james otis the pre-revolutionist-第6章

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nd　then　openly　resist？

There　was　an　epoch　of　evasion。　　This　covered　a　period　of　about　seventeen　years；　extending　from　1733　to　1750。　　In　the　latter　year　an　act　was　passed　by　Parliament　forbidding　the　erection　of　iron　works　in　America。　　The　manufacture　of　steel　was　especially　interdicted。　　The　measure　which　was　in　reality　directed　against　shipbuilding　included　a　provision　which　forbade　the　felling　of　pines　outside　of　enclosures。　　It　was　thus　sought　by　indirection　to　prevent　the　creation　of　a　merchant　marine　by　the　American　Colonists　and　to　limit　their　commerce　to　British　ships。　　This　measure　like　the　Importation　Act　was　also　ignored　and　resisted。　　For　eleven　years　the　Americans　persisted　in　their　usual　course；　making　iron；　cutting　pine　timber　and　building　ships；　importing　molasses　and　rum；　evading　the　duties；　and　thus　getting　themselves　into　the　category　of　smugglers。

It　was　this　precise　condition　of　affairs　which　led　to　a　still　more　stringent　measure　on　the　part　of　the　home　government。　　It　was　determined　in　Parliament　to　put　an　end　to　the　evasion　and　resistance　of　the　American　merchants　and　importers　with　respect　to　the　existing　laws。　　The　customs　should　be　collected。　　It　was　deemed　best；　however；　that　the　new　measure　should　issue　from　the　judiciary。

An　appeal　was　made　to　the　Court　of　Exchequer　in　England　for　the　granting　of　search　warrants　to　be　issued　in　America　by　the　king's　officers　for　the　purpose　of　ferreting　out　contraband　goods。　　These　warrants　granted　by　the　Court　of　Exchequer　were　the　Writs　of　Assistance；　the　name　of　which　appears　so　frequently　and　with　so　much　odium　in　the　colonial　history　of　the　times。　　These　writs　were　granted　by　the　court　under　pressure　of　the　ministry　in　the　year　1760。

The　Writs　of　Assistance　were　directed　to　the　officers　of　the　customs　in　America。　　But　any　officer　could　arm　one　of　his　subordinates；　or　indeed　any　other　person　whom　he　should　designate；　with　one　of　the　writs；　and　the　person　so　appointed　might　act　in　the　name　of　the　king's　officer。

The　thing　to　be　done　was　the　examination　of　any　place　and　all　places　where　contraband　goods　might　be　supposed　to　be　lodged。　　Whether　there　were　evidence　or　no　evidence；　the　case　was　the　same。　　The　document　was　a　writ　of　arbitrary　search。

Any　house；　public　or　private；　might　be　entered　at　any　time；　any　closet　or　any　cellar　might　be　opened。　　Neither　the　bridal　chamber　nor　the　room　of　the　dead　was　sacred　on　the　approach　of　any　petty　customs　constable　or　deputy　in　whose　hands　a　Writ　of　Assistance　had　been　placed。　　The　antecedent　proceedings　required　no　affidavit　or　any　other　legal　formality。　　The　object　was　to　lay　bare　the　whole　privacy　of　a　people　on　sheer　suspicion　of　smuggling。

It　could　hardly　be　supposed　that　our　fathers　would　tamely　submit　to　such　an　odious　and　despotic　procedure。　　To　have　done　so　would　have　been　to　subscribe　to　a　statute　for　their　own　enslavement。　　Nor　may　we　pass　from　the　consideration　of　these　writs　and　the　resistance　offered　thereto　by　the　patriots　of　all　our　colonies　without　noticing　the　un…English　character　of　these　laws。

Of　a　certainty　Englishmen　in　whatever　continent　or　island　of　this　world　would　never　tolerate　such　a　tyrannical　interference　with　their　rights。　　This　was　demonstrated　not　only　in　America；　but　in　England　also。

The　issuance　in　England　of　just　such　illegal　and　arbitrary　warrants　was　one　of　the　causes　that　led　to　the　tremendous　agitation　headed　by　John　Wilkes。　　The　excitement　in　that　controversy　grew；　and　notwithstanding　the　repeated　arrests　of　Wilkes　and　his　expulsions　from　Parliament；　his　reelection　was　repeated　as　often；　and　his　following　increased　until　not　only　the　ministry　but　the　throne　itself　was　shaken　by　the　cry　of　〃Wilkes　and　Liberty。〃　　Nor　did　this　well…timed　ebullition　of　human　rights　subside　until　the　arbitrary　warrants　were　annulled　by　a　decision　of　the　King's　Bench。

It　was　the　trial　of　this　issue　in　America　that　brought　on　the　Revolution。　　It　was　a　great　cause　that　had　to　be　pleaded；　and　the　occasion　and　the　city　and　the　man；　were　as　great　as　the　cause。　　The　parties　to　it　were　clearly　defined；　and　were　set　in　sharp　antagonism。

