james otis the pre-revolutionist-第3节

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This　view　of　the　case　was　with　James　Otis　both　theory　and　practice。　　He　began　his　legal　studies　in　1745。　　In　that　year　he　became　a　law　student　under　the　tuition　of　Jeremiah　Gridley　who　at　that　time　was　already　regarded　as　one　of　the　most　able　and　accomplished　lawyers　in　Massachusetts。　　Preceptor　and　student　were　at　the　first　in　accord　in　their　political　and　social　principles。　　At　the　time　of　the　young　man's　law　course；　Gridley　was　a　member　of　the　General　Court　of　Massachusetts。　　He　belonged　to　the　party　called　Whig；　for　the　political　jargon　of　Great　Britain　had　infected　the　Americans　also；　and　they　divided　according　to　the　names　and　principles　of　the　British　partisans　of　the　period。

Judge　Gridley；　while　he　remained　on　the　bench；　took　sides　with　the　colonists　in　their　oncoming　contention　with　the　mother　country。　　Afterwards；　however；　by　accepting　the　appointment　of　Attorney　General　he　became　one　of　the　king's　officers；　and　it　was　in　this　relation　that　he　was　subsequently　brought　face　to　face　with　his　distinguished　pupil　in　the　trial　of　the　most　remarkable　case　which　preceded　the　Revolutions。

Mr。　Otis　devoted　two　years　of　time　to　his　legal　studies　before　beginning　the　practice　of　his　profession。　　The　study　of　law　at　that　time　was　much　more　difficult　than　at　the　present　day。　　The　student　was　obliged　to　begin　de　novo　with　the　old　statutes　and　decisions；　and　to　make　up　the　science　for　himself　by　a　difficult　induction；　which　not　many　young　men　were　able　to　do　successfully。

Law　text…books　were　virtually　unknown。　　Otis　did　not　even　have　access　to　〃Blackstone's　Commentaries。〃　　No　authoritative　works　on　evidence　or　pleading　existed　in　the　English　language。

The　student　must　get　down　his　Acts　of　Parliament；　his　decisions　of　the　King's　Bench；　his　Coke；　his　black…letter　dissertations　on　the　common　law；　and　out　of　these　construct　the　best　he　could　a　legal　system　for　himself。　　To　this　work　Mr。　Otis　devoted　himself　from　1745　to　1747；　after　which　he　left　the　office　of　Judge　Gridley　and　went　to　Plymouth；　where　he　applied　for　admission　to　the　bar；　and　was　accepted　by　the　court。　　He　began　to　practice　in　1748the　year　of　the　treaty　of　Aix…la…Chapelle；　when　the　political　and　historical　status　of　Europe　was　again　fixed　for　a　brief　period。

The　young　attorney　almost　immediately　took　rank　at　the　Plymouth　bar。　　The　old　records　of　the　court　at　that　place　still　show　the　frequent　appearance　of　Otis　for　one　or　the　other　of　the　parties。　　In　this　manner　were　passed　the　years　1748　and　1749。　　It　does　not　appear　that　at　this　time　he　concerned　himself　very　much　with　the　affairs　of　the　town　or　the　larger　affairs　of　the　commonwealth。　　The　tax　records　show　his　name　with　an　entry　to　the　effect　that　in　1748　he　estimated　his　personal　estate　at　twenty　pounds　besides　his　〃faculty；〃　by　which　was　meant；　his　professional　value。

A　few　incidents　of　this　period　in　Otis's　life　have　come　down　by　tradition。　　He　soon　made　a　favorable　impression　on　the　court　and　bar。　　He　gained　the　good　opinion　of　his　fellows　for　both　ability　and　integrity　of　character。　　This　reputation　he　carried　with　him　to　Boston；　whither　he　removed　early　in　the　year　1750。　　He　had　already　acquired　sufficient　character　to　bring　his　services　into　requisition　at　places　somewhat　distant　from　Plymouth。

His　reception　in　Boston　was　accordingly　favorable。　　Beyond　the　limits　of　the　colony　he　became　known　as　an　advocate。　　He　was　sent　for　in　important　cases；　and　showed　such　signal　ability　as　to　attract　the　admiring　attention　of　both　court　and　people。　　Already　at　the　conclusion　of　his　twenty…fifth　year　he　was　a　young　man　of　note；　rising　to　eminence。

There　was　good　ground　for　this　reputation　in　both　his　principles　of　conduct　and　his　legal　abilities。　　From　the　first　he　avoided　the　littleness　and　quibble　which　are　the　bane　of　the　bar。　　He　had　a　high　notion　of　what　a　lawyer　should　be　and　of　the　method　and　spirit　in　which　he　should　conduct　his　cases。　　He　had　as　much　dignity　as　audacity；　a　sense　of　justice　as　keen　as　the　purpose　was　zealous　in　pursuing　it。

It　came　to　be　understood　in　the　courts　of　Boston　when　Otis　appeared　as　an　advocate　that　he　had　a　case　and　believed　in　it。　　He　avoided　accepting　retainers　in　cases；　of　the　justice　of　which　he　was　in　doubt。　　Pursuing　this　method；　he　was　sometimes　involved　in　law…suits　in　which　he　was　constrained　to　turn　upon　his　own　client。

The　story　goes　of　one　such　instance　in　which　he　brought　suit　for　the　collection　of　a　bill。　　Believing　in　his　client　and　in　the　justice　of　the　claim；　he　pressed　the　matter　in　court　and　was　about　to　obtain　a　judgment　when　he　accidentally　discovered；　among　his　client's　papers；　a　receipt　which　the　plaintiff　had　signed　for　the　very　claim　under　consideration。　　Through　some　mistake　the　receipt　had　again　got　back　into　the　man's　possession；　and　he　had　taken　advantage　of　the　fact　to　institute　a　suit　for　the　collection　of　the　claim　a　second　time。

