The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-11-08
The Relief Question.

The Relief Question.
1.-The annexed Communication from the
athens (Geo.) Watchn,an, although in
tended to meet the situation in our sister
State, expresses so much that is applica-
Bile to the people of thissection, we trans
fer it to, onr columns with pleasure:
Itappears that some of those who are
In debt through the country, are wanting
to have meetings held in the different
counties, and to make it popular, il they
can, to have no paying of debts. In one
or two instances, some of them have got
together in their counties and passed a
great many resolutions, and to hear the
statements and read the pieces OF these
men, it would seem that the people gen.
orally were desiring Reputation of debts
90 take place. But it must be borne in
mind that these little gatherings, and the
.pieees written by certain individuals, are
allsfhe doings OF the debtor class of the
country, without taking the interest of
the creditors into consideration.
The elamor is relief, relief without de-
visiag any means by which the relief is
to come. They continue to urge that
slavery has been abolished, Confederate
notes proved worthless, and that the
Banks have acted in bad faith, in failing
Go redeem their. notes but to a very limit
ed extent, as though the creditors Of the
country had not lost their slaves, their
Confederate and Bank notes, as well as
the debtors. These debtors go on to say
that the action taken blythe last Legisla-
ture lis entirely insufficient, and that
something more mnst be done for them.
Some have availed themselves ofthe bene-
fit afforded by the Stay Law, to put their
property ont of. the reach of thoir credi-
tors. and to their own, personal gain
Yetsthe elamor of others is that the Leg
isiature, as soon as it convenes again,
: must afford reliet to them, that they, the
debtors, are borne down by oppression,
distress. taxation, &c, when it is we'll
known that no one in this part of the
Stats has been called on to pay the State
any tax as yet for the present year, and
probabiy viii not be called on to pay any,
because we hare every assurance that our
noble and patriotic Governor has been
andfis doing all In his power SO to man
age the finances Of the State as to afford
the greatest relief possible TO the masses
of the people. And the law has not'been
opened so that property can be sold under
execution, and when it does open, rs the
law now stands, there is all of Ave hum
dreds dollars worth of land and other
property exempt from levy and sale, to
every family who has that amount of
property. ,
Still the clamor is that the Legislature
must certainly and surely relieve US, or
else the legislators must resign, their
nlaces. and let us elect men who will rep
resent those who don't want to pay their
debts. Consequently, it tappearsto every
impartial observer that the relief desired
bv1.these people is to be relieved from
having their debts altogether. This,
thsns brings up tho inquiry, is this thing
of Reputation, talked of and contempla-
ted, and so much desired by some, just,
right and honest to all parties interested
mot 10 say anything about the constitu-
tionality of it, at aD) Should 1t not be
horne in mind that it is contrary to every
principle of jnstice and right, to take by
legislation, or otherwise, what rigbtfally
belongs to one, and give it to another,
and that such legislation would be g dan
gerous precedent, and would very proba-
biy be regarded by creditors as sach an
outrage Of their rights as would lead to
the very worst results? And ought not
persons who have the property of others,
to, be. willing to make remuneration Tor
the same, if they have it in their power
to do SO, or if they can, to return the
property? =,
This, it would appear, would be but
lust and. right to oil parties, and would
doubtless go far towards restoring conf,
dence between man and man, instead OF
causing distrust and loss Of confidence to
increase. 1t seems to us that the agita-
tor Of this vexed question about repudia-
tion, is doing the country g great deal OF
injury and causing much more sueing
than wonld otherwise be done; and that
il. debtors, where they can do so, would
show a willingness to make just remun-
Grafton for property unpaid for, it would
go far towards affording the proper relief
to the country.
And all this murmuring about relief
from the Legislature, and about lawyers
County courts, &C., might we'll be dis.
pensed with; but the probability is that
peither the Georgia Legislature, nor Mo.
SEES the great law giver, nor Solomon
tha wise man, nor the Saviour of the
world himself, if he were at Milledgeville
could do anything that would satisfy
these people in theirpresent discontented
agitated condition, and stop their muir
murings, &c. but like the Jews, who, i
appears, would continue the cry ito -crucl
fy, cruelty, the Saviour of men, 80 1t II
probable these people would cry for re