102 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



laws could only obtain among a people in the lowest state 

 of barbarism and heathen darkness. 



Yet such was the law of Rome in the time of the decem- 

 virs ; but such laws had to pass away before the march of 

 enlightened reason. Still, age after age, and century 

 after century passed away, and the unfortunate debtor 

 continued to be punished by imprisonment, as though that 

 would satisfy the debt, or benefit the creditor. The debtor 

 was subjected to this species of slavery, and his family 

 to destitution and misery, without any practical good re- 

 sulting; but, instead of good, inconceivable evil. Well, 

 this blind policy has almost entirely passed away, and a 

 wiser one been adopted. The inhuman Shylock may weep 

 over this as well as the ten thousand other relics of servi- 

 tude and oppression which are no more. 



Under such a system of legislation as we have spoken 

 of, the aggrandizement and qualification of the malice of 

 the Few were consulted more than the good, the comfort 

 and the happiness of the Many. Then the people knew 

 not their rights, — or if they knew them, they had not the 

 power or the ability to maintain or enforce them. 



But the efforts of the patriot and philanthropist of all 

 ages, have not been made in vain : no ; and the people are 

 aware of this — they are aware that they now possess 

 greater rights and greater comforts than those who lived 

 in other times; they know that they can now demand, 

 (and with some hope of success,) that which they may 

 deem conducive to their greater happiness and comfort. 

 The most humble, as well as the most powerful, can now, 

 in this country, have a voice in shaping the legislation 

 which is to govern him. Hence, legislation is beginning 

 to be shaped more with regard to the general and abso- 

 lute wants of the people. 



But although it be true that much has been done, still 

 much remains to be accomplished. 



We need not now advert to that system of legislation 

 in Europe and elsewhere, which has produced so much 

 destitution, want and pauperism, with inevitable attend- 



