james otis the pre-revolutionist-第9节

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　the　crown　and　for　some　reason；　not　very　apparent；　Mr。　Otis　favored　his　appointment。　　Governor　Bernard；　however；　opposed　the　measure；　and　Hutchinson　declined　the　appointment。　　Otis's　course　was　censured　by　the　patriots　and　his　popularity　was　for　the　while　impaired。　　However；　he　took　strong　grounds　against　the　Sugar　Act；　and　soon　afterward　still　more　strenuously　opposed　the　Stamp　Act。

He　regained　the　impaired　confidence　of　the　people　and　at　the　close　of　the　session　of　the　Assembly　he　was　appointed　chairman　of　a　committee　to　correspond　with　the　other　Colonies；　and　thus　to　promote　the　common　interest　of　all。　　This；　after　the　intercolonial　conference　which　Franklin　had　promoted；　was　perhaps　the　first　step　towards　the　creation　of　the　Continental　Congress。　　Mr。　Otis's　letter　to　the　provincial　agent　went　to　England；　though　it　was　sent　in　the　name　of　the　Lower　House　only。　　In　this　document　the　writer　said：

〃Granting　the　time　may　come；　which　we　hope　is　far　off；　when　the　British　Parliament　shall　think　fit　to　oblige　the　North　Americans；　not　only　to　maintain　civil　government　among　themselves；　for　this　they　have　already　done；　but　to　support　an　army　to　protect　them；　can　it　be　possible；　that　the　duties　to　be　imposed　and　the　taxes　to　be　levied　shall　be　assessed　without　the　voice　or　consent　of　one　American　in　Parliament？　　If　we　are　not　represented；　we　are　slaves。〃

This　document　was　one　of　the　few　American　papers　which　was　read　and　criticized　in　the　British　Parliament。　　The　merits　of　Mr。　Otis's　pamphlet　were　actually　debated　in　the　House　of　Lords　by　Lord　Littleton　and　Lord　Mansfield。　　The　latter　in　the　course　of　his　remarks　said：

〃Otis　is　a　man　of　consequence　among　the　people　there。　　They　have　chosen　him　for　one　of　their　deputies　at　the　Congress；　and　general　meeting　from　the　respective　governments。　　It　is　said　the　man　is　mad。　　What　then？　　One　madman　often　makes　many。　　Massaniello　was　mad；　nobody　doubts；　yet　for　all　that；　he　overturned　the　government　of　Naples。　　Madness　is　catching　in　all　popular　assemblies；　and　upon　all　popular　matters。　　The　book　is　full　of　wildness。　　I　never　read　it　till　a　few　days　ago；　for　I　seldom　look　into　such　things。〃

It　was　in　the　course　of　this　pamphlet　that　the　Mr。　Otis　spoke　so　strongly　on　taxation　and　representation。　　〃The　very　act　of　taxing；〃　said　he；　〃exercised　over　those　who　are　not　represented；　appears　to　me　to　be　depriving　them　of　one　of　their　most　essential　rights；　and；　if　continued　seems　to　be；　in　effect；　an　entire　disfranchisement　of　every　civil　right。　For　what　one　civil　right　is　worth　a　rush；　after　a　man's　property　is　subject　to　be　taken　from　him　at　pleasure；　without　his　consent？〃＇2＇

In　this　was　the　germ　of　the　stern　resistance　offered　by　the　Americans　to　the　Stamp　Act。　　No　man　in　the　colonies　did　so　much　to　confute　the　principles　on　which　the　Stamp　Act　rested　as　did　James　Otis。

When　the　General　Assembly　of　Massachusetts　met　in　May　of　1765；　Governor　Bernard　urged　in　his　address　the　duty　of　submission　to　Parliament　as　to　the　〃conservators　of　liberty。〃　　It　was　this　recommendation　which　being　referred　to　a　Committee；　of　which　Otis　was　a　member；　led　to　the　adoption　of　a　resolution　for　the　holding　of　a　Colonial　Congress　in　New　York。

Nine　colonies　accepted　the　invitation　of　Massachusetts；　and　James　Otis　headed　the　delegation　of　three　members　chosen　to　represent　the　mother　colony　in　that　prophetic　body。

The　story　of　the　contest　of　the　Americans　with　the　home　government　on　the　subject　of　the　Stamp　Act　is　well　known。　　The　controversy　resulted　on　the　18th　of　March；　1766；　in　the　repeal　of　the　Act　by　Parliament。　　But　the　repeal　was　accompanied　with　a　salvo　to　British　obduracy　in　the　form　of　a　declaration　that　Parliament　had　〃the　right　to　bind　the　colonies　in　all　cases　whatsoever。〃

Notwithstanding　this　hateful　addendum；　the　repeal　of　the　Act　was　received　in　America　with　the　greatest　joy。　　During　the　excitement　antecedent　to　the　repeal；　mobs　had　surged　through　the　streets　of　Boston；　building　bonfires　and　burning　effigies　of　officers　and　other　adherents　of　the　king's　party。　　In　one　of　these　ebullitions；　the　house　of　Lieutenant…Governor　Hutchinson　was　attacked　and　pillaged。　　The　better　people　had　nothing　to　do　with　it。　　Many　were　arrested　and　imprisoned。

Governor　Bernard　was　so　much　alarmed　that　he　declared　himself　to　be　a　governor　only　in　name。　　The　partisans　of　the　crown　started　a　story　that　James　Otis　was　the　instigator　of　the　riots。　　There　is　a　hint　to　this　effect　in　Hutchinson's　〃History　of　Massachusetts　Bay。〃　　But　it　is　evident　that　the　charge　was　unfoundedexcept　in　this；　that　in　times　of　public　excitement　the　utterances　of　orators　are　frequently　wrested　from　their　purpose　by　the　ignorant　and　made　to　do　service　in　the　cause　of　anarchy。

