The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1866-08-15
For the Lancaster Ledger. !

h'SV'c' puo'lSheu III your issue oi the Sth INST.
One OF the Resolutions passed at that meeting
is couched in the following language:
Rcsolrcd, I'd That in the p, escur emergency
resulting hom the action OF th, Court of E,rors.
III declaring the Stay Law nnco lstitutioual il j.
the sense of this meeting that our Representa-
| tves inform their constituents whether or not
they favor relief 10 debtors! and if so, how9
Regarding the inquiry made in this 2esolu
tiom, as addressed in part to myscg, the high
respect | entertain for those of the citizens
whose names appear in the published proceed,
inGs indicating their participation til erein, co,:-
strains on my part compliance with their cx
pressed wishes. TO know my views in relation
to the subject matter OF the Resolution, howcv.
er much hey may differ from those of ma.
jority of the meeting
At first glance it stuck me that there would
be no d,hiculty, whatever, in answering the
| first part OF the inquiry. | felt eadv to an
swcr uuhesitatimgly, not ouly that favored re.
liet to debtors, but was PREPARED to proceed
even step beyond the scope OF the inquiry
and say that, in jew of the present distressed
and imSpOvcIish,d d condition OF the country |
w.uId gladly embrace any practical mr'hnd
that could be devised, consistently with law,
honesty and lair dealing, for tn" relief OF both
debtor nnL crrd tor But n more clio aud
critical analysis Of the nature OF even this part
| OF the inquiry, induces me to pause before
yielding to the impulse which might otherwise
hurry me into too sweeping an answer in the
Affirmative
"a Gnr NJ roll il l., 81. -,
ton! If the meaning be that the debtor is 10
be relieved hon his obligation to pay his cred.
itor what lie justly owes; il the renri meant
look in any degree to the rcpuduton of honest
debts, then decent rrga'd Tor common moral
tIy then, n proper reverence for the laws Of
God and of the country, leaving ont ot view
altogether the rights OF the crcditor, impcri
ous'y demand an answer in the .gai,ve. The
sanc'ity OF contracts cannot be too highly np
preciated Such is the respect to which tn"y
| are entitled that they have ever hcen held by
the most enlightened nations as OF such great
consequence, that no subject has ever engaged
more time, talent wisdom and l,nor, than have
| been employed Al framing rules and regulations
| Tor their due Observance and enforcement. So
| sacred were they regarded by our forcf-therS,
that those grand old Statesmen. W ho framed
that n0hle instrument the Constitution Of the
United States as il WAS before wicked hands
were laid upon it, incorporated amongst ils
! provisions, an article To prevent any State from
inpa:ring their obligation. A part from the
imsuperable obstacle presented in ths provision
of the Constitution against any invasion o; the
sanctity Of contracts. the Legislature could not,
| without setting aside the highest cor sderario ions
| of public policy could not without a gross
aud palpable violation Of the plain rights Of
very large class o. our citizens ; could not in.
deed without trampling upon the word of God
itself pass any law relieving the debtor from
his obligations TO pay his just debts. "Rrnder
unto C@zar the things that are Cmzar's, and
unto God the things that are Gods" was the
! sublime preccpt Of ur Saviour himself while
upon earth Could any command req uiring
tie Observance Of our contracts have been rem.
dcrcd in palmer or more forciLle language
Does il not place the obIig CATION 10 give our fell
low man what is his due upon the same footing
with our obligation to God himself?
BUTT is urged Ly some that these are times
OF nnexampl"d public calamity and distress
that if the payment of debts are enforced, many
OF our weathiest and most worthy citizens,
without any fault Of their own, will be reduced
| to poverty and dcstitution. This greatly fear
is true, but deploraoIe as the truth may oe, |
think no candid or uuprejudiGed mind can see
in it any justification even any extenuation
Of the wrong which would be done to the cred.
itor, by robbing him Of his due and bestowng
it upon the debtor, to relieve the latter to that
extent, from the effects OF calamity comm on
to both. Our moral sense would be 81 ocked
beyond expression by a proposal to- enact
Law in view OF the great mrsfo tune that has
overtaken the creditor, To compel the debtor to
pay him double the amount due ard yet a
cool and unmpassoned mind can detect no
real difference between such a proposal and
one which would require the creditor TO surreu-
der 20 lis debtor the amount OF his debr. In
the one instance you demand OF the debtor o
surrender to his creditor that which justly does
not clong to him, and in the other, you make
the same iniquitou4 demand OF the creditor
Gould the Legislature, therefore, pass any law
which would deprive a creGitor o. any portion
of his just dem ,nds, it could do that. which in
aHighwayman, would be regarded as cyrnc
worthy OF punishment by death on the GALLONS.
1t would be nothing more nor less than legal.
zed robbery.
But II the meaning OF the inquiry be- as
doubtless, considering the gentlemen who par.