james otis the pre-revolutionist-第12章

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The　House　soon　prepared　a　paper　to　be　sent　to　the　British　Ministry　denouncing　the　administration　of　Governor　Bernard　and　protesting　against　the　further　presence　of　a　British　Soldiery　in　Boston。　　On　the　27th　of　June；　1769；　the　representatives　went　further　and　prepared　a　petition；　praying　for　the　removal　of　Bernard　from　the　government。　　This　they　might　well　do　for　the　king　had　already　recalled　him！

The　Governor　went　away　in　such　odor　as　the　breezes　of　the　Old　Bay　have　hardly　yet　dissipated。　　He　went　away；　but　in　the　fall　added　his　compliments　to　the　Americans　by　the　publication　of　sundry　letters　in　which　they　were　traduced　and　vilified。　　To　this　James　Otis　and　Samuel　Adams；　were　appointed　a　committee　to　reply。　　They　did　so　in　a　pamphlet　entitled　〃An　Appeal　to　the　World；　or　a　Vindication　of　the　Town　of　Boston；〃　etc。

It　was　in　these　tumultuous　and　honorable　labors　and　excitements　extending　over　a　period　of　fully　ten　years　that　the　intellect　of　James　Otis　became　overstrained　and；　at　length；　warped　from　its　purpose。

We　may　regard　his　rational　career　as　ending　with　the　year　1769。　　In　September　of　this　year　it　was　noticed　that　he　had　become　excitable；　and　that　his　natural　eccentricity　was　accented　at　times　to　the　extent　of　rendering　his　conduct　irrational。

It　was　at　this　time　that　he　published　in　the　Boston　〃Gazette〃　what　he　called　an　advertisement；　in　which　he　placarded　the　four　commissioners　of　customs；　on　the　ground　that　they　had　assailed　his　character；　declaring　that　they　had　formed　a　confederacy　of　villainy；　and　warning　the　officers　of　the　crown　to　pay　no　attention　to　them。

On　the　evening　of　the　following　day；　Mr。　Otis　went　into　a　coffee…house　where　John　Robinson；　one　of　the　commissioners　whom　he　had　lampooned；　was　sitting。　　On　entering　the　room；　Mr。　Otis　was　attacked　by　Robinson　who　struck　him　with　his　cane。　　Otis　struck　back。　　There　was　a　battle。　　Those　who　were　present　were　Robinson's　friends。　　The　fight　became　a　melee。

A　young　man　named　Gridley　undertook　to　assist　Otis；　but　was　himself　overpowered　and　pitched　out　of　the　house。　　Mr。　Otis　was　seriously　wounded　in　the　head；　and　was　taken　to　his　house；　bleeding　and　exhausted。　　The　principle　wound　appeared　to　be　inflicted　with　a　sword；　it　was　in　the　nature　of　a　cut；　and　an　empty　scabbard　was　found　on　the　floor　of　the　room　in　which　the　altercation　occurred。

On　the　morrow；　Boston　was　aflame　with　excitement。　　Otis　was　seriously　injured；　in　fact　he　never　recovered　from　the　effects　of　the　assault。　　He　brought　suit　against　Robinson；　and　a　jury　gave　a　judgment　of　two　thousand　pounds　damages　against　the　defendant。　　The　latter　arose　in　court　with　a　writing　of　open　confession　and　apology；　and　hereupon　the　spirited　and　generous　Otis　refused　to　avail　himself　of　the　verdict。

Could　he　have　thrown　off　the　effects　of　the　injury　in　like　manner；　his　last　years　might　have　been　a　happier　sequel　to　a　useful　and　patriotic　life。

During　the　sessions　of　the　Assembly；　in　the　years　1770　and　1771；　James　Otis　retained　his　membership；　but　the　mental　disease　which　afflicted　him　began　to　grow　worse；　and　he　participated　only　at　intervals　（and　eccentrically）　in　the　business　of　legislation。

In　May　of　1770；　a　town　meeting　was　held　in　Boston；　and　a　resolution　of　thanks　was　passed　to　the　distinguished　representative　for　his　services　in　the　General　Assembly。　　This　was　on　the　occasion　of　his　retirement　into　the　country；　in　the　hope　of　regaining　his　health。　　At　the　close；　the　resolution　declared：

〃The　town　cannot　but　express　their　ardent　wishes　for　the　recovery　of　his　（Mr。　Otis's）　health；　and　the　continuance　of　those　public　services；　that　must　long　be　remembered　with　gratitude；　and　distinguish　his　name　among　the　Patriots　of　America。〃

From　this　time　forth　the　usefulness　of　James　Otis　was　virtually　at　an　end。　　In　the　immortal　drama　on　which　the　curtain　was　rising　the　drama　of　Liberty　and　Independencehe　was　destined　to　take　no　part。　　The　pre…revolutionist　in　eclipse　must　give　place　to　the　Revolutionist　who　was　rising。　　John　Adams　came　after；　not　wholly　by　his　own　ambition；　but　at　the　call　of　inexorable　History；　to　take　the　part　and　place　of　the　great　Forerunner。