Seeing　through　the　matter　at　once；　Otis　took　the　plaintiff　aside；　confronted　him　with　the　receipt　and　denounced　him　to　his　face　as　a　rascal。　　The　man　gave　down　and　begged　for　quarter；　but　Otis　was　inexorable；　he　went　back　to　the　bar　and　stated　to　the　court　that　reasons　existed　why　the　case　of　his　client　should　be　dismissed。　　The　court；　presided　over　by　Judge　Hutchinson；　afterward　Lieutenant…Governor　and　Chief　Justice　of　Massachusetts；　expressed　its　surprise　at　the　turn　of　affairs；　complimented　Otis　for　his　honorable　course　as　an　advocate；　commended　his　conduct　to　the　bar；　and　dismissed　the　case。

With　the　spread　of　his　reputation　Mr。　Otis　was　summoned　on　legal　business　to　distant　parts。　　On　one　occasion　he　was　called　to　Halifax　to　defend　some　prisoners　under　arrest　for　piracy；　believing　them　to　be　innocent　he　convinced　the　court　in　an　eloquent　plea　and　secured　the　acquittal　of　the　prisoners。

On　another　occasion　he　was　summoned　to　Plymouth　to　defend　some　citizens　of　that　town　who　had　become　involved　in　a　riot　on　the　anniversary　of　the　Gunpowder　Plot。　　It　was　the　custom　in　the　New　England　towns　to　observe　this　day　with　a　mock　procession；　in　which　effigies　representing　the　Pope；　the　Old　Bad　One；　and　James　the　Pretender；　were　carried　through　the　streets　to　be　consigned　at　the　end　to　a　bonfire。　　In　this　instance　violence　was　done　by　some　of　the　participants；　windows　were　smashed；　gates　were　broken　down；　etc。　　Mr。　Otis　conducted　the　defense；　showing　that　the　arrested　persons　taking　part　in　a　noisy　anniversary；　and　committing　acts　that　were　innocent　in　spirit；　if　not　innocent　per　se；　ought　not　to　be　adjudged　guilty　of　serious　misdemeanor。　　This　plea　prevailed　and　the　young　men　were　acquitted。

It　is　to　be　greatly　regretted　that　the　legal　pleas　and　addresses　of　James　Otis　have　not　been　preserved。　　A　volume　of　his　speeches　would　reveal　not　only　his　style　and　character；　but　also　much　of　the　history　of　the　times。　　The　materials；　however；　are　wanting。　　He　kept　a　commonplace　book　in　which　most　of　his　business　letters　of　the　period　under　consideration　were　recorded。　　But　these　give　hardly　a　glimpse　at　the　man；　the　orator；　or　his　work。　　Tradition；　however；　is　rife　with　the　myth　of　his　method　and　manner。　　He　was　essentially　an　orator。　　He　had　the　orator's　fire　and　passion；　also　the　orator's　eccentricitieshis　sudden　high　flights　and　transitions；　his　quick　appeals　and　succession　of　images。

To　these　qualities　of　the　orator　in　general　Otis　added　the　power　of　applying　himself　to　the　facts；　also　the　power　of　cogent　reasoning　and　masterful　search　for　the　truth　which　gained　for　him　at　length　the　fame　of　first　orator　of　the　revolution。　　The　passion　and　vehemence　of　the　man　made　him　at　times　censorious　and　satirical。　　His　manner　towards　his　opponents　was　at　times　hard　to　bear。　　His　wit　was　of　that　sarcastic　kind　which；　like　a　hot　wind；　withers　its　object。

All　of　these　dispositions　seemed　to　increase　his　power　and　to　augment　his　reputation；　but　they　did　not　augment　his　happiness。　　His　character　as　an　advocate　and　as　a　man　came　out　in　full　force　during　the　first　period　of　his　Boston　practice；　that　is；　in　the　interval　from　1750　to　1755。

On　attaining　his　thirtieth　year　Mr。　Otis　came　to　the　event　of　his　marriage。　　He　took　in　union；　in　the　spring　of　1755；　Ruth　Cunningham；　daughter　of　a　Boston　merchant。　　From　one　point　of　view　his　choice　was　opportune；　for　it　added　to　his　social　standing　and　also　to　his　means。　　From　another　aspect；　however；　the　marriage　was　less　fortunate。

The　Cunningham　family　was　not　well　grounded　in　the　principles　of　patriotism。　　The　timid　commercial　spirit　showed　itself　in　the　father；　and　with　this　the　daughter　sympathized。　　The　sharp　line　of　division　between　patriotism　and　loyalty　had　not　yet　been　drawn　as　it　was　drawn　five　years　afterward。　　But　it　began　to　be　drawn　very　soon　after　the　marriage　with　serious　consequences　to　the　domestic　peace　of　the　family。

It　appears　that　beside　this　general　cause　of　divergence；　the　staid　and　unenthusiastic　character　of　Mrs。　Otis　rather　chilled　the　ardor　of　the　husband；　and　he；　for　his　part；　by　his　vehemence　and　eccentricity；　did　not　strongly　conciliate　her　favor。　　There　were　times　of　active　disagreement　in　the　family；　and　in　later　years　the　marriage　was　rather　a　fact　than　a　principle。

The　result　of　Mr。　Otis's　marriage　was　a　family　of　one　son　and　two　daughters。