james otis the pre-revolutionist-第21节

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outcry　in　the　New　World　the　two　chief　were　the　revival　and　rigid　execution　of　the　English　Navigation　Acts；　designed　to　limit　the　freedom　of　the　American　Colonies　in　trading　with　West　Indian　ports　in　American　built　vessels；　and　the　insistence；　on　the　part　of　the　Crown　and　the　British　government；　that　the　Colonies　should　be　taxed　for　the　partial　support　of　English　garrisons　in　the　country。　　In　the　development　of　trade　in　the　New　World；　the　Colonies　reasonably　felt　that　they　should　not　be　harassed　by　the　mother　country；　and　so　they　permitted　commerce　to　expand　as　it　would；　and　when　this　was　enjoined　by　England　they　naturally　resented　interference　by　her　and　began　to　evade　the　laws　which　she　imposed　upon　the　young　country　and　bid　defiance　to　the　Crown　customs　officers　in　the　measures　resorted　to　in　the　way　of　restriction　and　imposed　penalty。　　This　attitude　of　the　Colonists　in　ignoring　or　defying　English　laws　was　soon　now　specially　emphasized　when　the　Crown　resorted　to　more　stringent　measures　to　curb　Colonial　trade　and　impose　heavy　customs　duties　on　articles　entering　New　World　ports。　　Flagrant　acts　of　evasion　followed；　and　defiant　smuggling　at　length　brought　its　legal　consequencesin　the　issue　by　the　English　Court　of　Exchequer　of　search　warrants；　or　Writs　of　Assistance；　as　they　were　called；　by　which　it　was　sought　to　put　a　stop　to　smuggling；　by　resorting　to　humiliating　arbitrary　measures　sure　to　be　resented　by　the　Colonies。　　These　Writs　of　Assistance　empowered　the　King's　officers；　or　others　delegated　by　them；　to　board　vessels　in　port　and　enter　and　search　warehouses；　and　even　the　private　homes　of　the　Colonists；　for　contraband　goods　and　all　importations　that　had　not　paid　toll　to　His　Majesty's　customs。　　This　attempted　rigid　execution　of　the　Acts　of　Trade；　together　with　other　arbitrary　measures　on　the　part　of　the　Crown　which　followed；　such　as　the　imposition　of　the　Stamp　Act；　and　the　coercive　levy　of　taxes　to　pay　part　of　the　cost　of　maintaining　English　troops　in　the　Colonies；　was　soon　to　cost　England　dear　and　end　in　the　loss　of　her　possessions　in　America　and　the　rise　of　the　New　World　Republic。

One　of　the　most　active　men　in　the　Colonies　to　oppose　this　Colonial　policy　of　England　was；　as　we　know；　the　patriot　James　Otis；　at　the　time　Advocate…General　of　the　Crown；　who　took　strong　ground　against　the　Writs　of　Assistance；　arguing　that　they　were　not　only　arbitrary　and　despotic　in　their　operation；　but　unconstitutional　in　their　imposition　on　the　Colony；　since　they　were　irreconcilable　with　the　Colonial　charters　and　a　violation　of　the　rights　and　prerogatives　of　the　people。　　Rather　than　uphold　them　as　a　Crown　officer；　Otis　resigned　his　post　of　Advocate…General；　and　became　a　fervent　pleader　of　the　popular　cause　and　denouncer　of　the　legal　processes　by　which　the　Crown　sought　to　impose；　with　its　authority；　its　obnoxious　trammellings　and　restrictions　without　the　consent　of　and　in　defiance　of　the　inalienable　rights　of　the　American　people。　　Otis　not　only　resisted　the　enforcement　by　the　King's　officers　of　the　odious　warrants　and　denounced　their　arbitrary　character；　but　inveighed　hotly　against　English　oppression　and　all　attempts　of　the　Crown　and　its　deputy　in　the　province；　the　Lieutenant…Governor　of　Massachusetts；　to　restrict　the　liberties　of　the　people　and　impose　unconstitutional　laws　upon　the　Colony。　　The　Writs　of　Assistance　were；　of　course；　defended　by　the　representatives　of　the　Crown　in　the　Colony；　and　on　the　plea　that　without　some　such　legal　process　the　laws　could　not　be　executed；　and　that　similar　writs　were　in　existence　in　England　and　made　use　of　there　on　the　authority　of　English　statutes。　　The　pleas　against　them　advanced　by　Otis　took　cognizance　of　the　fact　that　the　Writs　were　irreconcilable　with　the　charter　of　the　Massachusetts　Colony；　that　English　precedent　for　their　enforcement　had　no　application　in　America；　and　that　taxation　by　the　Motherland　and　compulsory　acts　of　the　nature　of　the　Writs　did　open　violence　to　the　rights　and　liberties　of　the　people　and　were　inherently　arbitrary　and　despotic；　being　imposed　without　the　consent　of　the　Colonies　and　to　their　grave　hurt　and　detriment。　　In　pleading　the　Colonial　cause　against　the　Writs；　Otis　struck　a　chord　in　the　heart　of　the　people　which　tingled　and　vibrated；　while　stirring　up　such　opposition　to　them　that　the　authorities　were　fain　to　hold　their　hand　and　await　instructions　from　the　English　ministry　as　to　their　withdrawal　or　enforcement。　　The　response　of　the　home　government　was　that　they　should　be　enforced；　but　little　advantage　was　taken　of　this　mandate　in　the　Colonies；　since　opposition　to　the　Writs　had；　thanks　to　the　patriot　Otis's　denunciation　of　them；　became　almost　universal；　while　the　people　had　been　roused　to　a　sharp　sense　of　their　situation；　in　view　of　the　tyrannous　attitude　of　England　towards　the　Colonies；　and　the　next　step　taken　by　the　Crown；　under　Prime　Minister　Grenville；　in　threatening　them　with　the　no　less　hated　Stamp　Tax。　　This　new　fiscal　infatuation　on　the　part…of　the　English　ministry　strained　the　relations　of　the　Colonies　toward　the　Crown　to　almost　the　point　of　rupture。　　It　was；　moreover；　an　unwise　exhibition　of　English　stubbornness　and　impolicy；　since　it　revealed　the　mistake　which　England　fell　into　at　the　time　of　considering　the　Settlements　of　the　New　World　as　Colonial　possessions　to　be　held　solely　for　the　financial　benefit　of　the　mother　country；　rather　than　for　their　own　advancement　and　material　well…being。　　It　is　true；　that　the　Seven　Years'　War；　which　had　been　waged　chiefly　for　the　protection　of　the　American　dependencies　of　the　Crown；　had　left　a　heavy　burden　of　debt　upon　England　which　she　naturally　looked　to　the　Colonies　in　some　measure　to　repay。　　But　the　Colonies　had　ready　their　argument　they　objected　to　being　taxed　without　their　consent；　and　without　representation　in　the　British　Parliament；　besides　being；　as　they　thought；　sufficiently　oppressed　by　the　burden　of　customs'　duties　already　imposed　upon　them。　　The　spirit　of　resistance　therefore　grew；　and　was　ere　long　to　take　a　more　determined　and；　to　England；　fatal　form；　for　the　Stamp　Act；　though　later　on　repealed；　was　passed；　in　spite　of　the　protests　of　the　Colonial　Assemblies　and　the　increasing　soreness　of　feeling　in　America　against　the　mother　country。

