james otis the pre-revolutionist-第24节

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to　the　interest　of　his　royal　master；　yet　it　makes　it　evident　that　it　could　never　be　intended；　that　if　stamps　were　not　to　be　had；　it　should　put　a　stop　to　all　justice；　which　is；　ipse　facto；　a　dissolution　of　society。

It　is　a　strange　kind　of　law　which　we　hear　advanced　nowadays；　that　because　one　unpopular　Act　can't　be　carried　into　execution；　that　therefore　there　shall　be　an　end　of　all　law。　　We　are　not　the　first　people　who　have　risen　to　prevent　the　execution　of　a　law；　the　very　people　of　England　themselves　rose　in　opposition　to　the　famous　Jew…bill；　and　got　that　immediately　repealed。　　And　lawyers　know　that　there　are　limits；　beyond　which；　if　parliaments　go；　their　acts　bind　not。

The　king　is　always　presumed　to　be　present　in　his　courts；　holding　out　the　law　to　his　subjects；　and　when　he　shuts　his　courts；　he　unkings　himself　in　the　most　essential　point。　　Magna　Charter　and　the　other　statutes　are　full；　〃that　they　will　not　defer；　delay；　nor　deny　any　man　justice〃；　〃that　it　shall　not　be　commanded　by　the　Great　Seal；　or　in　any　other　way；　to　disturb　or　delay　common　right。〃　　The　judges　of　England　are　〃not　to　counsel；　or　assent　to　anything　which　may　turn　to　the　damage　or　disherison　of　the　crown。〃　　They　are　sworn　not　to　deny　to　any　man　common　right；　by　the　king's　letters；　nor　none　other　man's；　nor　for　none　other　cause。　　Is　not　the　dissolution　of　society　a　disherison　of　the　crown？　　The　〃justices　are　commanded　that　they　shall　do　even　law　and　execution　of　right　to　all　our　subjects；　rich　and　poor；　without　having　regard　to　any　person；　without　letting　to　do　right　for　any　letters　or　commandment　which　may　come　to　them；　or　by　any　other　cause。〃


ANECDOTES　AND　CHARACTERISTICS　OF　OTIS；　ETC。　　OTIS　AND　HIS　FELLOW　PATRIOTS。

Professor　Hosmer　draws　the　following　pictures　of　Otis　and　his　contemporaries：

〃The　splendid　Otis；　whose　leadership　was　at　first　unquestioned；　was　like　the　huge　cannon　on　the　man…of…war；　in　Victor　Hugo's　story；　that　had　broken　from　its　moorings　in　the　storm；　and　become　a　terror　to　those　whom　it　formerly　defended。　　He　was　indeed　a　great　gun；　from　whom　in　the　time　of　the　Stamp　Act　had　been　sent　the　most　powerful　bolts　against　unconstitutional　oppression。　　With　lashings　parted；　however；　as　the　storm　grew　violent　he　plunged　dangerously　from　side　to　side；　almost　sinking　the　ship；　all　the　more　an　object　to　dread　from　the　calibre　that　had　once　made　him　so　serviceable。　　It　was　a　melancholy　sight；　and　yet　a　great　relief；　when　his　friends　saw　him　at　last　bound　hand　and　foot；　and　carried　into　retirement。

〃Bowdoin；　also；　was　not　firm　in　health；　and　though　most　active　and　useful　in　the　Council；　had　thus　far　done　little　elsewhere。　　Hawley；　far　in　the　interior；　was　often　absent　from　the　centre　in　critical　times；　and　somewhat　unreliable　through　a　strange　moodiness。　　Cushing　was　weak。　　Hancock　was　hampered　by　foibles　that　some　times　quite　canceled　his　merits。　　Quincy　was　a　brilliant　youth；　and；　like　a　youth；　sometimes　fickle。　　We　have

seen　him　ready　to　temporize；　when　to　falter　was　destruction；　as　at　the　time　of　the　casting　over　of　the　tea；　again　in　unwise　fervor；　he　would　counsel　assassination　as　a　proper　expedient。　　Warren；　too；　could　rush　into　extremes　of　rashness　and　ferocity；　wishing　that　he　might　wade　to　the　knees　in　blood；　and　had　just　reached　sober；　self…reliant　manhood　when　he　was　taken　off。

