Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1866-10-20
From the Anderson Intelligencer, 1lth Oct.
The Meeting Oh Monday Last.

After the adjournment of the Court at
noon on Monday, the citizens of the District
who were present assembled in public meet
ing, according to the published request of those
! who were dcsrous that tho people might be
heard upon the various questions affecting
! their interest, and which had been discussed
aud acted upon by the Legislature. The sy.
norosis of proceedings will be found elsewhere
in our columns this morning, and the reader
curious to know the order in which the speak.
ing and business of the meeting was conduc
ted, is referred thereto for the information
After the members Of the Legislature had
each given brct and succinct account of the
recent session of that body, explaining its nc
| ton upon various measures. and indicating
tho probable action upon others at it's next
sitting, Gen. j. w. Harrison was called I'M
on for his views and opinions Evidently
Gen. II. was prepared for the occasion, and we
| were not astounded by the fact that he dcliv
cred connected argument upon the subject
OF the country's Indebtedness Beginning
with the Stay Law, q review Of its history
and advantages was offered to prove the wis
dom and policy of it's passage ut the timc-
lmhued with this belief, it was an easy tran.
! sition to the position that yet more was re.
4uirel to relieve tho class known MS debtors,
aud that otherwise the property of the coun-
try would speedily change hands, the people
| be forced to cmigratc from the State, aud cap
italists from other sections become owners of
the soil hose are briefly the grounds GOV.
cred in the speech Of Gen. HARRISON, at the
conclusion of which he offered serious of
resolutions, which are published in the official
| proceedings.
The next speaker called upon was our cdi
torial sssoriatc, Col. w. d. WILKES, but the
time for roassembling Of M the Court being near near
hastily delivered However, assuming DO
sition antngonistic to his predecessor Gen
| HARRISON, he declared against the policy of
the Legislature interfering with private con-
| tracts; thought that mischief hnd already ac-
crucd from past legislation, and that one.half
OF the Indebtedness Of tho country would
havo been liquidatcd but for the Stay law !;
believed that confidence between creditor and
| debtor, absolutely essential at all times, had
been seriously impaired already by such enact
nents that the only means Of restoring that
confidence through the medium of right
fu! remedies in the Courts. That where deb
tors manifested disposition to make settle
| mcnts with their creditors, liberal compro,n.
scs might be effected without incurring costs ;
did not believe that every creditor was Shy.
| lock, demanding his pound Of flesh thought
that tho majority of the people stood in the
position of both creditor and debtor, and
therefore were equally interested in prcscrv-
ing the inviolability of contracts. That those
who were not deeply in debt, could secure, in
most instances, satisfactory terms in the ad-
justmcnt with creditors, and the sooner tho
people set to work in earnest to bring about
the extinguishment of their debts in this
wise, and ceased to look forward to legislative
| li.f h.fta .,
pnct lie advocated the passage of Bank.
mcnts of large debtors aud thought this the
only mcpsurc of relief that should be adopted
under the sanction of the Legislature
Throughout this effort, Col. Wilkes was lis.
tened to with marked attention, and frequent
ly received applause for his fearlcssness and
cloqucncc in the advocacy nf his principles
Beyond . rational doubt, the sentiments oi
the audience favored the views advocated by
Col W., and this was manifested in the dis
approval ofthc resolution laudatory of the Stay
Law. We congratulate our people that they
arc found endorsing the only feasible solution
of this intricate debt question, namely, trust
ing to an enlightened public sentiment to con.
troll the matter and prevent unnecessary op.
preston, and discountenancing Legislative in.
reference with private contracts, sacred and
inviolabc in their character. We shall take
occasion to give full expression to our own
views at an early day, aud embrace the oppor-
tunty now of stating that we have purposely
rcfrained from discussing this subject hereto
| fore, believing that it is productive generally
of mischief; yet the issue has been made in
the District, and we do not hesitate to accept
it, and pronounce against the timo.serying and
inconsiderate policy of the Legislature assu
ming control of the question.
PUBLIC MEETING.
y meeting of portion of tho citizens o,
Anderson District was held in the Court House
after tho adjournment Of Court, in the after.
noon on Monday, October 9th, 1866, for the