james otis the pre-revolutionist-第3章

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ell　employed　his　time　during　his　residence　at　home。　　I　am　sure　you　don't　think　the　time　long　he　is　spending　in　his　present　course　of　studies；　since　it　is　past　all　doubt　they　are　not　only　ornamental　and　useful；　but　indispensably　necessary　preparatories　for　the　figure　I　hope　one　day；　for　his　and　your　sake；　as　well　as　my　own；　to　see　him　make　in　the　profession　he　is　determined　to　pursue。　　I　am　sure　the　year　and　a　half　I　spent　in　the　same　way；　after　leaving　the　academy；　was　as　well　spent　as　any　part　of　my　life；　and　I　shall　always　lament　I　did　not　take　a　year　or　two　further　for　more　general　inquiries　in　the　arts　and　sciences；　before　I　sat　down　to　the　laborious　study　of　the　laws　of　my　country。

〃My　brother's　judgment　can't　at　present　be　supposed　to　be　ripe　enough　for　so　severe　an　exercise　as　the　proper　reading　and　well　digesting　the　common　law。　　Very　sure　I　am；　if　he　would　stay　a　year　or　two　from　the　time　of　his　degree；　before　he　begins　with　the　law；　he　will　be　able　to　make　better　progress　in　one　week；　than　he　could　now；　without　a　miracle；　in　six。　　Early　and　short　clerkships；　and　a　premature　rushing　into　practice；　without　a　competent　knowledge　in　the　theory　of　law；　have　blasted　the　hopes；　and　ruined　the　expectations；　formed　by　the　parents　of　most　of　the　students　in　the　profession；　who　have　fallen　within　my　observation　for　these　ten　or　fifteen　years　past。〃

The　writer　of　this　well…timed　communication　then　adds　in　proof　of　his　position；　the　names　of　several　distinguished　jurists　who　postponed　the　beginning　of　their　legal　studies；　or　at　least　their　legal　practice；　to　a　time　of　life　quite　beyond　the　conventional　student　period。　　Mr。　Otis　then　declares　his　conviction　that　a　young　man　may　well　procrastinate　his　legal　studies　until　he　shall　have　attained　the　age　of　thirty　or　even　of　forty　years。　　He　declares　his　belief　that　such　postponement　will　as　a　rule　lead　to　better　result　than　can　be　attained　by　a　youth　who　begins　at　twenty；　however　brilliant　his　genius　may　be。

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　parti