Year: 1861




For the Standard.


RELIEF TO THE PEOPLE.


Nothing claims the attention of the Legislature,
in its early deliberations than the passage of
relief bill to protect the indebted portion of the
people from the land sharks which infest every COM
munity in our patriotic old State.
The former stay-law answered we'll to effect this !
object, and while i'll force saved thousands of dol
lars worth of property from sacrifice, which would |
otherwise have been sold-the owners stripped of
the very last vesige-turned over as bankrupts |
without credit or even empc yment to support them
selves or families in these critical times.


That law was the very best as an. expedient to
check the ruinous results which would have follow
ed soon, that could have been passed then, or that
can be passed now, and exhibited that love of coun
try and manifest interest for the people, the great
sovereigns Of Southern independence, which should
characterize the Legislature as possessing wisdom
and magnanimity of purpose to maintain that inde-
pendcnce, by sustaining the credit of its citizens
and soldiers whose ives property and time are be-
ing offered upon its altar of liberty. But it is re-
marked, that law was passed by Legislature which
was in part bankrupt; that the tendency of it was
to take from the rich man and give to the poor man,
that it Disseminated between the creditor and debt
or in favor of the latter This conclusion looks to
be erroneous, except when applied to the few soat-
ed cases of dishonesty in running property, to pre-
vent the collection of honest debts, which was the
case even before the passage of the stay law Hence
but few can be found to condemn the law. And by
whom is the complaint brought? Look into the
country, do you find the people mass making
hue and cry against the act of their representa-
tives? No. this great alarm at the honesty of the
people, and complaint against the action of the Le-
glslature, comes from those men who have been bu-
silly engaged in view of the present financial dis
reSs, dealing in stocks promssory notes, ETC., and
having brought in the very beginning of the crisis
suits upon their claims, camorous to real
ize their money-out of what? the debtors proper
ty, at a time when money cannot be raised to pay
with. This is the source from whence all the com
plant originates, regarding the injustice of the stay
law-the imparation of obligation and contract
that it has shaken the very foundation Of commerce.
by loss Of confidence in the honesty of the people,
and even their ability to pay their debts doubted
1t is to be hoped the Legislature will rebuke these
selfish complaints 10y another act to stop the run
that is now preparing to be made upon the debtor
class of our State population. That the people are
honest there can be no doubt-that they will pay
their debts when the time comes that will enable
them to do so, there can be no doubt. Will their
representatives the guardians of great and patr
otc constituency, neglect their vital interest, and
leave them in the midst of ruin without help, and
no other than their legislative body to appeal to,
their own physica- strength to protect them? 1t is
OelleSeQ tnat tne Legislature Will not.


1t is said pretext, that nobody wishes to press
the debtor or distress him. by the sale of his prop
erty now. This is but a prelude to deceive. HUI
man nature is the same to-day it in the days of
Jacob and Esau. Every man who has it in his
power to gain much WITH little will do it. Let
not such lullaby as this deceive. 1t will be too
late after the Legislature adourns, leaving the peo
ple's interest unprovded for. Every comprehensive
| mind knows the people went in debt before this
| in for fho
property they now have, at high prices. 10 sacri-


flee that now, would prove disastrous to future pros
poets. The banks have long since received protec-
tion and their specie is held in their Golfers and
what little of their paper is issued falls into the
hands of such speculate in the kind of stock
| before named. The present indebtedness of the
country affords rich harvest for them if no check
is placed within the reach of those that are in debt
No law can be framed which will meet every indi-
vidual case, that would meet the approval of the
! speculating classes. They are too numerous in
times like the present Hence, the only eHectual
remedy against this,class, as we'll those who an
tcipate to realize fortunes in the great sacrifice of
debtors property is, in the total repeal of the exc
cution laws from the State statute leaving it blank
for future Legislatures to raise Those isolated
could then 60 up to the constitutional court
for hearing upon blank statute But is the Leg
islature, the lawmaking power the creature of the
| Court! If so, let all the other cohvening bodies
of the peoples selection be abolished, and let the
government appropriations to their use be turned
over to the Southern Confederacy. But reasonably,
something should be done cffectually to guard
against the sacrifice of property. Thousands of
writs are being served upon the poor debtor in
every county, and if relief is extended the great
mass of the people will be reduced to astate of total
bankruptcy, and consequent dampness will be
thrown upon the material aid designed to defend
and MAINTAIN Southern independence Who are the
men that are fighting the battles of the South
Are they the rich and trading classes-men that
are free from debt, or are they of that class who
are mostly in debt? A brief review would exhibit
the fact that the latter class are the men who are
enduring the hardships of camp life. And must
their little that of their suretes in thousands of
cases be sod and their families turned over to the
cold charities of the world2 Let this lie prevented
if in the power and wisdom of the Legislature


Another feature, too presents itself, and that ia
this Before the passage of the late law, thou.
sands of dollars were sued for upon which iudp.
ment has been obtained since the notification 81
the law. Now, while the law was in force. no suit
4; could be entered This leaves the debtor in that
case six months behind in the prosecution of his
claims to meet the judgments obtained against him
This is very hard under the existing state Of things
and it would be unfair to hoist bis property upon
the block without On equal showing upon his
debtors Suffice it to say, great issues are involved
in this question: and the result of consequences arr
4 enyeloped only in the sequel. IS - ST