james otis the pre-revolutionist-第29章

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Many　of　the　most　effective　orators；　of　all　ages；　have　not　been　most　successful　in　long　and　formal　efforts。　　Nor　have　they　always　been　close　and　ready　debaters。　　〃Sudden　bursts　which　seemed　to　be　the　effect　of　inspirationshort　sentences　which　came　like　lightning；　dazzling；　burning；　striking　down　everything　before　themsentences　which；　spoken　at　critical　moments；　decided　the　fate　of　great　questionssentences　which　at　once　became　proverbs　sentences　which　everybody　still　knows　by　heart〃in　these　chiefly　lay　the　oratorical　power　of　Mirabeau　and　Chatham；　Patrick　Henry　and　James　Otis。E。　L。　Magoon。


THE　ELOQUENCE　OF　OTIS。

Otis　was　naturally　elevated　in　thought；　and　dwelt　with　greatest　delight　in　the　calm　contemplation　of　the　lofty　principles　which　should　govern　political　and　moral　conduct。

And　yet　he　was　keenly　suspectible　to　excitement。　　His　intellect　explored　the　wilderness　of　the　universe　only　to　increase　the　discontent　of　those　noble　aspirations　of　his　soul　which　were　never　at　rest。

In　early　manhood　he　was　a　close　student；　but　as　he　advanced　in　age　he　became　more　and　more　absorbed　in　public　action。

As　ominous　storms　threatened　the　common　weal；　he　found　less　delight　in　his　library　than　in　the　stern　strife　of　the　forum。

As　he　prognosticated　the　coming　tempest　and　comprehended　its　fearful　issue；　he　became　transformed　in　aspect　like　one　inspired。

His　appearance　in　public　always　commanded　prompt　and　profound　attention；　he　both　awed　and　delighted　the　multitudes　whom　his　bold　wisdom　so　opportunely　fortified。

〃Old　South；〃　the　〃Old　Court　House；〃　and　the　〃Cradle　of　liberty；〃　in　Boston；　were　familiar　with　his　eloquence；　that　resounded　like　a　cheerful　clarion　in　〃days　that　tried　men's　souls。〃　　It　was　then　that　his　great　heart　and　fervid　intellect　wrought　with　disinterested　and　noble　zeal；　his　action　became　vehement；　and　his　eyes　flashed　with　unutterable　fire；　his　voice；　distinct；　melodious；　swelling；　and　increasing　in　height　and　depth　with　each　new　and　bolder　sentiment；　filled；　as　with　the　palpable　presence　of　a　deity；　the　shaking　walls。　　The　listeners　became　rapt　and　impassioned　like　the　speaker；　till　their　very　breath　forsook　them。

He　poured　forth　a　〃flood　of　argument　and　passion〃　which　achieved　the　sublimes〃　earthly　good；　and　happily　exemplified　the　description　which　Percival　has　given　of　indignant　patriotism　expressed　in　eloquence：

〃Its　words　　　Are　few；　but　deep　and　solemn；　and　they　break　　Fresh　from　the　fount　of　feeling；　and　are　full　　　Of　all　that　passion；　which；　on　Carmel；　fired　　The　holy　prophet；　when　his　lips　were　coals；　　　The　language　winged　with　terror；　as　when　bolts　　Leap　from　the　brooding　tempest；　armed　with　wrath　　Commissioned　to　affright　us；　and　destroy。〃E。　L。　Magoon。


OTIS　COMPARED　WITH　AMERICAN　ORATORS。

〃His　eloquence；　like　that　of　his　distinguished　successors；　was　marked　by　a　striking　individuality。

〃It　did　not　partake　largely　of　the　placid　firmness　of　Samuel　Adams；　or　of　the　intense　brilliancy　and　exquisite　taste　of　the　younger　Quincy；　or　the　subdued　and　elaborate　beauty　of　Lee；　or　the　philosophical　depth　of　John　Adams；　or　the　rugged　and　overwhelming　energy　of　Patrick　Henry；　though　he；　most　of　all　Americans；　resembled　the　latter。〃E。　L。　Magoon。


OTIS　COMPARED　WITH　ENGLISH　ORATORS。

〃Compared　with　English　orators；〃　Dr。　Magoon　says；　〃our　great　countryman　was　not　unlike　Sheridan　in　natural　endowment。

〃Like　him；　he　was　unequaled　in　impassioned　appeals　to　the　general　heart　of　mankind。

〃He　swayed　all　by　his　electric　fire；　charmed　the　timid；　and　inspired　the　weak；　subdued　the　haughty；　and　enthralled　the　prejudiced。

〃He　traversed　the　field　of　argument　and　invective　as　a　Scythian　warrior　scours　the　plain；　shooting　most　deadly　arrows　when　at　the　greatest　speed。

〃He　rushed　into　forensic　battle；　fearless　of　all　consequences；　and　as　the　ancient　war…chariot　would　sometimes　set　its　axle　on　fire　by　the　rapidity　of　its　own　movement；　so　would　the　ardent　soul　of　Otis　become　ignited　and　fulminate　with　thought；　as　he　swept　irresistibly　to　the　goal。

