The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-12-06
VOLUME II.---No. a5.

you by A. M. Riker, a grain merchant of
Charleston, who can furnish you with
satisfactory testimonials Of integrity and
business capacity. These plans for sup
plying with corn the whole populations,
including the Boards Of Commissioners Of
the Poor, who will be compelled to pro-
vide for large number of INDECENT per-
sons, at a profit of only two-and-a-half
per cent. to the contractor, on cost and
expenses, are commended to your favora-
BILE consideration.
THE pEcUN1ARY DISTRESS OF THE PEOPLE.
The short crops of grain and cotton
causes the indebtedness of the people to
press heavily on them. This state Of
things imposes on every generous credi-
tor the duty of making as liberal COM
promises with his debtors as he can admit
without pecuniary ruin. If he has been
fortunate in escaping the general wreck,
he should cheerfully lend helping hand
to his less fortunate neighbor who is still
struggling in sea of debt. Legislation
consistent with the constitution and the
general interest Of the community may
be adopted, which will greatly relieve the
public. / reterate my recommendation
made at the extra session. that imprison-
ment for dob5 be abolished, except in
cases of fraud, and when debtor is about
removing his person or property without
the limits of the State, that the insolyent
laws be so extended that debtor may,
by petition, on giving three months no.
tice to all his creditors, require them to
come in and prove their demands, and
upon his surrendering his entire effects
for their benefit, that they be perpetually
barred from everagain proceeding against
him in the Courts Of this State, and that
in all cases where a defendant issued and
makes no defence to the action, no costs
shall be taxed against him.
Persons in. SUI .juris can now compro-
mise with their debtors, and often find it
to their interest to do SO, but such as
occupy q iduciary position are restrained
by the stringency Of legal rules; and not
being authorized to compound with. debt
ors, they frequently lose the entire debt.
1t is sound policy to modify those rules,
so as to allow them to compound the de-
mands they hold against debtors, taking
care to guard against fraud or i'll faith on
their part.
I invite your attention to the propriety
of passing homestead law, and extend
ing the value of articles exempt from
levy and sale, for the head of each family.
Most of the States have made much
more liberal and humane provisions than
South Carolina for guarding the families
of unfortunate and. improvident debtors
against being cast out upon the world,
houscless and breadless The decisions
of somo of the State Courts have affirmed
the constitutional power of their Legis-
latures to enact laws increasing the ex-
emptions from levy and sale, even upon
antecedent dobts. 1t is not by any means
clear that you are precluded from enact
ing such law, either by precedent. rea-
son, justice, or the Constitution.
DISABLED SOLDIERS.
The number of disabled soldiers report
cd, under the resolution of the Legisla-
ture, at it's extra session, is as follows:
One hundred and sixty-seven have lost
legs; one hundred eighty have lost arms,
and one hundred and seventy are other
wise permanently disabled. Nine Dis
tricts and seven parishes have not re-
ported, and the list is therefore incom-
plete.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PROPOSED By
CONGRESS.
transmit herewith communication
from the Hon. VIM. II. Seward, covering
the Constitutional amendment proposed
to the several States of the Union, by the
Congress of the United States. History
furnishes few examples of a people who
have been required to concede more to
the will of their conquerors than the peo-
pie of the South. Every concession We
have made, however, so far from touching
the magnanimity or generosity Of the
victors, has sharpened their malice and
intensified their revenge.
In the surrender of our last organized,
army of the late Confederate Govern
ment, Generals johnson and Sherman,
each representing the military power and
| authority of his respective Government,
agreed upon certain terms of capitula-
ton. While exacting in some respects,
these terms were in the main such as a,
liberal and generous victor would concede
to q fallen foe. They were accepted in
good faith by the Southern people. and
every organized body of soldiers in oppo-
sition to the laws of the United States
were in few days dispersed. Scarcely
had the fact of the capitulation been
made public, however, before it was an
nounced that the terms we're repudiated
by the Executive authority Of the United
States, and proclamation was issued,
offering amnesty, with numerous excep-
ted classes, to those who had7participated
| in the war. These classes also acqni-
esced. and conforming to the requirements