of the accufer made known to him; nor has he an opportunity of confronting the witneffes again him, for they are kept in the dark, as in the Spanish court of inquifition. Nor is there any petty jury of his peers fworn to try the truth of the charg cs. The proceedings are alfo fometimes fo rapid, that an honest good citizen may find himself suddenly and unexpectedly accufed, and in the fame morning judged and condemned, and fentence pronounced against him that he is a rogue and a villian. Yet if an officer of this court receives the flighteft check for misconduct in this his office, he claims immediately the rights of a free citizen by the conftitution, and demands to know his accufer, to confront the witneffes, and to have a fair trial by a jury of his peers.

The foundation of its authority.

It is faid to be founded on an article in the ftate conftitution, which establishes the liberty of the prefs-a liberty which every Pennsylvanian would fight and die for, though few of us, I believe, have diftinct ideas of its nature and extent. It seems, indeed, fomewhat like the liberty of the prefs, that felons have, by the common law of England before conviction; that is, to be either prefied to death or hanged, If, by the liberty of the prefs, were understood merely the liberty of difcuffing the propriety of public measures and political opinions, let us have as much of it as you please; but if it means the liberty of affronting, calumniating, and defaming one another, I, for my part, own myfelf willing to part with my fhare of it, whenever our legiflators fhall pleafe to alter the law: and fhall cheerfully confent to exchange my liber

ty of abufing others, for the privilege of not being abufed myself.

By whom this-court is commiffioned or constituted.

It has not any commiffion from the fupreme exe cutive council, who might previously judge of the abilities, integrity, knowledge, &c. of the perfons to be appointed to this great truft of deciding upon the characters and good fame of the citizens: for this court is above that council, and may accufe, judge, and condemn it at pleasure. Nor is it he reditary, as is the court of dernier refort in the peerage of England. But any man who can procure pen, ink, and paper, with a prefs, a few types, and a huge pair of blacking balls, may commiffionate himself, and his court is immediately established in the plenary poffeffion and exercise of its rights. For if you make the leaft complaint of the judge's conduct, he daubs his blacking balls in your face wherever he meets you and befides tearing your private character to fplinters, marks you out for he odium of the public, as an enemy to the libery of the prefs..

Of the natural fupport of this court.

Its fupport is founded in the depravity of fuch minds as have not been mended by religion, nor mproved by good education.

There is a luft in man no charm can tame,
Of loudly publishing his neighbour's fhame

Hence,

On eagles' wings, immortal, fcandals fly, While virtuous actions are but born and die.

Whoever feels pain in hearing a good character of his neighbour, will feel a pleafure in the reverfe. And of thofe who defpairing to rife to diftinction by their virtues, are happy if others can be depreff ed to a level with themfelves, there are a number fuflicient in every great town to maintain one of thefe courts by their fubfcription. A fhrewd ob

ferver once faid, that in walking the streets of a flippery morning, one might fee where the goodnatured people lived, by the afhes thrown on the ice before the doors: probably he would have formed a different conjecture of the temper of thofe whom he might find engaged in fuch fubfcriptions.

Of the checks proper to be established against the abufes of power in thofe courts.

Hitherto there are none. But fince fo much has been written and published on the federal con ftitution; and the neceffity of checks, in all other parts of good government, has been fo clearly ard learnedly explained, I find myfelf fo far n'ightered as to fufpect fome check may be profer in this part alfo but I have been at alc fs to imagine a hy that may not be construed an infringment of the facred liberty of the prefs. At length, however, I think I have found one, that, inftead of dminihing general liberty, fhall augment it; which is, by reftoring to the people a fpecies of liberty of which they have been deprived by our law, ! mean the liberty of the cudgel! In the rude ftate! or fociety, prior to the existence of laws, if ene tan gave another ill language, the affronted perfen might return it by a box on the car; and if epeated, by a good diubbing; and this without offending against any law: but now the right of

making fuch returns is denied, and they are punished as breeches of the peace, while the right of a bufing feems to remain in full force; the laws made against it being rendered ineffectual by the liberty of the prefs.

My propofal then is, to leave the liberty of the prefs untouched, to be exercised in its full extent, force, and vigour, but to permit the liberty of the cudgel to go with it, pari paffu. Thus, my fellow citizens, if an impudent writer attacks your reputation dearer perhaps to you than your life, and puts his name to the charge, you may go to him as openly and break his head. If he conceals himfelf behind the printer, and you can nevertheless difcover who he is, you may in like manner, waylay him in the night, attack him behind, and give him a good drubbing. If your adversary hires better writers than himself, to abufe you more effectually, you may hire brawny porters, ftronger than yourself, to affift you in giving him a more effectual dubbing. Thus far goes my project, as to a private refentment and retribution. But if the public fhould ever happen to be affronted, as it ought to be, with the conduct of fuch writers, I would not advife proceeding immediately tothese extremities,. but that we should in moderation content ou felves with tarring and feathering, and toffing them in a blanket.

. If, however, it fhould be thought that this propofal of mine may diurb the public peace, I would then humbly recommend to our legiflators to take up the confideration of both liberties, that of the piefs, and that of the cudgel; and by an explicit law mark their extent and limits; and at the fame time that they fecure the perfon of a citi

zen from affults, they would likewife provide for the fecurity of his reputation.

S

OME wit of old-fuch wits of old there were--
Whose hints show'd meaning, whose allusions

care,

By one brave stroke to mark all human-kind, Call'd clear blank paper ev'ry infant mind; When fill, as op'ning fenfe her dictates wrote, Fair virtue put a feal, or vice a blot.

The thought was happy, pertinent, and true; Methinks a genius might the plan pursue, 1, (can you pardon my prefumption? I-) No wit, no genius, yet for once will try. Various the papers various wants Produce, The wants of fathon, elegance, and ufe. Men are as various and, if right I fcan, Each fort of paper reprefents fome man. Pray note the fop-half powder and half laceNice, as a band-box were his dwelling place; He's the gilt paper, which apart you store, And lock from vulgar-hands in the 'farutoire. Mechanics, fervants, farmers, and so forth, Are cofy paper of infrior worth;

Lefs priz'd, more ofeful, for your defk decreed, Free to all pens, and prompt at ev'ry need.

The wretch whom av'rice bids to pinch and fpare, Starve, cheat, and pilfer, to enrich an heir,,