Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1866-05-30
For the Advertiser. :.


Mn. EDIroR:-Aiter thanking you fur the cour-
tesies extended to US, in tho publication Of for
mer article, we will with your permission, briefly
make sonetuggestions ""king to concert of action
among the epe"plc in reference to the Indebtedness
OF the country.
In course of the debate on the Stay Law, it
was urged that no petition or memorial had come
up from any of the Districts or. Furnishes asking
the coplinu.nce. of the Stay Law, and as tho law
was made r,r the Pre-. ectou of soldiers iamiles,
its existence should terminate with the return Of
peace II was also urged as an argument, ,arninst
the Stay Law that the debt question had not been
raised in but one District in the Stale, in tbs CAM
vasses for the Convention nnd the Lug isature.
These pnins were replied to 10y the friends of rho
Stay LAW as follows When the Stay Law WAS
Law, II. the great redundancy of lnvney abundant
|, provul but npw that the war w,s over and
everything lost, was the time the peopio neeSed
some protection. 1t Was also contendad by the
friends of tue Stay Law that the canvas.es were
SO shortfnr the Convention and the Legislature,
only few weeks in either ease between the an
nouuccmcpts aid tho elections. Oar financial
difficulties are characterized by some, and among
that number, one Of the Associate Justices of
South Carolina, rs nothing more than financial
rsvulsion. This remark Was made in the Convcn-
,tion, and was replied to by an honored member
from Edseiield, and told that his argument was
more like he narnngue of u pctiifosger than the
argument of Stn'etnlan.
Now the Stay Law is pronounced unconstilu-
tional aud void, and the harpies of the Law
turned loosc, the people may look fr the ctm-
mcnccment If that reign Of terror which awaits
hem wi,hpu, some action ON their pnrt. The
Stay Law was passed by i very small majority in
thu last Legislature after much exciting debate.
Although in all probability the Governor will
convene tho Legislature sh>rtly, without somc ac-
tion by tho people, ws do not believe that the
Legislature, as atprcEent organized, will take any
further action on the debt question. We therefore
make the following suggestions to the people Of
the District
Sale day in Juno, let as many people Of the
District az feel an interest in this matter, have o
meeting Mt Edgeield Court House. Let meetings
be held in every ncighbourhood in the District
get up petitions and let every citizen in the Dis
trict have m opportunity to sign them let the
people plainly indicate to their Senator and Rep
resentatives what to pursue in order to rep
resent them fairly; the meetings to apI oint q
large corresponding committee TO correspond with
Senators and Representatives, and leading men
of other Districts Of the State, and request them
to bring this grave question to tho consideration
of their people, So tho popular will of the State
may be known. We hive not the slightest doubt
but that three fourths Of the people are for some
modification Of the debts of the country. Real
estate in South Carolina to-day will not bring
half as much d, it would four months ago, and il
there is no modification Of the law, and even the
debts contracted for slaves are all litgated in de-
tail, the whole real estate in South Carolina will
not pay cost of suits. and in the end very few
debts will be paid. It is true there arc constitu
tional difficulties, but where thore ia will there
ia nearly always way. One of the Judges of thu
United States Court has declared that the United
States will not interfere in the internal regulation
of the debts of the rebeliOus States if each STATE
would assume the payment Of the debts of it
citizens owingto citizens Of other States; and a
for State constitution the people have right t.
demand its amendment when it proves inadequate
to their protection and interest
Now, Mr.. EDITOR, in conclusion, would it no
| h. hottpr fnr debtor and creditor-morelity ant
humanity-to cover the whole ground of ou
financial difficulties by some plain ordinance o.
statuary enactment, rather than the ten thousand
law suits, making two-thirds of the people pau
pcrs driving half the present population from thu
State, supplying their placeG with free negroes.
demoralzed society, with but little uniformity d
decision drawn from mass of conflicting pre-
| cedents? RUSTIC.
| -->->- -