〃John　Adams　showed　only　an　intermittent　zeal　in　the　public　cause　until　the　preliminary　work　was　done；　and　Benjamin　Church；　half…hearted　and　venal；　early　began　the　double…dealing　which　was　to　bring　him　to　a　traitor's　end。　　There　was　need　in　this　group　of　a　man　of　sufficient　ascendency；　thorough　intellect　and　character；　to　win　deference　from　allwise　enough　to　see　always　the　supreme　end；　to　know　what　each　instrument　was　fit　for；　and　to　bring　all　forces　to　bear　in　the　right　waya　man　of　consummate　adroitness；　to　sail　in　torpedo…sown　waters　without　exciting　an　explosion；　though　conducting　wires　of　local　prejudice；　class　sensitiveness；　and　personal　foible　on　every　hand　led　straight　down　to　magazines　of　wrath　which　might　shatter　the　cause　in　a　momenta　man　having　resources　of　his　own　to　such　an　extent　that　he　could　supplement　from　himself　what　was　wanting　in　othersalways　awake；　though　others　might　want　to　sleep；　always　at　work　though　others　might　be　tireda　man　devoted；　without　thought　of　personal　gain　or　fame；　simply　and　solely　to　the　public　cause。　　Such　a　man　there　was；　and　his　name　was　Samuel　Adams。〃


OTIS　AND　ADAMS。

Professor　Hosmer　thus　compares　Otis　and　Adams：

〃Otis'　power　was　so　magnetic　that　a　Boston　town　meeting；　upon　his　mere　entering；　would　break　out　into　shouts　and　clapping；　and　if　he　spoke　he　produced　effects　which　may　be　compared　with　the　sway　exercised　by　Chatham；　whom　as　an　orator　he　much　resembled。　　Long　after　disease　had　made　him　utterly　untrustworthy；　his　spell　remained。　　He　brought　the　American　cause　to　the　brink　of　ruin；　because　the　people　would　follow　him；　though　he　was　shattered。

〃Of　this　gift　Samuel　Adams　possessed　little。　　He　was　always　in　speech；　straightforward　and　sensible；　and　upon　occasion　could　be　impressive；　but　his　endowment　was　not　that　of　the　mouth　of　gold。

〃While　Otis　was　fitful；　vacillating　and　morbid；　Samuel　Adams　was　persistent；　undeviating；　and　sanity　itself。　　While　Samuel　Adams　never　abated　by　a　hair　his　opposition　to　the　British　policy；　James　Otis；　who　at　the　outset　had　given　the　watch…word　to　the　patriots；　later；　after　Parliament　had　passed　the　Stamp　Act；　said：

〃'It　is　the　duty　of　all　humbly　and　silently　to　acquiesce　in　all　the　decisions　of　the　supreme　legislature。　　Nine　hundred　and　ninety…nine　in　a　thousand　will　never　entertain　the　thought　but　of　submission　to　our　sovereign；　and　to　the　authority　of　Parliament　in　all　possible　contingencies。'〃


OTIS　AS　AN　AUTHOR。

In　1762；　a　pamphlet　appeared；　bearing　the　following　title：　〃A　Vindication　of　the　Conduct　of　the　House　of　Representatives；　of　the　Province　of　the　Massachusetts　Bay：　　more　particularly　in　the　last　session　of　the　General　Assembly。　By　James　Otis；　Esq。；　a　Member　of　said　House。

