'I792* tije court of the prefc. 355 



blacking'balls, may commifsionate himself j and his court 

 iis immediately establiflied in the plenary pofsefsion and 

 exercise of its rights. For if you make the least com- 

 plaint of the judge's conduct, he daubs his blacking balls 

 in your face wherever he meets you j and besides tearing 

 your private character to slitters, marks you out for the 

 odium of the public, as an enemy to the liberty of the 

 prefs. 



Of the natural support qf this court. 

 Its support is founded on the depravity of such minds 

 as have not been mended by religion, nor improved by 

 good education. 



There is a lust in m«n no charm can tame, 

 Of loudly publinring his neighbour's fliame ; 



Hence, 

 On eagle's wings, immortal scandals fly, 

 Wiiile virtuous actions are but born and die. 



Dryden, 

 Wlioever feels pain in liearing a good character of his 

 neighbour, will feel a pleasure in the reverse. And of 

 those, who' despairing to rise into distinction by their vir- 

 tues, are happy if others can be deprefsed to a level with' 

 themselves, there are a number sufficient in every great towa 

 to maintain one of these courts by their subscriptions. A 

 flirewd observer once said, that in walking the streets in a 

 slippery morning, one might see where the good-natured 

 people lived, by the allies thrown on the ice before their, 

 doors J probably he would have formed a different con- 

 jecture of the temper of those whom he might find enga» 

 ged in such subscriptions. 



Of the checks proper to be establiflied against the abuse of 



power in those courts. 



Hitherto there are none. But since so much has been 

 written and publiflitd oq the federal constitution, and the 



