The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-08-15

opening of the courts after the war the people in
the country commenced sueing each other. The
debts are nearly all local." and you add that 'the
Northern cities and Charleston were scarcely rep
resented, nor have they since, to any extent,
pushed their claims at law" and YOU add the re-
markable and significant statement that large
portion of tho debts sued in this Military District
are for sums not over twenty dollars.
You maintain that had few executions been
pushed, the whole debt could have been paid with
d very small sum of money. That "a owed B
twenty dollars; B owed twenty dollars, and so on
to the end Of the alphabet; but it is very evident
that twenty dollars would have paid the whole OF
the indebtedness."' better argument for the
stay law could not nave 6een adduced for all that
was required to realize tho easy mode of liquida-
tion you have elucidated was time 80 that these
interchanges might take place. It is precisely
this the stay law affords, leaving us tho pleasing
assurance, from 80 high IN authority, that within
brief period the financial difficulties OF the State
may be resolved with sum OF money insignif-
cantly small.
Let us see, on the other hand, what would have
been the effect Of refusing this allowance of time
When General Order 10 was promulgated, there
were pending in the Courts Of the State forty
thousand suits for debt By the last census there
we're only forty thousand white voters in the State
Allowing the sum of fifty dollars in each case, as
the amount of COSTS fees, expenses, lost time and
depreciation Of values by hurried liquidation, you
have two millions of dollars as the loss in effect
H.,
to your statement of being effected with twenty
dollars-through some peculiar process known to
the Board of Trade in Charleston.
You proceed to observe that 'sf every execution
had been pressed, the aggregate wealth OF each
the property would merely have changed local
owners" Surely it is not matter of small inter-
est to the merchants OF Charleston, that the pro-
perty of the farmers, mechanics and tradesmen
should pass into the hands of lawyers, constables-
and tho vultures that flock to judicial sales.
So far as relates to the local transactions OF
Charleston, your statement that creditors residing
there had not sought to enforce their claims,
shows that the stay law Las not injured the bust
ness Of the city; nor is any injury likely to be pro-
,luced worthy Of comparison with the manifest
trade Of Charleston derives all its thrift
You will not fail to observe that the suspepsion
Of remedies is confined to causes Of action arising
between the 10Th of December, 1860, and the 18th
of May, 1866 that after the expiration of the tenn
porary stay Of proceedings for twelve months,
executions for debts contracted before the war can
be enforced without hindrance; and that as to oil
transactions since May 18th, 1866, all the remedies
afforded by the laws Of the United States and OF
South Carolina not only remain intact, but they
areinvigorated and reinforced by military regula-
tions and tribunals.
It will therefore be seen that persons seeking to
invest capital and engage in business enterprises
within this Military District are entitled to all the
remedies and have free access to all the tribunals
that belong to settled order Of society; and that
it is only those transactions incident to the disor-
ders OF long war and to the old system of seryi-
tude that are affected by tho military stay law.
Since the month of January, 1857 the market
price of the public stocks Of the State of South
Carolina shows that tho credit of the State,
far from receding, has improved. Gentlemen as
familiar as you are with the operations of finance,
are aware that the credit of the State cannot suffer
by measures which establish considerate and firm
authority promote the industrial welfare of the
population, maintain order, and provide for the
permanent adjustment Of the political relations OF
the inhabitants.
His Excellency tho Governor Of South Carolina,
in an official communication addressed 10 the Com
manding General has been pleased to say: 81 have
perused with great satisfaction your General Or
der 10, dated ApA II, 1867, and beg leave to ex-
press my hearty concurrence in all its provisions
so far as have been able to ascertain public SEN
timent, l think it meets with the unqualified ap-
proval of our entire population"
In conclusion, gentlemen, ON to inform you
that tho Major General Commanding fails to dis
cover in your. suggestions any sufficient ground
for revoking or modifying the orders in question;
and he indulges the hope that temperate counsels,
acquescence in the measures provided for the pre-
sent oxi soncy, and stronger ties of fraternity
among the people of the commonwealth, may en-
courage the laDors OF those who desire and see in
tho future of South Carolina even more than her
ancient prosperity and renown.
Very respectfully,
J. W. CLOUs,
Captain 3Sth Infantry, A. A. A. G.