The　like　service　James　Otis　did　for　the　community　of　the　New　World　in　opposing　the　Writs　of　Assistance　he　also　did　in　opposing　the　enforcement　of　the　Stamp　Actremonstrances　suggested　by　the　patriot's　love　of　independence；　and　which；　besides　numberless　letters；　speeches　and　addresses；　drew　from　the　pre…Revolutionist's　trenchant　pen　several　able　pamphlets；　one　vindicating　the　action　of　the　Massachusetts　House　of　Representatives；　of　which　Otis　was　now　a　member；　in　protesting　against　England's　intolerance　in　laying　grievous　taxation　on　the　Colonies；　and　the　others　upholding　the　rights　of　the　Colonies　in　resisting　the　Crown's　misgovernment；　as　well　as　its　purpose　to　tax　the　Colonies　to　defray　some　of　the　cost　England　had　incurred　in　prosecuting　the　French　and　Indian　war。　　In　these　patriotic　services　and　labors；　Otis；　as　a　public　man；　took　an　active　and　zealous　part；　besides　conducting　a　large　correspondence　as　chairman　of　the　House　Committee　of　the　Legislature　on　subjects　relating　to　the　weal　of　the　whole　country。　　Nor　were　his　duties　confined　to　these　matters　alone；　for　we　find　him　at　this　period　engaged　in　controversies　first　with　Governor　Hutchinson；　and　then　with　his　successor；　Governor　Bernard；　both　of　whom　deemed　Otis　an　arch…rebel　and　incendiarya　man　not　only　without　the　pale　of　considerate　treatment　by　lawfully　constituted　authority　in　the　Colonies；　but　the　object　of　contumely　and　loathing　by　the　obsequious　loyalists　of　the　Motherland　and　all　who　desired　her　continued　dominance　and　supremacy　in　the　country。　　History　has　happily　long　since　done　justice　to　James　Otis　and　seen　him　in　a　fairer　and　far　more　worthy　lightthe　light　not　only　of　a　patriot　lover　of　liberty；　but　an　ardent　and　invincible　defender　of　his　country　against　autocratic　encroachment；　and　a　fearless　asserter　of　the　principles　which　have　become　the　foundation　stone　of　the　American　nation。　　In　his　masterful　way；　Otis　was　at　times　heedlessly　bitter　and　inveterate　in　his　prejudices　against　the　mother　country　and　the　King's　officers　in　the　Colony；　but　we　must　remember　the　strength　as　well　as　the　ardor　of　his　affection　for　his　native　land　and　the　righteousness　of　the　cause　he　lovingly　espoused　and　so　nobly　advocated。　　We　must　remember　also　the　antagonisms　he　naturally　aroused；　and　the　hatreds　of　which　he　was　the　object；　on　the　part　of　loyal　authority　in　the　Colony　which　feared　while　it　traduced　him。　　This　is　shown　in　the　mishap　that　befell　him　in　a　British　coffeehouse　in　Boston；　where　he　was　roughly　assaulted　by　a　man　named　Robinson；　an　ally　of　the　revenue　officers　whom　he　had　denounced　in　an　article　in　the　Boston　Gazette；　an　attack　that　left　its　traces　in　the　mental　ailment　which　afterwards　distressingly　incapacitated　him　and　shortened　his　bright　public　career。　　He　nevertheless　lived　to　see　the　fruition　of　his　hopes；　in　the　throwing　off　by　the　Colonies　of　all　allegiance　to　Britain　and　take　part　himself　in　the　battle　of　Bunker　Hill。　　The　harvest　reaped　by　his　country　from　the　seeds　of　liberty　he　had　planted　in　his　day　was　such　as　might　well　ch