The Labor enquirer., 1884-03-22

example set up here will act and react
on those old worn-out. worm-eaten sys-
| TENS of the old world, whereby the rich
are made richer and the poor, poorer.
Never since the time when the shep-
herds, on the plains of Bethlehem, pro-
claimed the tidings of great joy, that
sthere was saviour born," has there
anything been proclaimed to equal this
decision in its far-reaching Deneficence
to the human family. l am almost
tempted to exclaim as did Simeon of old,
Now that l have seen thy salvation,
lin a temporal sense) let thy servant de-
part in peace" But still it may be that
there are other as momentous questions
not to the world at large-but to that
portion of it embraced within the limits
known as the United States. And if
you and your readers will bear with me,
1 will try and present to them one OF
those. 1t is none other than an attempt
being made to have the United States
assume the debts of the late contederacy
public and private.
Does this announcement startle you ?
Well it might. But you will say the old
Hermit is dreaming preposterous why
we will fight before we will submit thus
tamely to have the southern debts sad
died upon us. l say 80. likewise, but
what are we, going to fight with, and Who
are you going to fight against? This is
the query. Do not be in any great
hurry to answer. Scan your condition
and surroundings, the position you
occupy and whom you have to contend
against before answering. And while
you are engaged in this pertinent occu-
patton l will endeavor to lay before you
the steps taken to impose upon you this
new burthen. First, have before me
pamphlet published in London, En-
gland, on the first of February, 1884,
written by l. Barr Robertson, an English
banker. Now, do not ask any questions
of how | got it. l have it, and that is
enough. All ask is, if the other labor
papers would spare space and time to
copy, it would prove interesting reading
for their readers.
Now, l will give you in this letter two
of the opinions of six eminent CONT
mental jurists on the subject. The one is
D.. l. NJ. c. Asser, professor, jurist and
advocate in Amsterdam, and the other is
DR.. M.K Goudsmit, doctor, jurist and
advocate in Rotterdam. Opinion-"So
long, therefore, as the confederation OF
the southern states existed the loans con-
stftuted legal debt, for which, after the
dissolution of the confederation, the
states that belonged to it must be deemed
liable. The success of the northern
armies and the establishment of the
United States on their former basis
could not annihilate any liability legally
contracted by or in the name of the
southern states. The United States con-
sttution of l797 having respected the
sovereignty of each state, and left to the
states all the power not expressly dele
gated to the confederation, their right OF
contracting loans cannot be contested,
and loans authorized by a congress to
which the states had delegated that right
are valid as loans contracted by the
states themselves. 'Quod quis per alum
| felt idipse facisse vedetur.
"The fourteenth amendment to the
constitution of the United States, quoted
above, could not deprive the creditors of
the southern states of this claim upon
these states, as far as the amendment
concerns the special debts Of any state,
it must be considered as being of no
legal force, because, according to general
principles of public law, confederation
has not the right Of annulling liabilities
legally contracted by its members. +
1t need not, however, be said that if the
liability existed it could not be annulled
by the debtor alone, so that articles, like
those we refer to cannot be of any in
huence on the legal position of the cred
tors"
1t might interest your readers to know
what kind of debts are here referred to.
They are the confederate bonds, the
sterling cotton bonds arnd the dollar
bonds. Reader, read and reflect. More
anon. HERMIT O. THE HILLS.