Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-12-01

last issue as was desired by the person to whom
it was addressed.
LINDEN, WEsTMoRELAND Co.
| Hayne 2. O., November 16th 1868.
have received your kind letter of the 10th
inst, in which you are pleased to express your
concurrence in my views on the stag la,o in the
to find myself sustained by gentleman of
your experience and discretion, and whose
heart is always in the right place. | am con-
cerned to learn that the good people Of the
Valley will be either Indifferent or opposed to
the relief asked. can readily understand that
Staunton, which is sort of business center
and lost little by the war, and in which there
is large disbursement of public money, State
and Federal, may be in condition to require
no relief. The same may be said Of Lexing-
ton, and probably of a few other favored spots
But these are but exceptions to the general
distress and ruin pervadng the whole State, in
which there are no bonds, no money and no
credit. [ have seen no where evidences of
greater distress and impoverishment than in
the lower Valley, and the tobacco region,
which we were told was in very fourishing
condition from large crops and high prices we
now hear is in a very suffering state, from ex
acty the opposite causes. The truth is our
people wish to be hopeful and the newspapers
are constantly Dragging to keep off desponden
cy, and profound ignorance prevails as to-thea
real circumstances OF the people, which, brag
as we may, are not better, and In the estima
ton Of many judicious observers, are much
worse than at the close of the war. How could
it be otherwise? How could it be expected
that people largely indebted and stripped of
a great part Of their property could carry on
business successfully without money and with
out credit? The Northern Neck except the
Valley, the best part Of the State, the lands
are good, easily titled, and having navigation
almost to every man 5 door, The people are
intelligent, industrious, and economical, yet
they find themselves embarrassed at every turn,
for the want of money, to carry on their busi-
ness, and few if any, have improved their con
dition, whilst many are much worse off and
find it impossible to carry on their farms.
10 enforce vigorously the payment OF debts,
the state of things would be equivalent to gem
eral ruin. Yet the business Of debt-paying is
going on steadily, and if left to themselves,
creditors and debtors would soon come together,
and by judicious sale of property large
part of the debt would be speedily extin-
guished whilst different course will drive
many to bankruptcy, by which creditors will
lose nearly every thing and greedy spectators
take most of the property And those that do
not 60 into bankruptcy, will, many of them, be
drawn into insolvency equally hopeless, by the
equitable proceedings for the sale of land, un-
der judgment liens. A proceeding, by the
way which was intended for extreme cases,
and never designed as general remedy for the
collection of debts. In the course of an ex-
tensive practice Of twenty five years, | do not
now recolect more than one case in which this
remedy was resorted to. Formerly it was the
extreme medicine, now it will be the daily
bread of the profession. An article in the
Enquirer urges Gen. Stoneman to extend the
same until thirty days after the meeting of the
Legislature. A very good suggestion, but the
editor adds that the judiciary and the lawyers
are opposed to it. L can't say what are the
views of all the judges, but [ am very sure
that some Of them would be very glad to see
relief extended to our suffering people, and
though having doubts as to the CONSTITUTIONAL
ty of the original statute which Of course can
not apply to mere military order, which con-
fesses it is not under the Constitution. But
the law has not been declared unconstitutional
by the Courts, or if the judges in their public
capacity shall throw their influence against a
suffering people, they will well deserve the
damnation unjustly hurled by Jno. Randolph
against the bench, forty years ago: the book
of Kings comes after the book of Judges, y
and we might add, the sooner the succession is
established the better.
we shall do? My purpose was to urge the peo-
pie to a sense of their danger, that they might
take the proper steps for their relief | could
not expect to exercise any influence personally
with the military authorities, but | can not
doubt that appeals for relief properly ad-
dressed, will have effect. If Gen. Stoneman
declines to act, from delicacy or want of power
let Gen. Schofeld be approached upon the
subject, and a final appeal if necessary be made
to Gen. Grant Our people are now too poor
to attend Conventions. They might act eff
ciently at their County Courts, and the country
people being near the rail roads, might find
many opportunities to be heard at Richmond
doubt whether the cities will have much
sympathy with the country Many of the mer-
chants have avaied themselves of the bank
rupt law, whilst others have compromised with
their creditors, and think they have an interest
now in compelling speedy settlements with
their country debtors, in which they will find
| themselves sadly mistaken But IS it possible
that any considerable number of the people Of
Virginia, can prefer their own petty interests,
| to the salvation of the Commonwealth?
think not, and that by just and magnanimous
policy on the part Of both debtors and credi-
tors our noble State may be saved from the
ruin that threa ems her both socially and polit-
ically.
remain very truly, your friend,
| WILLoUGHBY NEWTON.