The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-03-10

Federal and State Constitutions ciose '"'
doors against all the plans Of these people
HAd the Legislature, with the conniVance
Of tho Federal Government, immediately
after the war, adopted, instead of the stay
law. some system for compromising debts.
il woald have been infinitely better, and IN
view of the terrible civil convnlsion we hao
Just passed through it would no ocuo'
have been submitted to BY oil classes bu'
the STAY law was resorted to, and 1t mas
been extended for four years. That was the
indulgence asked By the debtor class, and
during their enjoyment of that indul-
eence time has passed away too fur to ad-
nit Of the measures Of compromise and
settlement which all would have submitted
to while the scenes, horrors, and disasters,
Of the war were fresh in the memory.
In the mean time O Constitution has been
adopted by an overwhelming vote Of the
people which prohibits stay laws. How
can that prohibition be gotten rid of? How
can the decisions Of the federal courts be
avoided
Be it remembered that since the war the
payment Of debts has been going on
Every year a number has been paid.
Estates of deccdcnts have been necessarily
settled men have for convenience, and for
interest, met upon terms agreed upon, and
arranged their accounts, passing receipts
and wipine out debts. See the cheering
account in our paper this morning from
SOUTHAMPTON. Nor is that county the only
one to make such an exhibit, We hope.
How is it possible for the gentlemen who
are appealing for relief to arrange any
system of compromising debts which can
be sustained against the Federal and State
Constitutions How, even if that were
possible, arrive at just grounds for the
arrangement of accounts? They are so
interlockcd with complications that when
Jugt?ce walks amongst them she will he
involved in quicksands, from which it will
be impossible to eStricate herself. k a
single example amongst the most simple:
a man says he yves $4,000 for negroes
purchased before the war. If he pays
for the negroes now he not only pays
for what has been taken from him with
out compensation, hut he is thus de-
prived of the very means upon which be
relied to pay the debt. Very we'll. Now
contemplate the probable situation of the
man who sold the negroes. He had paid
for them and if he loses what he sold them
for, he loses as much as the signer Of the
note would lose if he were to pay the note.
The seller of the negroes loses them, and
he, too, loses the increase upon their value,
which he could proftably invest. We see
no difference between the two cases. How
shall they compromise? If they choose:
they can voluntary arrange the matter be-
tween themselves: but where is the law
that can compel them to do so? How can
such q law exist in the face of constitutions
and decisions fatal to them?
Aye, indeed, if it IN to this, that pro-
perty lost is to be taken into the accouut in
abatement Of lawful claims, should not
there be some indemnity for those unfortu-
nate thousands who have lost oil they had
and are plunged into utter poverty Are
those alone who are in debt TO become the
objects of Government help9 What are
losses of wealth, indeed, to the losses of men
who gave up their lives for the cause they
cspoused! Who will bring back the father
to support O beggared wife and helpless
children who are living in penury and want,
not even enjoying the beuefts of education,
which are secured to the children Of freed
men? How, in short, are the deep and i'm
measurable Affections and calamities Of the
community to be healed and smoothed over
by bringing relief and contentment to the
broken hearts with which they have filled
the landS With these staring US in the face
everywhere, shall the country be rent in
pieces by the clamors of property-hold-
ers, who demand some sort of re-
lief which will enable them to hold their
property and leave their debts unpaid. or
pay only a part Of them, aud for which no
authority can be found Certainly this
would be o sort of perversion of sympathy
and q violent agency of relief to Il class
owning property i'll the midst Of q commu-
nifty filed with brokeI-hearted women and
crying children who have no property, and
whose lamentations extort little help.
Let it not be forgotten that debtors are
not alone in suffering. Wctllinki it not doubt
ful which CLASH the greater sufferer, the
creditor or the debtor class. There are
any number of cases wherein the creditors
are heirs,-many of them infants-who
have received no interest for five years, and
who have not enough money to feed and
clothe them, much less educate them. They
arc the objects Of charity, although with
the prompt payment Of the interest on the
money loaned out by their guardians
they could live geutcelly and 90 to
school also. There arc some instances
where tho holders of the money thus
loaned ont are lending out money at twelve
TO fifteen per cent, while they only pay
Fix per cent. on the money Of these in
tants; or, rather, this six per cent. is
charged thcm-they pay nothing. Now,
such a9R kindred cases are superintendent.
Again, glance over the field and ask your
self what must be the condition of the
creditor class, who for FIVE years have been
deprived of their money? They could not
rointo business-they have been compelled
to labaH in som way. Many Of them in
some way to which they have not been ac-