I have called it virtue, and shall take the same method to prove it such, as we commonly use or demonstrate any other habit or action to be a virtue , that is, by showing its usefulness, and great good it does Society. What can be said to the contrary, has already been said by everybody; and indeed it is to so little to the purpose, that anybody may easily say it. But the path I mean to tread has been Hitherto trod by no body; if therefore I should meet with the difficulties usual in tracing new roads, and be in some places a little at loss, the candor of the reader will the more readily excuse me.

The first advantage I shall mention , arising from the free practice of Censure or Backbiting, is , that it is frequently the means of preventing powerful, politick, ill-designing men, from growing too popular for the Safety of the State. Such men are always setting their best actions to view, in order to obtain confidence and trust, and establish a party. They endeavor to shine with false or borrowed merit, and carefully conceal their real demerit: (that they fear evil to be spoken of is evident from their striving to cover every ill with a specious pretence;)   But examining all CENSURE, with her hundred eyes and her thousand tongues, soon discovers and divulges in all quarters, every least crime or Foible that is a part of their true character. This clips the wings of their Ambition, weakens their cause and Party, and reduces them to the necessity of dropping their pernicious designs , springing from a violent thirst of Honor and Power; or, if that thirst is unquenchable, they are obliged to enter into a course of true virtue, without which real grandeur is not to be attained.

Again, the common practice of censure is a mighty restraint upon the Actions of every private man ; it greatly assists out otherwise weak resolutions of living virtuously. What will the world say of me if I act thus? Is often a reflection strong enough to enable us to resist the most powerful temptation to vice or folly. This preserves the Wavering, the Honesty of the Covetous, the Sanctity of some of the Religions, and the Chastity of all Virgins. And Indeed, when People once become regardless of Censure, they are arrived to a pitch of Impudence little inferior to the Contempt of All Laws human and divine.

The common practice of censure is also exceedingly serviceable, in helping man to the knowledge of himself; a piece of knowledge highly necessary for all, but acquired by very few, because very few sufficiently regard and value the censure past by others on their actions. There is hardly such a thing as a friend, sincere or rash enough to acquaint us freely with our faults; nor will any but an enemy tell us of what we have done amiss, to our faces, and enemies meet with little credit in such cases, for we believe they speak from malice and ill-will. Thus we might live in the blindest ignorance of our own folly, and while everybody reproached us in their hearts, might think our conduct irreproachable,. But thanks to Providence, ( that has given every man a natural inclination to backbite his neighbor) we now hear of many things said of us, that we shall never heard said to us.; (for out of Goodwill to us, or ill will to those who have spoken ill of us, everyone is willing enough to tell us how we are censured by others ) and we have the advantage of mending our manners accordingly.

Another vast benefit arising from the common practice of backbiting, is, that is helps exceedingly in a thorough Knowledge of Mankind, a science most useful of all sciences. Could we come to know no Man of whom we had not a particular experience, our sphere of knowledge would certainly be narrow and confined, and yet at the same time must probably have cost us very dear.  For the crafty tricking villain would have the vast advantage over the honest and  undesigning part of men, when he might cheat and abuse almost everyone he dealt with , if none would take the liberty to characterize him among their acquaintance behind his back.

Without saying more on its behalf, I am able to challenge all the orators or writers in  the world,  to show (with solid reason) that the few trifling inconveniences attending it, bear any proportion to the vast benefits! And I will venture to assert to their noses, that nothing could be more absurd or pernicious than a  law against backbiting, if such a law could possibly take effect; Since it would undoubtedly be the Greatest encouragement to Vice that ever Vice met with, and do more towards increasing it, than would the abolishing of all other laws whatsoever.

I might likewise have  mentioned  the usefulness of censure in society, as it is a certain and an equal punishment for such follies and vices as the common laws either do not sufficiently punish, or have provided no punishment for. I might have observed, that were it not for this, we should find the number of some sorts of criminals increased to a degree sufficient not only to infest, but even to overthrow all good and civil conversation: But it is endless to enumerate every particular advantage arising from this glorious virtue! A virtue, which whoever exerts, must have the largest share of Public Spirit and Self-denial, the highest benevolence and regard to the good of others; since in this he entirely sacrifices his own interest, making not only the persons he accuses, but all that hear him his Enemies; for all that deserve censure (which are by far the greatest number) hate the Censorious;

That dangerous weapon, wit

Frightens a Million when a few you hit

Whip but a Cur as you ride thro’ a town

And Strait his Fellow Curs the Quarrel Own:

 Each knave or Fool that’s conscious of a crime Tho’ he scapes now, looks for’t another time

 A Virtue! Decried by all that fear it, but a strong presumption of the innocence of them that practice it; for they cannot be encouraged to offend, from the least prospect of favor or Impunity; their faults or failings will certainly meet with no Quarter from others. And whoever practices the Contrary, always endeavoring to excuse and palliate the Crimes of Others, may rationally be suspected to have some secret darling Vice, which he hopes to have excused him in return. A Virtue! Which however ill people may load it with the opprobrious names of calumny, scandal, and detraction, and I know not what, will still remain a virtue, a bright, shining, solid virtue, of more real use to mankind than all the other virtues put together; and indeed, is the mother protectress  of them all, as well as the enemy , the destructress of vice. A virtue, innately, necessarily, and essentially so; for – but dear reader, large folio volumes closely written, would scare be sufficient to contain  all of the Praises due to it. I shall offer you at present only one more convincing argument on its behalf. Viz. That you would not have had the satisfaction of seeing this discourse so agreeably short as I make it, were it not for the just fear I have of incurring your CENSURE , should I continue to be troublesome by extending it to greater length.

Benjamin Franklin, The Pennsylvania Gazette, Sept 7^th, 1732