Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-02-05
A Ringing Article by the Rev. DR..
Brown.
From the Central Presbyterian, Jan. 3d.
SHALL WE REPUDIATE?

From the Central Presbyterian, Jan. 23dl
SHALL WE REPUDIATE?
When the cry of reputation is rals-
ed in State we pass from the DOMAIN
of politics into that of morals, and IL IS
the duty of the religious press not to re-
main passive spectator offs such trans
action as that which left its indellble
brand upon the name of Mississippi |
forty years ago. We are glad that the
Religious Herald has spoken, and we
all ought to speak, at least those VINO
stand within the pale of the Church
pledged to lowe no man anything"
and who by conspicuous profession
have renounced in every form tine MD
den things of dishonesty"
Society rests on the confidence that
men repose in one another, ana That
community where men speak the truth
and are scrupulous in the observance OF
their promises is community where
men feel secure, and where the iirmest
and most stable government will be es-
tablished. It is on the character of the
people that after all government must
rest, and when the fountain of good
morals is once poisoned the decay of the
set the example to the people OF a viola
ton of contracts? Shall the State put
the citizen in Jail for taking his neigh
boris goods, or turn him over to the
sheriff for not meeting his notes. and
then abrogate at her own unrestralned
pleasure the contracts which she had
made? Who does not know that the
State of Virginia is poor? Whose heart
does not bleed at the-not poverty, but
destitution which prevails among those
who fifteen wears ago drove their car
riages and never felt the want Of mon
ey? Our fields were wasted by war ;
our labor was disOrganized by the
emancipation of our slaves; we have
had bad crops for series of years
droughts and tioods-and the State debt
has been growing in the mean time. Ii
is heavy load to carry-a very heavy
load. The most agreeable way to get
rid of it would be to throw the burden
down and refuse to carry it any further.
Is that the Christian a0dy of meeting q
duty? The Christian carries crosses
heavier than that, and he is not allowed
to throw them down-Or only at the
peril of the loss of his crown. Are
Christian men and women looking al
this thing as Christian men and wo
men? Do they realize the fearful res
possibility of deliberate refusal to pay
an honest debt? There are aspects Of
this question which deeply affect the
reputation Of the Christian Church, fol
there are some who stand high in il
who are leading in this crusade against
the payment of the State debt. We dc
not impA their motives; we only fee
that they have not measured the signi
ficance or the effect of what they are do
of Cplh
ject as are properly and only politica
the Chulch has nothing to do. Disput
ed facts must be left for those to whom
they belong; but with conceded facts
and the moral obligations connected
with them the Christian Church ant
all who have the opportunity to speal
on its behalf are to the last degree con
cerned.
We say then that there is but one dis
charge from an honest debt-a receip
in full unless there is an absolute ina
bility to pay it, of which we shall hav
more to say at another time. Any othe
idea or course of action is deiusion an
a snare, and no amount OF sophistry ca
ever truly appease an enlightened con
science until exactly that, and not
cent less, IS returned which was origi
nally received. If borrow 500 in gol
it is my business to return 500 in gold
$50 will never discharge that debt. Blu
suppose / can't pay it? It is a gres
misfortune; heavy load to carry dow
to the grave. You ought not to hav
contracted debt which it turns OF
you cannot pay. Why did you go i
debt? Why do you not rather imitat
George Muller, who carries out literall
the injunction Ito owe no man any
thing?" Moreover, is it quite certai
that you cannot pay?
But did not Virginia get full con
sideration for her debt? Does she ne
hold much of the property now? Ho'
did she contract it? Did she not bull
q University, and a canal, and man
railroads? Does she not enjoy thes
now? 1t was not war debt On
third has been knocked off for We.
Virginia. which had only one fourth {
the population, and no University, nc
canal, nor railroad.
Are you not collecting a State tax
some $780, 600 per annum for schools
Schools for which we thank God; bu
are We to have all the luxuries of th
season and then say we can't pay GU
debts?
Now this S500,OO0 for the schools Wa
spent on private schools before the wa
AT present we raise the sum by taxa
tiOu OUT IL came Out OF our pockets a
the same before. Really, therefore, W
arenot paving to the State a tax Of fit
cents in the 500; it is only forty cents
for the school-tax is merely the sam
money which we formerly paid for tn
private schools it was just as much
tax then as it is now.
New is it not an outrage to decIar
that we cannot pay more than fort
cents in the 500 in the way of pro
perty tax? A man who has real estat
valued at $4,000 pays $40 per annum o
it, and says that $55 would ruin him
and therefore he rights the ship b
throwing some of his obligations over
board
This may do for Wall street-or j
those circles where men compromise
paying twenty cents in the dollar, an
then hang up their lace curtains an
spread their velvet carpets again. bt
it will be no plea in the chancery {
Heaven.
THE Boy JUST OUT oFSCHooL.-Di
you ever pause and contemplate tbs
particular and peculiar phase of huma