Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1866-06-23
The Topic of the Day.

20 P"pnsn ~ anotHer columh, ~ request,
anSSeditorial fromthe /" South Carolinian,," on
1'"The Stay Law--O Our Help, Theobjcct Of
!, the article is evidently to givc-s.lst. The
yewsof the editors and,s2d. 70 indicate
course of action for the State4.1 E',.i
III 'subject--the payment Of dobts-is en-
gaglng, with great earnestncss, the minds of
tho Southern people; and it appears to be
eminently right and proper. that the p.ess,uid
people should giye free and full expression to
their views, with fairness and candor, on a
subject of suchs grave and lasting importance.
= 4 Thefe isno difference of opinion in re.
gard tothe condition Of the country-its sub
jagation onlAthc destruction Of propcrty-and
the almost universal Insolvency which per.
.yadcs all ,classes'and conditions Of society
The only g boneof contontiou" is in escapinu
these evils--eyN which were brought on us
by general oalRmity, which all the manhood,
means, statcsnanship, and constancy Of Il he
r>;o rvopfe could not avert.
F. 2. The discussion of the question of g re-
'pudiation," in this connection, we regard us
| foregone conclusion, inasmucln as we are the
dependents Of u government, one of tho con-
st!tutlonal requirements of which is, that no
State, by ordinance or legislative. .cnactment
shall "fmpair the obligation of contracts. -.
Having reached this point, Fortified beyond
the hope of successful assaiment, we are left
free to consider what can be done, by Fedcru
or State enactmcnts, for our relief.
g. The Legislature, in 1861, in the cxer-
else of its wisdom, enacted "stay law
which, owing to the then condition of the
country, was very generally acquicsccd in ];
| although not few of ourswiscst and best men
wore opposed to it, and predicted the ruinous
consequences which it would entail on the
country. The war, Which gave the law birth
ceased; fcavingus in the deplorable
described in tho first point made in this arti-
| Gle.
4. The State Convention, which convened
in 1865, could 'ot, under the requirements of
the Federal constitution, give relief, either
by 'rcpudiationD or Sealing old debts" The
Legislature, VIII ch assembled soon after dis
cusscd the stay law" together with the 9TH
CT measures Of elicf presented for it's consid-
Grafton. Finalg, the old law, with provis
- -'s~~'.-a, rHqu'rN-s c,tenth of all debts
to be paid annually was. passed. There WINS
decided opposition to the l,v 4, the Lcoisla.
ture, which soon manifested ;tso,f II chi.
brought in Charleston, to tes. it's constitu.
tionalty.
3. Judge ALDRIcn, of the Circuit. Court
before whom the case was triod, pronounced
the law constitutional. The case was then
carried to the Court Of Errors, comprising all
the Judges aud Chanccllors of tho State. the
highest Judicial tribunal of the commonwealth
Tie Court Of Errors decided that tho law was
unconstitutional In the discussion of this
question, this Court comes in for :. full share
of comment and anin,advcrsion. The most
charitable construction placed on its action
was the impoicy of promulgating its decision
promptly, bringing with it as it did, the reali.
zatlon of all tho accumulated troubles and
mlstortunes of the five preceding years. Our
high opinion of the integrity of the Court in
duced us to abstain from comment That re.
serve, we now throw off, and We wish to do
justice to its members, for making decision
promptly, which, although the law, they knew
must be unpopular at the time. The Court
of Errors was conscious that the decision made
by thom was correct, and we honor its mem
bers for doing their whole duty in most try.
ing period of our history. This act of theirs
should remind us, that, if We have. lost all
else, ,the highest judicial tribunal of the State
has preserved its high character and integrity
untarnished.
g. Legal action, intended for the relief of
the country, has failed; because time has
proven it'illegal What then, can be done ?
Can tho Legislature, if called together, devise
law that would be constitutionar? After
I