james otis the pre-revolutionist-第8节

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To　the　next　division　of　his　argument　he　confuted　the　position　taken　by　Gridley　with　respect　to　the　alleged　legal　precedents　for　the　Writs　of　Assistance。　　He　showed　that　the　writs　were　wholly　different　from　those　provided　for　in　the　time　of　Charles　II。　　Even　if　they　had　not　been　so；　the　epoch　and　the　manner　of　King　Charles　had　passed　away。　　Neither　could　the　Writs　be　justified　by　inferences　and　constructions　deduced　from　any　previous　statutes　of　Parliament。

Besides；　such　odious　Writs　could　never　be　enforced。　　They　could　never　be　enforced　in　the　City　of　the　Pilgrims。　　If　the　King　of　England　should　himself　encamp　with　twenty　thousand　soldiers　on　the　Common　of　Boston；　he　could　not　enforce　such　laws。　　He　assailed　the　sugar　tax　with　unmeasured　invective。　　And　over　and　above　all；　this　despotic　legislation　was　in　direct　conflict　with　the　Charter　of　Massachusetts。

Here　the　orator　broke　forth　in　his　most　impassioned　strain　declaring　that　the　British　King；　the　British　Parliament　and　the　British　nation；　were　all　guilty　of　ingratitude　and　oppression　in　attempting　to　impose　tyrannical　enactment　on　the　people　of　America。　　Thus　he　concluded　his　argument　appeal。

Those　who　heard　the　oration　were　convulsed　with　excitement。　　The　King's　party　was　enraged。　　The　patriots　were　inspired　and　defiant。　　It　was　in　every　respect　a　critical　and　a　historic　hour。

What　would　the　court　do　with　the　case？　　The　action　of　that　body　was　obscure　and　double。　　There　seems　to　have　been　a　disposition　of　the　Associate　Judges　to　decide　for　the　counter…petitioners；　but　Chief　Justice　Hutchinson　induced　them　to　assent　to　his　policy　of　withholding　a　decision。　　He　accordingly　announced　that　the　court　would　decide　the　case　at　the　ensuing　session。　　He　then　wrote　to　the　home　government；　and　the　records　show　that　the　decision　was　rendered　for　the　petitioners。　　That　is；　for　the　Custom　House　officials；　and　in　favor　of　the　Writs。

The　Chief　Justice　is　also　on　record　to　the　effect　that　he　continued　to　issue　the　Writs；　but　if　so；　no　officer　of　the　king　ever　dared　to　present　one　of　them　in　Boston！　　The　famous　（and　infamous）　Writs　of　Assistance　were　as　dead　as　the　mummies　of　Egypt。

It　is　from　this　point　of　view　that　the　character　and　work　of　James　Otis　appear　to　the　greatest　historical　advantage。　　There　can　be　no　doubt　that　his　was　the　living　voice　which　called　to　resistance；　first　Boston；　then　Massachusetts；　then　New　England　and　then　the　world！　　For　ultimately　the　world　heard　the　sound　thereof　and　was　glad。　　The　American　Colonies　resisted；　and　at　length　won　their　independence。　　The　sparks　fell　in　France；　and　the　jets　of　flame　ran　together　in　a　conflagration　the　light　of　which　was　seen　over　Europe；　and　if　over　Europe；　then　over　the　world。　　The　Pre…revolutionist　had　cried　out　and　mankind　heard　him。　　Resistance　to　tyranny　became　obedience　to　God。

We　shall　here　sketch　rapidly　and　briefly　the　unsteady　way　and　unfortunate　decline　of　James　Otis　down　to　the　time　of　the　eclipse　of　his　intellect　and　his　tragic　death。

Three　months　after　he　had；　according　to　John　Adams；　〃breathed　into　the　nation　the　breath　of　life；〃　he　was　chosen　to　represent　Boston　in　the　legislature　of　the　Commonwealth。　　All　of　his　colleagues　were　patriots。　Boston　was　in　that　mood。

There　runs　a　story　that　when　he　was　entering　upon　his　duties　he　was　counselled　by　a　friend　to　curb　his　impetuosity　and　to　gain　leadership　by　the　mastery　of　selfadvice　most　salutary　to　one　of　his　temperament。　　But　it　was　much　like　advising　General　Putnam　to　be　calm　at　Bunker　Hill！　　Otis　promised；　however；　that　if　his　friends　would　warn　him　when　his　temperature　was　rising；　he　would　command　himself。

It　is　also　narrated　that　his　friends　did　attempt　to　pluck　him　by　the　coat；　but　he　turned　upon　them　demanding　to　know　if　he　was　a　school　boy　to　be　called　down！

At　this　time　the　relations　between　Governor　Bernard　and　the　Legislature　were　greatly　strained。　　Otis　rather　increased　the　tension。　　A　question　arose　about　a　financial　measure　whereby　gold　was　to　be　exported　and　silver　money　retained　as　the　currency　of　the　colonythe　former　at　less　than　its　nominal　valuein　a　manner　to　juggle　the　people　into　paying　their　obligations　twice　over。　　The　argument　became　hot　and　the　Council　taking　the　side　of　the　administration　was　opposed　by　the　legislative　assembly。

Chief　Justice　Hutchinson　and　James　Otis　got　into　a　controversy　which　was　bitter　enough；　and　which　may　be　illustrated　with　the　following　letter　which　James　Otis　addressed　to　the　printer　of　a　newspaper：　　