〃Let　such；　such　only；　tread　this　sacred　floor；　　Who　dare　to　love　their　country　and　be　poor。　　Or　good　though　rich；　humane　and　wise　though　great；　　Jove　give　but　these；　we've　naught　to　fear　from　fate。

Boston；　printed　by　Edes　and　Gill。〃

Instead　of　copious　quotations　from　this　patriotic　work；　we　present　the　following　judgment　upon　its　merits　by　one　best　qualified　to　estimate　its　worth。　　〃How　many　volumes；〃　says　John　Adams；　〃are　concentrated　in　this　little　fugitive　pamphlet；　the　production　of　a　few　hurried　hours；　amidst　the　continual　solicitation　of　a　crowd　of　clients；　for　his　business　at　the　bar　at　that　time　was　very　extensive；　and　of　the　first　importance；　and　amidst　the　host　of　politicians；　suggesting　their　plans　and　schemes！

〃Look　over　the　Declarations　of　Rights　and　Wrongs　issued　by　Congress　in　1774。

〃Look　into　the　Declaration　of　Independence　in　1776。

〃Look　into　the　writings　of　Dr。　Price　and　Dr。　Priestley。

〃Look　into　all　the　French　constitutions　of　government；　and　to　cap　the　climax；　look　into　Mr。　Thomas　Paine's　'Common　Sense；　Crisis；　and　Rights　of　Man；'　what　can　you　find　that　is　not　to　be　found　in　solid　substance　in　this　Vindication　of　the　House　of　Representatives？〃


THE　TOWN　MEETING。

Another　important　feature　in　the　unfolding　of　our　free　institutions；　was　the　system　of　town　meetings　which　began　to　be　held　as　early　as　1767。

〃The　chief　arena　of　James　Otis'　and　Sam　Adams'　influence；〃　as　Governor　Hutchinson　wrote　to　Lord　Dartmouth；　〃was　the　town　meeting；　that　Olympian　race…course　of　the　Yankee　athlete。〃

Writing　to　Samuel　Adams　in　1790　John　Adams；　looking　back　to　the　effect　of　these　events；　says：

〃Your　Boston　town　meetings　and　our　Harvard　College　have　set　the　universe　in　motion。〃

One　held　in　October　of　1767　was　presided　over　by　James　Otis；　and　was　called　to　resist　new　acts　of　British　aggression　on　colonial　rights。　　On　September　12；　1768；　a　town　meeting　was　held；　which　was　opened　with　a　prayer　by　Dr。　Cooper。　　Otis　was　chosen　moderator。

The　petition　for　calling　the　meeting　requested；　that　inquiry　should　be　made　of　his　Excellency；　for　〃the　grounds　and　reasons　of　sundry　declarations　made　by　him；　that　three　regiments　might　be　daily　expected；〃　etc。

A　committee　was　appointed　to　wait　upon　the　governor；　urging　him　in　the　present　critical　state　of　affairs　to　issue　precepts　for　a　general　assembly　of　the　province；　to　take　suitable　measures　for　the　preservation　of　their　rights　and　privileges；　and　that　he　should　be　requested　to　favor　the　town　with　an　immediate　answer。

In　October　several　ship…loads　of　troops　arrive。

The　storm　thickens。

Another　town　meeting　is　called；　and　it　is　voted　that　the　several　ministers　of　the　Gospel　be　requested　to　appoint　the　next　Tuesday　as　a　day　of　fasting　and　prayer。

The　day　arrives；　and　the　place　of　meeting　is　crowded　by　committees　from　sixty…two　towns。

They　petition　the　governor　to　call　a　General　Court。　　Otis　appeared　in　behalf　of　the　people；　under　circumstances　that　strongly；　attest　his　heroism。

Cannon　were　planted　at　the　entrance　of　the　building；　and　a　body　of　troops　were　quartered　in　the　representatives'　chamber。

After　the　court　was　opened；　Otis　rose；　and　moved　that　they　should　adjourn　to　Faneuil