What　must　have　been　the　thoughts　and　emotions　of　that　Forerunner　when　the　minute　men　of　Massachusetts　came　firing　and　charging　after　the　British　soldiers　in　full　retreat　from　Concord　Bridge　and　Lexington？　　With　what　convulsion　must　his　mind；　in　semi…darkness　and　ruin；　have　received　the　news　of　the　still　greater　deed　at　Bunker　Hill？　　History　is　silent　as　to　what　the　broken　Titan　thought　and　said　in　those　heroic　days。

The　patriot　in　dim　eclipse　became　at　times　wholly　rational；　but　with　the　least　excitement　his　malady　would　return。　　In　conversation　something　of　his　old　brilliancy　would　return　in　flashes。　　For　the　rest；　the　chimes　in　that　high　soul　no　longer　played　the　music　of　reason；　but　gave　out　only　the　discords　of　insanity。　　He　was　never　reduced　to　serious　delirium　or　to　violent　frenzy；　but　he　was　an　insane　man；　and　under　this　shadow　he　walked　for　the　greater　part　of　ten　years；　during　which　Independence　was　declared　and　the　Revolution　fought　out　to　a　victorious　end。

It　was　in　this　period　of　decline　and　obscuration　that　James　Otis　witnessed　through　the　gathering　shadows　the　rise　to　distinction　and　fame　of　many　of　the　patriots　whom　he　had　led　in　the　first　campaigns　for　liberty。　　John　Adams　and　Hancock　were　now　at　the　fore　battling　for　independence。　　Among　those　who　rose　to　eminence　in　the　immortal　eighth　decade　was　Samuel　Alleyne　Otis；　who　in　1776　was　elected　a　representative　in　the　great　Congress　of　the　Revolution。　　James　did　not　live　to　see　his　brother　become　speaker　of　the　House；　but　he　witnessed　in　1780　his　service　as　a　member　of　the　Constitutional　Convention　of　Massachusetts。　　Afterward；　in　1787；　he　was　a　commissioner　to　negotiate　a　settlement　with　the　participants　in　Shay's　Rebellion。　　With　the　organization　of　the　new　national　government　he　became　Secretary　of　the　Senate　of　the　United　States；　and　served　in　that　capacity　until　his　death；　April　22；　1814。

In　1781；　Mr。　Otis　was　taken　by　his　friend；　Colonel　Samuel　Osgood；　to　the　home　of　the　latter　in　Andover。　　There　the　enfeebled　patriot　passed　the　remainder　of　his　life。　　He　became　very　obese；　and　his　nervous　excitability　to　an　extent　subsided。

He　was　amiable　and　interesting　to　his　friends。　　His　health　was　in　some　measure　restored；　but　his　intellectual　strength　did　not　return。　　He　thought　of　going　back　to　Boston；　and　in　one　instance　he　accepted　and　conducted　a　case　in　the　court　of　Common　Pleas；　but　his　manner　was　that　of　a　paretic　giant。

The　favorable　turn　in　Mr。　Otis's　condition　was　at　length　arrested　by　an　attempt　on　his　part　to　dine　with　Governor　Hancock。　　At　the　dinner　he　was　observed　to　become　first　sad　and　then　to　waver　into　mental　occultation。　　He　was　taken　by　his　brother；　Hon。　Samuel　Alleyne　Otis；　to　Andover。　　The　event　convinced　the　sufferer　that　the　end　of　his　life　was　not　distant。

Strange；　strange　are　the　foregleams　of　the　things　to　come！　　On　one　occasion　he　said　to　his　sister；　Mrs。　Warren；　〃I　hope　when　God　Almighty　in　his　Providence　shall　take　me　out　of　time　into　eternity；　it　will　be　by　a　flash　of　lightning！〃　　The　tradition　goes　that　he　frequently　gave　expression　to　this　wish。　　Did　the　soul　foresee　the　manner　of　its　exit？

A　marvelous　and　tragic　end　was　indeed　at　hand。　　On　the　23d　of　May；　1783；　only　a　few　months　before　the　Briton　left　our　shores　never　to　return　but　by　the　courtesy　of　the　Republic；　a　thundercloud；　such　as　the　season　brings　in　New　England；　passed　over　Andover。

James　Otis　stood　against　the　lintel　of　the　door　watching　the　commotion　of　the　elements。　　There　was　a　crash　of　thunder。　　The　lightning；　serpent…like；　darted　from　heaven　to　earth　and　passed　through　the　body　of　the　patriot！　　Instantly　he　was　dead。

There　was　no　mark　upon　him；　no　contortion　left　its　snarling　twist　on　the　placid　features　of　him　who　had　contributed　so　much　of　genius　and　patriotic　fire　to　the　freedom　and　future　greatness　of　his　countryso　much　to　the　happiness　of　his　countrymen。

On　the　24th　of　the　month　the　body　of　Mr。　Otis　was　taken　to　Boston　and　was　placed　in　modest　state　in　his　former　home。　　The　funeral　on　the　25th　was　conducted　by　the　Brotherhood　of　Free　and　Ac