〃Perhaps　I　should　not　have　troubled　you　or　the　public　with　any　thoughts　of　mine；　had　not　his　Honor　the　Lieutenant…Governor　condescended　to　give　me　a　personal　challenge。　　This　is　an　honor　that　I　never　had　vanity　enough　to　aspire　after；　and　I　shall　ever　respect　Mr。　Hutchinson　for　it　so　long　as　I　live；　as　he　certainly　consulted　my　reputation　more　than　his　own　when　he　bestowed　it。　　A　general　officer　in　the　army　would　be　thought　very　condescending　to　accept；　much　more　to　give；　a　challenge　to　a　subaltern。　　The　honor　of　entering　the　lists　with　a　gentleman　so　much　one's　superior　in　one　view　is　certainly　tempting；　it　is　at　least　possible　that　his　Honor　may　lose　much；　but　from　those　who　have　and　desire　but　little；　but　little　can　possibly　be　taken　away。　　　　

〃I　am　your　humble　servant；　　　　　　　〃JAMES　OTIS；　JR。〃

This　controversy　continued　for　some　time；　and　it　is　thought　that　to　it　must　be　attributed　much　of　the　animosity　displayed　by　the　Chief　Justice　towards　Otis　in　the　〃History　of　Massachusetts　Bay。〃

Mr。　Otis　continued　his　aggressive　policy　in　the　session　of　the　assembly　held　in　1762。　　It　was　at　this　session　that　the　government　in　the　hope　of　getting　a　sum　of　money　adopted　the　ruse　of　creating　an　alarm　relative　to　a　French　invasion　of　Newfoundland。　　But　the　patriots　would　have　none　of　it。　　They　went　so　far　as　to　say　that　if　arbitrary　government　was　to　be　established　in　America；　it　made　no　difference　whether　the　Americans　should　have　King　Stork　or　King　Log。　　To　this　effect　ran　a　resolution　offered　by　James　Otis：

〃No　necessity　can　be　sufficient　to　justify　a　House　of　Representatives　in　giving　up　such　a　privilege；　for　it　would　be　of　little　consequence　to　the　people；　whether　they　were　subject　to　George　or　Louis；　the　King　of　Great　Britain　or　the　French　King；　if　both　were　arbitrary；　as　both　would　be；　if　both　could　levy　taxes　without　Parliament。〃

It　is　said　that　when　this　resolution　was　offered　a　loyalist　member　cried　out　in　the　Virginian　manner；　〃Treason；　treason。〃　　It　was　in　this　way　that　Mr。　Otis　gained　the　undying　enmity　of　the　King's　party　in　America。

It　was　in　the　period　following　his　legislative　service　that　James　Otis　prepared　his　powerful　pamphlet　entitled　〃A　Vindication　of　the　Conduct　of　the　House　of　Representatives　of　the　Province　of　the　Massachusetts　Bay。〃　　In　this　work　he　traverses　and　justifies　the　course　pursued　by　the　patriot　legislature　during　the　sessions　of　his　attendance。

Great　was　the　joy　of　the　American　Colonies　at　the　conclusion　of　the　French　and　Indian　War。　　The　Treaty　of　Paris　in　February　of　1763　conceded　Canada　to　Great　Britain　and　insured　the　predominance　of　English　institutions　in　the　New　World。

The　animosities　of　the　Americans　towards　the　mother　country　rapidly　subsided。　　Meetings　were　held　in　the　principal　towns　to　ratify　the　peace。　　At　the　jubilee　in　Boston；　James　Otis　presided。

He　made　on　the　occasion　one　of　his　notable　addresses。　　He　referred　with　enthusiasm　to　the　〃expulsion　of　the　heathen〃　meaning　the　French；　and　then　expressed　sentiments　of　strong　affection　for　Great　Britain　and　appreciation　of　the　filial　relations　of　the　American　Colonies　to　her。

In　these　utterances　Otis　reflected　the　sentiment　of　the　Bostonians　and　of　the　whole　people。　　The　General　Assembly　of　Massachusetts　took　up　the　theme　and　passed　resolutions　of　gratitude　and　loyalty。　　At　this　particular　juncture　the　Americans　did　not　anticipate　what　was　soon　to　follow。

The　English　Ministry　was　already　preparing　a　scheme　for　the　raising　of　revenue　in　America：　　The　question　of　the　right　of　taxation　suddenly　obtruded　itself。　　The　Americans　claimed　the　right　as　Englishmen　to　tax　themselves。　　The　English　ministers　replied　that　Parliament；　and　not　the　Colonial　Assemblies；　was　the　proper　body　to　vote　taxes　in　any　and　all　parts　of　the　British　Empire。　　The　Americans　replied　that　they　were　not　represented　in　Parliament。　　Parliament　replied　that　many　of　the　towns；　shires；　and　boroughs　in　England　were　not　represented。　　If　they　were　not　represented；　they　ought　to　be；　said　the　Americans；and　thus　the　case　was　made　up。

By　the　beginning　of　1764　it　was　known　that　the　Ministers　had　determined　to　make　a　rigorous　enforcement　of　the　Sugar　Act。　　Than　this；　nothing　could　be　more　odious　to　America。

In　the　spring　of　the　year　just　named；　the　citizens　of　Boston　held　a　great　meeting　to　protest　against　the　impending　policy　of　the　crown。　　As　a　member　of　the　Assembly　and　as　chairman　of　a　committee　Mr。　Otis　made　a　report　which　was　ordered　to　be　sent　to　the　agent　of　the　government　along　with　the　copy　of　Otis's　recent　pamphlet；　〃The　Rights　of　the　British　Colonies　asserted　and　proved。〃

At　this　time　Lieutenant…Governor　Hutchinson　was　about　to　become　the　representative　of　the　Colony　in　its　contention　with　the　crow