The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-03-29
and Credtors--ste
Suffering Glasses.

Debtors and Crcditors--Ekic
Suffering Glasses.
For the Dispatch
u,vn know not whether the judges ana
LAWYERS of Virginia are aware OF the TACT, hul
there is a widespread conviction among 'hc
pcoplc--pcople as honest and as pure as an!
on tlIe face of the eartll--that law ana justice
are no longer synonymous terms. " hg'
18Th March, 1872.
Now. know but few men so little a'ltho-
rizcd to speak of popular "conIr'ioi,s ~
the author Of that sentence. certainty me
iudgce-and feel pretty sure the lawyers
ure not "awarc Of the fact dllSentty As inc
VINO labors to produce that impression ana
to create that feeling.
Now. is the Wing aware of the tact that
there is widespread conviction III the
:sworld" that "al property is robbery -:
Is he aware that communism and all us AS
sociate doctrines are very widespread, ana
increasing daily? Docs he know Whe''cf
Prudhon was a dishonest man, or WIS hc
simply the victim Of an idea, and consclrh-
tiously believed (mislcd by his own rcaSoh'
inel that air, earth, and wafer were free !tli'S
OF God, and he who appropriated more tll''M
his rricdte share was robber. anu THAT ~!
lawgivers, lawyers, and judges, VINO mona
otherwise, arc the" bitter enemies OF tIe mt
fnrtunates who have no property! we 40
not hear one word said about taking any poi-
ton ofwh.t has been left toany OF these srtlIn-
blers and diutdinJ among the WIDOWS ana o.
nhaus Of Confederate soldiers, who lost their al
when they lost their fathers and husbands,
having nothing else TO lose while, ii one oil
a., bo, IN hn n 0rpJSJ,nr. ana MS
cmplover did not h'ndiy pay II gold debt III
Confederate money for bond which he had
riypn for p,st wages or lent money, We
hear much about the employers equities be-
causc he has lost his "niGgerS." These
widows and orphans may ask for bread, and
these landowners offer them stone. Won
der if there are not some "Plarisccs in
that crowd? Come, gentlemen, do not let lis
stop at diriding debts. Tie "grcat national
calamity" has banlrupted the Common
wealth and the people. Let us take a
State bankrupt law, and pay of AL!
debts, and then divide al that Is
left cgualiy among all our people. What
say these qllotcrS of Scripture: "ThrIr
bonds are thrust in their faces" forsoolh.
There's the rub. Keep your lands, gentle
men, and let 10 poor GEin on woman WI"
lost all, or had only your bond, come be-
tween "yollr nobility and the wind, with
your "bondS" for the price Of labor or Tor
money loaned you. "The war relieved
YOU. Do not bother us, to whom that war
left something" We are agitating for Gre
lief" "Kelief' is intended for the debtor
who has something, especially land; not for
landless holders of our bonds.
"Wo unto you, Pharisecs, for yc d2volir
widows houses, and for 4 prctencc make
long PRAYERS and lamentations in newspaper
articles, editorial or contributed. "Thc
feeble and the humble" forsooth. hlany of
this class Of "relief" hunters COM
plain that Confederate money was not
made cgal-tender, so that all that part OF
| the property of the State consisting OF "ohi-
cations to pay money" could have been
dicided during the war between debtor and
| creditor in the ratio of from three to serenity
| for one. the lions share always to the debtor.
| They did have such debts taxed as gold, UNI
| less the creditor would agree to take Co:i-
| federatc money at Tar in payment then
| denouncing the creditors want of patriotism.
Wheat at forty dollars Jushettor n gold debt,
often the sweat Of some poor, hard-flsted
mans brow, rs oyerSeer or carpenter, or
| blacksmith, or some Industrious, small
farmers, who had lent you his draft on his
commission merchant to pay for land
or slaves bought, or expenses beyond income.
| While these men were content to agltate for
.reicf" on the score Of public policy, or
generosity, or "mercy" ii you will, men
might have been content to let it pass, with
suggestions of difficulties in the way. But
when they grow bold and arrogant, and be-
gin to denounce whole classes, "call names"
speak of rPharisecs and hypocrites," and
make odious comparisons, the war may posi-
bly, be very properly carried into Africa.
The writer Of this belongs to the debtor
class nor much lie owed he never received /,
cents hcncIit, ana he can say that II" has
been kindly and indulgenl;y dealt with by
his creditors. He knows what ii is to owe
money. He scorns to abuse his creditors.
He would not object to adjustment with or
Iibcrality from them but he has no sympathy
with the aclining debtors who abuse judges
and lawyers, and legislators, that believe
they have not the right and power to afford
"relefn in the modes sought by some--men
as "honcst and pure" as the " chiefs" among
the clamorolls for "relief,'' Oh the dogmatic
carc;,sScs Of all who differ from them.
How many of them have paid Ill they owe
bv discharges in bankrupt courts: low
many owe very large portion of their debts,
contracted since the ,car, which they have no
idea of paying? How many have not the i'll
dustry, energy, or enterprise, to make even /;
scanty living on good farms, liable TOR 10
charges except tares? What are they
spending, while the children Of their
creditors, or children creditors, oSp!iu,
creditors, rido,r creditors, are stintcd
for neccSsaries? How many run in
debt, if they can get credit, and fuss if com,
PEELED to pay; and even so into bankruptcy
on their ne,c debts9 How many such are
letting their securities pay their debts for
them, and do not hands turn to afford a
little assistance only? How many buy, and
build, and improve, and go clothed sin tine
linen," while needy creditors cannot get even
interest-interest on debts of honor, OF
trusted .fducia,Ies or contiding friends
How often is helpless, intirm, and ragged
cestm que trust sent of empty when meals
victuals or an old garment would have been
thankfully received:I speak by the card.
| What is proposed by this writer "to revive
the hopes hid gladden. the hearts, of such
poor creditors as these! and their name is
legion. Has he no sympathy for the "gloom
and dependency" that hang like sable
pail aer hosts of such Virginia people
l tell him and all such, their aidcrs and abet-
tors in dealing "scorn and reproaches" upon
honest and honorable men and classes in the
State, and heaping, if they can, "accumula-
! ted expressions" upon the innumerable suf-
fcrers among the creditor class, while their
| debtors have enough and TO spare, thut the
benevolent schemes" of these "sympathiz-
ing legislators with their suffering constitGS.
ents" must extend to the suffering creditors