent us.
r L.' -'A''">"' ~, ai.~A-.l.n -GI-Ao epns. hGr
soldiers who have fslcn on thousand battle
fields, as we'll as those who survive, n debt of
gratitude and afrctionatc remembrance which
| time can never diminish and thnt she should
never lower the high standard OF her chivalry,
| or blot forever her fair escutchcon, by driving
with the strong arm of licr laws their widows
and their orphans, their wives and their chill.
dren, their fathers and their brothers into pau
pcris'n and all its unspcakablc aniserics.
18th Rcs,ioc0, That copy of the pro
cccdings of this meeting be published in the
keowcc Courier" and copy sent to His
lixccIlcncy the Governor.
Coils. NoRroN ard THOMPSON and Major
ADAMS entered into lively discussion rela
tive to the resolutions before they were finally
adopted, which was listened to with great in
tcrcst by all.
There being no further business before the
meeting, it adjourned
II. n. GARYIN, Chm'n.
j. r. PARKER, Scc'ty