New-York tribune., 1867-02-26
THE BAAhRTPT Law.

We have been surprised AT the lingering pro
gress of the Bankrupt bill through Congress.
Weare, and have long been, totally unable to ap-
prcciate the force of the reasons which obStruct
its passage. We are sometimes told il is an un-
popular measure. and will meet condemnation
at the polls. We do not believe it. At all
events, we regard such objection IA of the small
est account politically. But do those who deal
in such objections know that there are two
sides 10 this question: And that if there is a
party against, there il n large party for q
Bankrupt Lawl And is not the force and activ-
ity of the latter the greater of the twoi But
we are content 10 believe these forces neutral
ize one another without holding either of them
tO be- legitimate considerations
We are great commercial nation. We are
the greatest trading nation on the face of the
earth Let those who doubt or deny 1t, con
sid,I the fact that everything in the shape OF
property, in this country, is for sale at one
pri,r or another Whether il be real or per
sonil property, whether il be ancestral homes
or newly bought cOrncr-ots, the household
possessions of a rcvercd ancestor, a mans new
cquDagc and wardrobe, his watch. his jack
knife; are not all in the market for price
Whoever heard of Yankee having anything
hc wmld not sell And are we not NIL Yam
KEGS h thisl What is New-York but n jew
shopi is there anything in it that cannot be
bougl and sold aud that is MT bought and
sold We sell school-houseS for taycrns, Gem
ctcrics for newspaper offices, churches for
shops. We trade in everything. and we trade
necessarily. We are unqucStiOnably the most
invctcnte traders on the footstool. In other
cOunriG there is a limit 10 operations III
property but here there is none. ln other
countrio there are some things You cannot
buy. Yu cannot buy cathedral nor grave
yard. TIE princes keep their palaces, and the
mobiles hcir estates. The family plate and
pictures are treasured, and the old family
horse AMI the old family servant are suffered
TO die 0 the place of service. But what
American prince does not sell his palace and
what American noble does not hold his estate
for prio
1t is of 10 use to deny that in the old conn
tries there are some things, nay, many things,
representing vast money value, which are
not objects of barter and sale; while in this
country tn, whole movable and immOyable
property of he nation is in the market, and is
constantly md forever changing hands.
Being thu the greatest of bargaining and
trading pcOhe, we require above all others u
general and uniform law applicable to this
phase of thcnational life. Nobody can dispute
this. Humanity reyOlts ut the idea of not re-
licving misbrtune where possible, however
caused In rscuing q drowning multitude, who
refuses his hep because among them are thieves
and burglars who ought to be drowned A
Ill I,t ham La IL unI tn hp
posed because in relieving honest men and use
full citizens it sometimes relieves knavcs also.
You cannot rfuse to enact II law of bencii-
cencc, bccauscthe unworthy may take adyan-
tagc of it. save the innocent, though the
guilty escape. Such is thel sublime principle
that undcrlics he criminal code of all civilized
countries. Whyshouldn't we apply il in its widest
scope in our general legislation! DO not say
that banlIruptc! is not case OF lie ana death.
Ii often is Il case of life and death. There Is
nothing more alonizing on earth Than the fcd
hot pinchngs OF ruinous pccunary misfortune
to the man of phdc, and scnsibility, and high
honor. And the 0fticr his character the moro
delicate and refined his organization, the more
internal his toIturcs There are many eases ol
this sort where death itself would be preferred
to the suffering experienced 10y the bankrupt.
There are many cases in which life IL voIunta-
Iiy taken TO escape its pangs 1t is not
month since an American physician OF 80 years,
by birth German, deliberately took the lie
of his own wife. a young woman of %, ana
then his own, because of the pressure of debts
upon him which hc could not pay. We nave
high authority for saying that debt is bond
sage, and TO those who are under its chains,
and have fingered long, and see no means'ol
escape, it is bondage of the most cruel k'hd
for il is bondage of the soul.
But it is not upon such considerations as