The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-10-15
STAY LAWs-REPUDIATl HONOR

To The Editor Of the Daily Ne,cs:
The removal of General SIcKLEs was made the
occasion, by number OF newspapers in South Car
olina of an en- lorsement OF the unconstitutional
and nefarious Order No. 10, by which military
prohibition was put on the collection OF just debts.
We took OCCASION as business man, to notice TINS
sign OF the times and we spoke OF the Stay Law,
of legislative creation, wrong in itself and as the
natural sequence to long years OF procrastlnation
on the part Of Debtors aided and abetted 10y state
laws, which virtually gave the debtor twelve
eighteen, and even so long as twenty-four months,
in which to waste the creditors money through the
instrumentalty of legal proceedings. We also took
occasion to allude to the fact that the Judges OF
South Carolina had, by vote OF ten to one' de-
clared this wretched Stay Law scheme OF 1861 un-
constitutional. 1t Was to the writer subject oil
profound regret that he noticed III all this clamor
for STAY Laws to be had, even as dernier resort,
by military order, steady drift towards repudla-
ton and personal dishonor Since then various
combinations have come to the public, all ten1lne
TO lift the curtain Of deception, which has only
been screen for yeas past, Ill order 10 gather the
necessary strength for public declaration.
A writer, over the signature Of 'Backwoods-
man." spreads his threadbare arguments over
several columns of the News, in defence OF Stay
Laws even by military order. We use the defn-
ton Hthreadbare" for the reason that it is the
mildest term we can employ in speaking OF the
writings OF one who is unknown to us, but whose
every word makes US feel that
He stands upon slippery place 4,
Makes nice Of no vile hold TO stay him up.
When next he appears before the public, va may
reasonably look for min as prominent leader OF
the embryo reputation party of the up-couDtry,
OF which the Yorkvlle Enquirer is, it seems, bold
enough now to announce itself the champion
thus
Talk about honor, when the whole people and
Government are corrupt and demoralzed
highwayman might as we'll talk about honor, who
has robbed and stripped his victim leaving MIN
naked in the road, saying, You be virtuous and
honest hereafter and do not resist an honest high
wayman, when he wants little means to take a
breeze. If ever people we're Justified III repu-
dating their debts, the citizens OF the Southern
States are. all honest men will pay according to
ability; but let no force OF law be used"
1t is quite useless with this class they are
not worth answering. An honorable man may
be unfortunate; he can be an honorable bankrupt;
but we pity an people who are lost to sell res
pect, so insensble to shame, as would, owing
Just debt, seek to retain that which the debt rep
resents-be it house or lands, or plate, or else
under the base plea OF an unconstitutional act, or
an illegal " order"
This writer alludes to the rebuke OF JOHN HOOK
for Lrawlng ''beef' through the camps, BY PAT
RICK HENRY; it suggests, by way of reply, Fall
stats soliloquy on honor:
.That Ia honor?
wordl Whist is that word honor E?
Airl trim reckoning"