_ At length however I think I have found
one, that instead of diminishing general liberty, shall augment it;
which is, by restoring to the people a species of liberty of which
they have been deprived by our laws, I mean the _liberty of the
Cudgel._ -- In the rude state of society, prior to the existence of
laws, if one man gave another ill language, the affronted person
might return it by a box on the ear; and if repeated, by a good
drubbing; and this without offending against any law; but now the
right of making such returns is denied, and they are punished as
breaches of the peace; while the right of abusing seems to remain in
full force: the laws made against it being rendered ineffectual by
the _liberty of the Press._
My proposal then is, to leave the liberty of the Press
untouched, to be exercised in its full extent, force and vigour, but
to permit the _liberty of the Cudgel_ to go with it _pari passu._
Thus my fellow-citizens, if an impudent writer attacks your
reputation, dearer to you perhaps than your life, and puts his name
to the charge, you may go to him as openly and break his head. If he
conceals himself behind the printer, and you can nevertheless
discover who he is, you may in a like manner way-lay him in the
night, attack him behind, and give him a good drubbing.
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