Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1866-11-03
Relief to Debtors.


The following resolutions adopted at pub
lie meeting in cenviegDistrict on the 18th
inst, we find published id the papers of that
District, and other of ou'sexcha lgcs:
l. PcsotUc1, That wefio res 1cctfully rec.
ommcnd that the I.cgislassnre u this State be
pcitoncd, through our sespectivc members,
to call Convention at aggearly day, to take
into consideration the co9dition and wants of
the people, and if practicsIde,to provide some
adequate and ccrtnns mcass Of relief; and to
rcctify any mpcrfcctiottta which experience
and solemn second thought may show TO be
wrong and unjust in principle, and injuries to
the general welfare and god of all the citizens
thereof
2. Rcsolre0, That wedo further recon-
mend that similar prclininury meetings be
held in this and other Districts throughout this
State and that general meeting, to carry in
to effect the foregoing objects, be held at each
Court House on the first Monday in Novem
Der next
The resolutions arc intlpduccd by preama-
bic, which affirming that The late Convention
had cmancipatcd slave property, and had de-
prlved debtors of the means of dischargng
their liabilities, and that the Legislature had
" steadily and prcsstcntly" refused to grant
any permanent and sure relief, urges the ne
Here is an entire Misrepresentation of the
action Of the late Convention and the spirit
and temper Of the Legislature The Convcn
ton so far from abolishing slavery, studiouSly
avoided the use of any expression which
could be construed into tho endorsement of
the act, and simply provided in the new Con.
stltuton against its re establishment. The
lst Section Of the 9th article is as follows
The slaves in South Carolina having been
cmancipatcd by the action Of the United States
authorities, neither slavery or Involuntary scr
vtude except as Il punishment for crime where
of the party shall have been duly convicted
shall ever he rc-cstabishcd in this State"
Again, So far from the Legislature "scadi
" and pcrsistcntly refusing" to afford relief to
the debtors of the country, there was mani
aXoSls Ss'X ~ earpsSt p p aHasirs tho apP IF III e
lief which would be Compatible with their
Constitutional obligations and finally to effect
this very object, the passage of law which
III the opinion of a large minority was clearly
unconstitutional.
But what is proposed to be done by Con
vcntion OF the people, and in what respect
will such a covention be more competent TO
effect the objects proposed than the Lcgisa
tnre! That it will be actuatcd by higher
desire to relieve the public distress is very
d"nbttul-that it will be vested with no great
cr powers is very clear. \ State Convention
equity with State Legislature is bound by
that clasc Of the Constitution of tho United
States, which prohibits any State from passing
g law inlpairng the obligation of contracts"
The objection to Bankrupt laws and Home
stead laws, and all other laws passed by n
State, so far as they relieve the property of
the debtor from existing Obligations is, that
they infringe upon this clause of the Consti-
tutiou-a clause equally binding upon State
and Federal officials, and protecting equally
the rights of citizens of the same and dflc-
rent States. s.-AGbcpWc Press