The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-10-10

debtors, having the means to paw their debts NOT
to pay them ? doubt whether lie can be- found
The debtor who ia NOW able TO paw and does not
is not only dishonest, but a fool. But it ia unite
another thing to say that, under the present cir
cumstances OF the country, the property of the
people should not be sacrificed to crafty the greed
OF unfeeling creditors; that such o policy would be
unwise and ruinous. This is the ground upon
"hloh interference with the process OF tho Courts
has always been placed. 1t is not merely a oues-
ton between debtor and creditor. Such leeisla-
ton is not only intended to protect the poor and
weak against the rapacity of the rich and the
strong, but its object is beyond and higher than
this; it is, to secure the greatest good to the COM
munity, to save the State from general bankruptcy
ana ruin. IL is in vain to say, that it il best to
leave this matter to be. regulated by the people
themselves. Before the Stay Law was set aside.
we were told that creditors would act with humane
ty and forbearance towarI their debtors. What
are tho facts ? AS soon as the Courts were Open
ed, there was a general rush to get mt
and at the ensuing term, il is estimated that thirty
Thousand cases we're issued in the small State OF
South Carolina. What o commentary on the hui
mainly and forbearance Of creditors The single
item OF costs ON this number OF cases, before final
~ settled, will amount to four or five millions dol
lars, a sum nearly sufficient to pay the whole debt
of the State.
1t is not objected. as every one knows, that
debts should be paid, but that since the war the
country has been in such a condition that paw
ments should not be enforced by law. The people,
as l have shown, have not been permitted to make
anything to pay debts with. To pay requires
money-ready cash. The burdens and rayages of
the war prevented them from making money
during its continuance, land consequently left
them without any at its close. During the years
following, 1865 and 1866, it is we'll known that
nothing was realized from planting, not enough to
defray expenses. At the beginning OF the present
year 1t was e hard struggle for subsistence. But
FOR the help Of a few liberal-minded factors in
Charleston Il hope it will not prove that thew
have been too credulous)I know many, very many
planters who would have been compelled to
abandon their plantations. These are facts, and
facts are stubborn thingss Take this condition of
things, in connection with the unsettled political
state Of the country, and it requires little reaec-,
ton to come to the conclusion that il property-
should even now be forced to sale, it would be
sacrificed, and, that still deeper and wider ruin
would follow than that which is now to be seen on
every hand. This is not a matter Of mere argu-
ment OF speculation; it's truth has been tested by
actual experience. The property that was sold
under execution since the war, during the interval
in which such sales were allowed by the law, was
sacrifced-sold literally for nothing. st
No one denies that there are individual cases Of
great hardship resulting from the suspension of
the process Of the Courts. There are dishonest
debtors as well as dishonest and unfeeling credit
ors, and in some instances, no doubt, the former
have tsken advantage Of the law to evade the paw
ment Of their just debts. But this is the case
with all laws. Wicked and bad mon,
and at all times, have perverted the laws to, pur-
poses OF fraud and injustice. This is no test OF
the goodness or wisdom; Of a law. The legisla-
tor deals with communities, not individuals: he
Lays down general rules; he does not pretend to
frame his laws 30 as to reach absolute good in
every case. The question here is, whether, in
view OF all the leading interests Of the country, it
was not best to postpone O. general settlement Of
the indebtedness OF the people until the great DO.
litical question now at'issue had been settled; nm
i'll business had lapsed into it's old channels; until
trade and had ba6n restoredto 8 healthy
state, and property had reached to something ap-
preaching it's former value The Legislature was
OF this opinion, the Convention OF the State
thought so. and this military authoijtiea have come,
to the same conclusion. How long we are to re-
main in this transition state is beyond the reach
of my mental vision. Take the most hopeful view
of the future we can, and dark and dismal IL the
prospect. While faction rules the hour in the po-
htical world, the very agencies Of nature seem to
have conspired to made our desolatiocn more pon,-
plete. But we should not despair altogether.
There is a just Con who presides over the des-
TIMES of nations. He will not hide his face al
ways from those who walk in the ways of right
eousness. Let us do our duty to Him, totour-
selves, and our country; practice the golden rule:
Whatsoever ye would that mon should do unto
you, do ye even so to them, I" and this time Of cliss-
tening will soon pass away, and the night0f our
sorrow be succeeded by a brighter sun than our
eyes have beheld for many days. ac =. g.
r BACRWoODsMAN.