Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-04-10
Friday, April 10, 1863:
The Hon. B. H. Hills Recent Letter.

The Hon. q. II. Hill in recent letter ad-
dressed to J. r Sneed. Esq, Macon Ga. ex-
poses the relief provisions Of the proposed Con.
stilutioL, and elbows not only that they arc
oprosed to the Consultations Of the United
States but that those who were mainly instru-
mental in Incorporating these provisions into
the Negro Constitution never designed them TO
have the effect which was pretended. lie af-
firms that he has the highest authority for
saying that assurances were sent from tho Rad
ical leaders i'll Washington, that relief might
he put into the Constitution to get votes, but
woull be stricken out, when the votes were
obtained. Phe disastrous effects which result
from this constant agitation Of relief,
are thus clearly portrayed:
lss A large majority Of creditors are now
willing to act hberally with their debtors, and
| take reasonable portion OF their debt. But
debtors, by this relief agitation, are eneour-
aged 10 pay nothing. Creditors will be COM
PEELED to hold on to their debts until the laws
can be enforced, aud oil the time interest is
accnn,ulating. The tiu,e will epmeI' when
90 srts will DO open and law will be admins
tered. These creditors. outraged by the efforts
of the debtors to ct riL II all the debt, will
exac: the laat dollar and listen 10 no compro
rise. ,".'.' -
2d. Very unfortunate bitterness Of feeling
will spring up among our people. Efforts
which ought to be given to pr oduc.ion and i'm
,rrovemeut Of properly. viii! be given to con-
ces. hide and cover up property. There are
| uuscrupulous lawyer now engaged in encour-
aging this business. know Of lawyers whr
are now promised large amouhts:to defeat the
coll cction of debt.. know sou,e foolish dAbt
ora who are paying lawyers amounts to def<a
debts, which the creditors would accept ant
give up the debts.
Why, you will say such men are crazy 81
in one sense, they are. They are crnhy with
rasaion rgain.t creditors. They prefer to psy
the money to lawyers who Aatter them t.
creditors who ,tsusted them. So. many mel
are run crazy. Every man who votes 10 ac'
cept negro dominion to get false relief is era
wi Every man who go vutes u 'seAfng hi
chilaren's hopes and his wiis's thpSiasas for
cteat--worse than cheat. "H:'y,
Sd. While all this is being ,doue.,.ws shal
have negroes and Yankees in the Legislator
establishing free schools for negroes, to be sup
ported by taxation upon the whites. and taugh
by New England teschen to Increase the la
tired between the races; and, while our indus
try will he psralyz zed and our 'prednots slno:
destroyed. our taxes will be. fully doubled
Property will also he deprecated still more an
more. and our people will lose more in increas
Ell taxation and by the loss Of property value
thnn would be sufficient to pay their deb
. three times over.
4tl. In the meantime the Bankrupt act wi
have expired, aud thousands will have failed
avail! themselves of it. ;.
9th. Every man who votes for this neg
constitution 10 avoid paying Ills dsbta, W
, never be able to get credit again. Many Ii
) by credit, but. having shown themselves vi
ling to defrnd, no sane man will ever sf.er tru
them. Tho rich man can live without cred
I. or get i on L,s, property. Tbs poor man
dependent on bis ehaIaetar, and when that
gone he is ruined