For The Spectator
Highland County,
Va.
April
12th 1870
Mr. Editor:- I noticed in the Rockingham Register of the 17th of March a letter over the signature “Justice,” appealing to the Legislature for a greater remedy to prevent honest men from collecting their just dues. He, (“Justice”) thinks that the “Beast” is not a sufficient remedy. I read and I ponder and I read again and sure enough, it was from Virginia; but I cannot believe that it was from one of Virginia’s Sons – it must have been from a scalawag or one of her renegade sons. No true-hearted Virginian could set up such a pitiful howl without giving a better reason to show the honest people of Virginia that he cannot steal enough under this homestead without the Legislature making further provisions for fraud. I am sorry that Mr. “Justice” did not submit a plan for liquidation of all just debts. He has no plan but right down repudiation. At least his letter suggested no other plan. From “Justice’s” letter one might well draw inference that he owes some honest man twenty-five or fifty dollars that he does not wish to pay; therefore, he calls his creditors a Shylock. Now I say, if his debt is an honest one he should pay it. No honest man will refuse to pay a just debt, and no honest man ought to pay an unjust debt. Honest men want no homesteads, no stay laws and no repudiation. All honest men will pay all their honest debts whether there is a law to compel them to pay or not; they want no other law than that laid down in the Bible – “ Owe no man anything,” but, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” If all men would obey this law. The lawyers would starve to death and all other officers would have to take hold of the plow instead of the law to earn a livelihood. Justice! Oh what a jewel thou wert when thy Father created thee, and how true to thy name thou wert when God called thee in council together with Truth and Mercy. – When God said, “Justice, shall I make man? ”Justice says, No make him not for he will violate they laws; then He said to Truth “shall I make man?” “Truth says, no make him not, for he will perjure himself before thy face; then He said to mercy, “shall I make man,” Mercy said, “yes, make him and I will plead for him.” Now Truth and Mercy are still the same, but oh “Justice!” where are thou? I think that I can tell you when the true Justice could answer he answered. At least there is a great contrast between his answers to the query by his Father whether He should make man and his letter in the Register. I am sorry to say that there was not the right kind of wisdom in the Legislature that passed the first stay law, and likewise not right kind in the military commander who extended the stay law. A little practical, and common sense would have taught either of these functionaries that it was necessary to force the payment of a certain per cent of all debts each year, say 25 per cent on all claims under on all claims under three hundred dollars, and 20 per cent on all claims under six hundred dollars, and 15 percent under one thousand, or ten per cent on the last named amount and by this time the debts would nearly all have been paid without anybody suffering much loss. At least this rule would have worked admirably in this ?ecrion, and I believe it would have answered every purpose in all other parts of the State. By this time, if this would have been the law, Mr. Justice pittance, as he says in his letter, would have been paid, and he saved the trouble of making such a disgraceful howling and whining about paying a just debt. I do contend that it is a disgrace for Virginia to recognize anything like this homestead, begotten, fostered, nourished, encourage and force upon the good people of Virginia by scalawags, interlopers and Negroes and riveted sown upon them by the very Arch-Fiend of Hell. All hone-t people ought to frown down everything that has the least tendency toward dishonesty, rascality and fraud. In the eyes of the law and law makers, honesty has ceased to be a virtue. The doors of rascality are thrown open wide, and all contracts, bonds and pledges are broken by law, and yet shall we submit, - I for one say “No”
Very truly, yours,
A Citizen
Title: For The Spectator, Highland County, VA. April 12 1870
Author: A
Citizen, unknown
Location: Highland County Virginia
Date: April 12 1870
Media: One column newspaper article, glued to Page 200 of the Ledger of
Captain W. B. Blair
Copyright 2003 ©
This compilation is for individual research or private study only. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution, public performance, display, or modifications of the materials contained in is website, is subject to copyright law.