〃When　aroused　by　some　great　crisis；　his　eloquent　words　were　like　bolts　of　granite　heated　in　a　volcano；　and　shot　forth　with　unerring　aim；　crashing　where　they　fell。〃


PHYSICAL　APPEARANCE。

In　respect　to　physical　ability；　Otis　was　happily　endowed。　　One　who　knew　him　well　has　recorded；　that　〃he　was　finely　formed；　and　had　an　intelligent　countenance：　　his　eye；　voice；　and　manner　were　very　impressive。

〃The　elevation　of　his　mind；　and　the　known　integrity　of　his　purposes；　enabled　him　to　speak　with　decision　and　dignity；　and　commanded　the　respect　as　well　as　the　admiration　of　his　audience。

〃His　eloquence　showed　but　little　imagination；　yet　it　was　instinct　with　the　fire　of　passion。〃

〃It　may　be　not　unjustly　said　of　Otis；　as　of　Judge　Marshall；　that　he　was　one　of　those　rare　beings　that　seem　to　be　sent　among　men　from　time　to　time；　to　keep　alive　our　faith　in　humanity。

〃He　had　a　wonderful　power　over　the　popular　feelings；　but　he　employed　it　only　for　great　public　benefits。　　He　seems　to　have　said　to　himself；　in　the　language　of　the　great　master　of　the　maxims　of　life　and　conduct：

〃This　above　all；to　thine　own　self　be　true；　　And　it　must　follow；　as　the　night　the　day；　　Thou　canst　not　then　be　false　to　any　man。〃


PORTRAIT　OF　OTIS。

The　portrait　of　James　Otis；　Jr。；　published　as　a　frontispiece　to　this　sketch；　is　from　the　oil…painting　loaned　to　the　Bostonian　Society；　by　Harrison　Gray　Otis；　of　Winthrop；　Massachusetts。　　The　painting　from　which　it　is　taken；　now　hanging　in　the　Old　State　House　of　Boston；　is　a　reproduction　of　the　original　portrait　by　I。　Blackburn；　to　whom　Mr。　Otis　sat　for　his　portrait　in　1755。　　The　original　in　possession　of　Mrs。　Rogers；　a　descendant　of　James　Otis；　may　be　seen　at　her　residence；　No。　8　Otis　Place；　Boston。　　But　the　original　is　not　so　well　adapted　as　is　the　copy　to　photographic　reproduction。　　The　two　portraits　are　identical　in　feature　and　character；　but　the　original　having　a　light　background　offends　the　camera。


THE　SOURCE　AND　OCCASION　OF　THE　WAR　OF　THE　REVOLUTION。

〃The　question　is；　perhaps　more　curious　than　profitable；　that　relates　to　the　source　and　occasion　of　the　first　of　that　series　of　events　which　produced　the　war　of　the　Revolution。　　Men　have　often　asked；　what　was　its　original　cause；　and　who　struck　the　first　blow？　　This　inquiry　was　well　answered　by　President　Jefferson；　in　a　letter　to　Dr。　Waterhouse　of　Cambridge；　written　March　3rd；　1818。

〃'I　suppose　it　would　be　difficult　to　trace　our　Revolution　to　its　first　embryo。　　We　do　not　know　how　long　it　was　hatching　in　the　British　cabinet；　before　they　ventured　to　make　the　first　of　the　experiments　which　were　to　develop　it　in　the　end；　and　to　produce　complete　parliamentary　supremacy。

〃'Those　you　mention　in　Massachusetts　as　preceding　the　Stamp　Act　might　be　the　first　visible　symptoms　of　that　design。　　The　proposition　of　that　Act；　in　1764；　was　the　first　here。　　Your　opposition；　therefore；　preceded　ours；　as　occasion　was　sooner　given　there　than　here；　and　the　truth；　I　suppose；　is；　that　the　opposition；　in　every　colony；　began　whenever　the　encroachment　was　presented　to　it。

〃'This　question　of　priority　is　as　the　inquiry　would　be；　who　first　of　the　three　hundred　Spartans　offered　his　name　to　Leonidas。　　I　shall　be　happy　to　see　justice　done　to　the　merits　of　all。'〃

〃In　the　primitive　opposition　made　by　Otis　to　the　arbitrary　acts　of　Trade；　aided　by　the　Writs　of　Assistance；　he　announced　two　maxims　which　lay　at　the　foundation　of　all　the　subsequent　war；　one　was；　that　'taxation　without　representation　was　tyranny；'　the　other；　'that　expenditures　of　public　money　without　appropriations　by　the　representatives　of　the　people；　were　arbitrary；　and　therefore　unconstitutional。　'〃

〃This　early　and　acute　sagacity　of　our　statesman；　led　Burke　finely　to　describe　the　political　feeling　in　America　as　follows；

〃'In　other　countries；　the　people；　more　simple；　of　a　less　mercurial　cast；　judge　of　an　ill　principle　in　government；　only　by　an　actual　grievance；　here　they　anticipate　the　evil；　and　judge　of　the　pressure　of　the　grievance；　by　the　badness　of　the　principle。

〃'They　augur　misgovernment　at　a　distance；　and　snuff　the　approach　of　tyranny　in　every　tainted　breeze。'〃E。　L。　Magoon。


STAMPS　AND　THE　STAMP　ACT。

During　Robe