On　the　one　side　were　the　king's　officers　in　the　province；　headed　by　the　governor。　　This　following　included　the　officers　of　the　customs　in　particular。　　It　also　included　the　not　inconsiderable　class　of　American　respectabilities　who　were　feeble　in　American　sentiments；　and　who　belonged　by　nature　and　affiliation　to　the　established　order。　　These　were　the　loyalists；　destined　to　be　designated　as　Tories；　and　to　become　the　bete　noire　of　patriotism。

On　the　other　side　was　a　whole　phalanx　of　the　common　peoplea　phalanx　bounded　on　the　popular　side　by　the　outskirt　of　society　and　on　the　high…up　side　by　the　intellectual　and　philosophical　patriots　who　were　as　pronounced　as　any　for　the　cause　of　their　country；　and　with　better　reason　than　the　reason　of　the　many。

The　officers　of　the　province　elected　by　the　home　folks　were　all　patriots；　but　the　appointed　officers　of　the　crown　were　quite　unanimous　for　the　prerogative　of　the　crown；　holding　severe　measures　should　be　taken　with　the　resisting　colonists；　and　in　particular　that　the　Writs　of　Assistance　were　good　law　and　correct　policy。

We　should　here　note　the　particular　play　of　the　personal　forces　in　the　year　1760。　　There　were　two　notable　deathsthe　one　notable　in　Massachusetts　and　the　other　in　the　world。　　The　first　was　that　of　Chief　Justice　Stephen　Sewall　of　Massachusetts；　and　the　other　was　that　of　His　Majesty　George　II；　the

〃Snuffy　old　drone　from　the　German　hive；〃　

as　he　is　described　by　the　〃Autocrat　of　the　Breakfast　Table。〃　　The　first　was　succeeded　in　office　by　Thomas　Hutchinson；　Lieutenant…Governor　of　the　province　under　Sir　Fraucis　Bernard；　who　was　appointed　governor　in　this　notable　year　1760　as　the　successor　of　Thomas　Pownall；　who　had　succeeded　Governor　William　Shirley。

Hutchinsonto　use　the　adjective　which　John　Adams　was　wont　to　apply　to　himself　and　other　patriots　to　the　manner　bornwas　a　Massachusettensian。　　He　had　sympathized　with　the　people；　but　he　now　turned　against　them。　　Before　Judge　Sewall　went　away　it　was　said　and　believed　that　Governor　Shirley　had　promised　the　place　of　Chief　Justice；　when　the　same　should　be　vacant；　to　no　other　than　Colonel　James　Otis　of　Barnstable；　father　of　the　subject　of　this　sketch。

But　Governor　Bernard；　Shirley's　second　successor　in　office；　took　another　view　of　the　matter　and　appointed　Lieutenant…Governor　Hutchinson　to　the　high　office　of　Chief　Justice。

It　was　the　belief　and　allegation　of　the　King's　party　that　this　appointment　and　this　disappointmentthe　first　of　Hutchinson　and　the　second　of　Colonel　Otisbore　heavily　on　all　the　Otises；　and　indeed　converted　them　from　royalism　to　patriotism。

Chief　Justice　Hutchinson　himself　is　on　record　to　this　effect。　　In　his　〃History　of　Massachusetts；〃　speaking　of　his　own　appointment　to　the　judicial　office；　he　says：　　

〃The　expected　opposition　ensued。　　Both　gentlemen　（that　is；　Colonel　Otis　and　James　Otis；　Jr。）　had　been　friends　to　the　government。　　From　this　time　they　were　at　the　head　of　every　measure　in　opposition；　not　merely　in　those　points　which　concerned　the　Governor　in　his　administration；　but　in　such　as　concerned　the　authority　of　Parliament；　the　opposition　to　which　first　began　in　this　colony；　and　was　moved　and　conducted　by　one　of　them；　both　in　the　Assembly　and　the　town　of　Boston。　　From　so　small　a　spark；　a　great　fire　seems　to　have　been　kindled。〃

The　statement　of　a　partisan；　especially　if　he　be　a　beneficiary；　must　be　taken　with　the　usual　allowance　of　salt。

It　may　be　that　the　patriotic　trend　of　the　Otises　was　intensified　a　little　by　a　personal　pique　in　the　matter　referred　to。　　But　that　either　father　or　son　was　transferred　from　the　king's　party　to　the　people's　party　by　the　failure　of　Colonel　Otis　to　be　appointed　Chief　Justice　is　not　to　be　believed。　　Other　stories　are　to　be　dismissed　in　the　same　manner。

One　slander　prevalent　about　the　Custom　House　ran　to　the　effect　that　James　Otis　had　declared　that　he　would　set　the　province　on　fire　even　if　he　had　to　perish　in　the　flames。　　The　art　of　political　lying　was　known　even　among　our　fathers。

Such　was　the　situation　of　affairs　when　the　sycophants　of　the　foreign　government　in　Boston　undertook　to　enfo