358 MORALS OF THE DIFFERENT PROFESSIONS. [Part V.

tray again. And here arises a reflection, domestic, it is true,but of infinite concern to a heart that has not extinguished thesensibilities and duties of nature, as well as the obligations of jus-tice. If the splendid impostor should not live to make his ar-rangements with his creditors, but be cut off before he has runbis course of dissipation, in the very midst of his enjoyments;what a scene of desolation and distress begins in his family.The charm is broken, and realities take the place of delusivevisions of happiness and wealth. Every thing is torn away tosatisfy abused and irritated creditors ; scarcely a comfort is left,where, but just now, all was abundance and luxury. His afflictedwife and children, accustomed to the most delicate and costlyindulgences, with every wish anticipated, every sense of pleasuregratified ; so protected, that “ the winds of heaven might notvisit them too roughly ; ” unconscious of danger ; in a moment,without a warning, find themselves without money, without help,and without hope. This is no fiction ; it is a tragedy, which hasbeen too often acted on the commercial stage of this country.

These evils have been ascribed to two causes, — the defectsof the law, — and the too frequent want of a suitable commercialeducation and training among our merchants.* Too much seemsto have been done by our legislators to favor the debtor withoutregard to his honesty ; to weaken the rights of creditors, to putthem at the mercy of the debtor to receive from him just somuch justice as he may choose to accord to them ; and to denyto them a reasonable and satisfactory account from the man whofirst defrauds and then defies them. A bankrupt law is wanted,by which a power may be given to competent persons to exam-ine closely and particularly, in what manner and for what pur-poses the debts of the bankrupt were contracted ; whether in thefair and regular pursuit of his business, or in the indulgence offlagrant immoralities and vices ; to search deeply, and with themeans of forcing out the truth, into the ways by which hisproperty has been lost or disposed of; to foil every attempt atconcealment, to lay all his transactions bare, and to insist uponexplicit and satisfactory explanations of all that is doubtful; and,when this purifying process is completed, to distribute all theeffects obtained by it, honestly and equally among the creditors,

* Hopkinson’s Lecture on Commercial Integrity, pp. 9,20.