Meanwhile　on　the　first　of　November；　Mr。　Otis　returned　from　the　Congress　in　New　York；　laid　a　copy　of　the　proceedings　before　the　Assembly；　and　was　formally　thanked　for　his　services。

During　the　Stamp　Act　year；　Mr。　Otis　found　time　to　compose　two　pamphlets　setting　forth　his　views　on　the　great　questions　of　the　day。　　There　had　recently　appeared　a　letter　written　by　a　Halifax　gentleman　and　addressed　to　a　Rhode　Island　friend。　　The　latter　personage　was　unknown；　the　former　was　ascertained　to　be　a　certain　Mr。　Howard。　　The　so…called　〃Letter〃　was　written　with　much　ability　and　in　a　bitter　spirit。

To　this　Otis　replied　with　great　asperity；　and　with　his　power　of　invective　untrammeled。　　He　called　his　pamphlet　〃A　Vindication　of　the　British　Colonies　against　the　Aspersions　of　the　Halifax　Gentleman；　in　his　Letter　to　a　Rhode　Island　Friend。〃　　A　single　passage　from　the　work　may　serve　to　show　the　cogency　of　the　writer's　style　and　especially　his　anticipation　of　the　doctrines　of　the　Declaration　of　Independence。

〃Is　the　gentleman；〃　said　he；　〃a　British…born　subject　and　a　lawyer；　and　ignorant　that　charters　from　the　crown　have　usually　been　given　for　enlarging　the　liberties　and　privileges　of　the　grantees；　not　for　limiting　them；　much　less　for　curtailing　those　essential　rights；　which　all　his　Majesty's　subjects　are　entitled　to；　by　the　laws　of　God　and　nature；　as　well　as　by　the　common　law　and　by　the　constitution　of　their　country？

〃The　gentleman's　positions　and　principles；　if　true；　would　afford　a　curious　train　of　consequences。　　Life；　liberty；　and　property　are；　by　the　law　of　nature；　as　well　as　by　the　common　law；　secured　to　the　happy　inhabitants　of　South　Britain；　and　constitute　their　primary；　civil；　or　political；　rights。〃

The　other　pamphlet　bearing　date　of　September　4；　1765；　was　entitled　〃Considerations　on　Behalf　of　the　Colonists；　in　a　Letter　to　a　Noble　Lord。〃　　In　this　the　writer　discusses　the　question　of　Taxation　and　in　particular　the　specious　claim　of　the　British　Ministry　that　the　home　government　might　justly　tax　the　colonists　to　defray　the　expenses　of　the　French　and　Indian　War。

In　answer　to　this　Otis　says；　in　a　manner　worthy　of　an　American　patriot　in　the　year　1898；　〃The　national　debt　is　confessed　on　all　hands　to　be　a　terrible　evil；　and　may　in　time　ruin　the　state。　　But　it　should　be　remembered；　that　the　colonies　never　occasioned　its　increase；　nor　ever　reaped　any　of　the　sweet　fruits　of　involving　the　finest　kingdom　in　the　world　in　the　sad　calamity　of　an　enormous；　overgrown　mortgage　to　state　and　stock…jobbers。〃

The　period　here　under　consideration　was　that　in　which　the　Stamp　Act　was　nominally　in　force。　　The　law　required　all　legal　business　to　be　done　on　stamped　paper。　　Therefore　no　legal　business　was　done。

Hutchinson　in　his　History　says：　　〃No　wills　were　proved；　no　administrations　granted；　no　deeds　nor　bonds　executed。〃　　Of　course　matters　could　not　go　on　in　this　manner　forever。　　Governor　Bernard　was　induced　to　call　the　legislature　together。　　When　that　body　convened　an　answer　to　the　Governor's　previous　message　was　adopted　by　the　House；　and　the　answer　was　the　work　of　James　Otis。　　An　extract　will　show　the　temper　of　the　people　at　that　juncture：

〃The　courts　of　justice　must　be　open；　open　immediately；　and　the　law；　the　great　rule　of　right；　in　every　county　in　the　province；　executed。　　The　stopping　the　courts　of　justice　is　a　grievance　which　this　House　must　inquire　into。　　Justice　must　be　fully　administered　through　the　province；　by　which　the　shocking　effects　which　your　Excellency　apprehended　from　the　people's　non…compliance　with　the　Stamp　Act　will　be　prevented。〃

Meanwhile　the　public　agitation　continued；　the　newspapers　teemed　with　controversy。　　The　administration　was　firm；　but　patriotism　was　rampant。　　The　party　of　the　people　adopted　the　policy　of　embarrassing　the　government　as　much　as　possible。　　Then　came　the　news　of　the　repeal　of　the　act；　and　the　jubilation　of　the　people　to　which　we　have　already　referred　came　after。

When　the　legislature　met　in　May　of　1767；　James　Otis　was　chosen　speaker；　but　his　election　was　vetoed　by　the　Governor。　　The　House　was　obliged　to　submit；　which　it　did　in　sullen　temper；　and　then　chose　Thomas　Cushing　for　its　presiding　officer。　　The　other　elections　indicated　the　patriotic　purpose　of　the　House。

There　was　almost　a　deadlock　between　the　legislative　and　executive　departments。　　Governor　Bernard　addressed　the　representatives　in　a　supercilious　and　dogmatic　manner；　which　they　for　their　part　resented　with　scant　courtesy。

On　one　occasion　they　said　（the　language　being　Otis's