Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-04-30

The meeting was organized by calling E1-Gov.
Pickens to the Chair, and appointing j. II. Minis
as Secretary.
The Chairman, after succinctly stating what had
been done at the previous meeting, read the fol-
lowing report of the Committee:
COMPROMISE SETTLEMENT OF DEBTS.
The Special Committee have had under consid-
Grafton the matter submitted to them by the gen.
eral meeting held Sales-day in March, at the Ma
sonic Hall, and beg leave to report as follows:
According to the Census, the District of Edge
field had in round numbers, $1,000 slaves. These
at valuation of $500, for which they sold before
the war, would be eleven millions five hundred
thousand dollars ISL, ,5OO,000). This was consld-
cred safe and stable property, as much so as any
thing held in the South, and it was all swept OFT
by the results of the war, and the acts of the gov
ernment. The whole population went into the
war with enthusiasm, and are equally responsible
for it. We have no data upon which to estimate
the capital vested in stocks and money, to be loan
ed out, but there is no just reason why those who
held notes or bonds for money, should not lose any
thing from the face of the notes or bonds, and that
the whole amount, interest and all should be paid
up, by forced sales dollar for dollar, while those
who owned land and negroes should be entirely
sacrificed by war, in which all engaged alike, and
for the consequences of which, all should suffer
equally Land has been reduced in value to al
most nothing when forced to be sold in order to
pay money bonds notes and mortgages. The la
bor that made them valuable has been abolished,
while most of our taxes are raised upon land, and
note and bondholders are comparatively but light
/ " taxed. Now we think it but proper and right
that community thus situated ought, as just and
patriotic men, to come to some fair and equitable
compromise, by which the settlement of debts
should be made. As neighbors, as fellow-citizens,
raised up together in the walks Of life, we owe it
to ourselves, to justice to honor after our terrible
calamities, to make fair and friendly adjustment
of our debts, and thus set an example to other
Districts in our ruined and disheartened State, so
thew can seethat the District that was amongst the
first to lead off in the war; as band Of brothers,
was the first to show that we are still band OF
brothers, and that brave men are always just and
magnanimous.
We would, therefore, respectfully recommend to
the people of Edgefeld District, that all notes,
bonds, mortgages or debts, now held, involving any
consid deration, or based upon any obligations In
Cured during the recent war, from lst JAM, 1861,
to the LIST of May, 1865 shall be adjusted and set
tied upon the basis of gold standard at the date
of the contract or obligation, and then placed upon
an equal footing with debts before the war.
We further recommend that all notes, bonds, OF
monied obligations of any kind, made or executed
prior to 1st January 1861, with interest, shall be
reduced to tpenty-fve cents in the d0ar' and paid
in currency: -,
We earnestly urge the general basis of settle
ment to be made by all our neighbour and fellow
citizens and whenever it is not agreed to, then We