james otis the pre-revolutionist-第7章

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Such　was　the　situation　of　affairs　when　the　sycophants　of　the　foreign　government　in　Boston　undertook　to　enforce　the　Writs　of　Assistance。　　They　soon　found　that　they　needed　more　assistance　to　do　it。　　The　banded　merchants；　and　the　patriots　generally；　said　that　the　acts　were　illegal；　and　that　they　would　not　submit　to　the　officers。　　The　governor　and　his　subordinates　and　the　custom…house　retinue　in　particular；　said　that　the　writs　were　legal；　and　that　they　should　be　enforced。　　The　matter　came　to　a　clash　and　a　trial。

The　case　as　made　up　presented　this　question：　　Shall　the　persons　employed　in　enforcing　the　Acts　of　Trade　have　the　power　to　invoke　generally　the　assistance　of　all　the　executive　officers　of　the　colony？

This　issue　was；　in　February　of　1761；　taken　into　court　in　the　old　Town　House；　afterwards　the　old　State　House；　of　Boston。　　There　were　sitting　the　five　Judges　of　the　Superior　Court　of　the　province。　　Chief　Justice　Hutchinson；　still　holding　the　office　of　Lieutenant…Governor；　his　membership　in　the　Council；　and　his　position　of　Judge　of　Probate；　presided　at　the　trial。　　Perhaps　there　was　never　in　America　an　instance　in　which　a　high　official　so　nearly　fulfilled　the　part　of　〃Pooh　Bah。〃

The　trial　evoked　an　attendance　of　all　who　could　be　admitted；　and　of　many　more。　　The　officers　of　the　crown　were　out　in　full　force；　and　resolute　patriotism　completed　the　crowd。　　John　Adams　was　one　of　the　spectators。

Another　element　in　the　dramatic　situation　was　the　fact　that　James　Otis　had；　in　the　meantime；　received　the　appointment　to　the　crown　office　of　Advocate　General；　to　which　an　ample　salary　was　attached。　　In　this　relation　it　would　be　his　especial　duty　to　support　the　petition　of　the　custom…house　officers　in　upholding　the　Writs　of　Assistance　and　in　constraining　the　executive　officers　of　the　province　to　support　them　in　doing　so。

This　contingency　brought　out　the　mettle　of　the　man。　　When　the　revenue　officers　came　to　him　with　the　request　that　he　defend　their　case；　he　at　once　resigned　his　office；　and　this　being　known　the　merchants　immediately　sought　his　services　as　counsel　to　uphold　their　protest　against　the　Writs。　　For　his　assistant　they　selected　Mr。　Oxenbridge　Thatcher。

Otis　accepted　the　invitation　without　a　fee。　　His　action　involved　the　loss　of　his　official　position　as　well　as　his　means　of　living。

It　chanced　at　this　time　that　his　old　law　preceptor；　Jeremiah　Gridley；　was　selected　as　King's　Attorney；　and　it　fell　to　his　lot　to　take　the　place　which　Otis　would　not　accept。　　Thus　master　and　pupil　were　brought　face　to　face　at　the　bar　in　the　hottest　legal　encounter　which　preceded　our　rupture　with　the　mother　country。

The　trial　that　ensued　has　been　described　by　John　Adams；　an　eye　witness　of　the　whole　proceedings。　　He　gives　in　his　works　a　description　of　the　conduct　of　the　case　as　it　was　presented　for　and　against　the　crown；　and　also　notes　of　Otis's　argument。

After　the　pleas　were　presented　and　other　preliminary　matters　arranged；　Mr。　Gridley　addressed　the　court　in　support　of　the　government's　position。　　He　defended　the　petition　of　the　custom…house　officials　as　both　legal　and　just。　　Two　statutes　of　the　time　of　Charles　II；　empowering　the　court　of　Exchequer　to　issue　writs　such　as　those　which　were　now　denied；　were　adduced。　　He　then　cited　the　statute　of　the　sixth　year　of　Queen　Anne；　which　continued　to　inforce　the　processes　which　had　been　authorized　in　the　twelfth　and　fourteenth　years　of　the　reign　of　Charles。

Still　more　to　the　point　were　the　statutes　of　the　seventh　and　eighth　years　of　William　III；　which　authorized　the　collection　of　revenue　〃in　the　British　plantations〃　by　officers　who　might　search　both　public　and　private　houses　to　find　goods　that　had　evaded　the　duty。　　These　statutes　Mr。　Gridley　claimed　as　a　warrant　for　the　like　usage　in　America。

In　answer　to　Gridley；　Oxenbridge　Thatcher；＇1＇　himself　a　lawyer　of　no　mean　abilities；　spoke　for　the　counter　petitioners。　　His　plea　was　a　strong　confutation　of　Gridley's　arguments。　　After　this　brief　address　Mr。　Otis　rose　to　continue　the　plea　for　the　people。

Of　the　speech　which　followed　we　have　no　complete　record　or　wholly　satisfactory　summary。　　It　is　to　John　Adams；　and　to　the　notes　which　he　made　on　the　occasion；　that　we　must　look　for　our　opinion　of　what　was；　if　we　mistake　not；　the　greatest　and　most　effective　oration　delivered　in　the　American　colonies　before　the　Revolution。

Such　was　the　accepted　belief　of　those　who　heard　Otis；　and　witnessed　the　effect　of　his　tremendous　oratory。

Making　all　allowance　for　exaggeration；　it　seems　to　have　been　one　of　those　inspired　appeals　by　which　History　and　Providence　at　critical　epochs　make　themselves　known　to　mankind。　　John　Adams；　then　twenty…five　years　of　age；　passing　from　his　notes　of　Thatcher's　speech；　says　of　the　greater　actor：

〃But　Otis　was　a　flame　of　fire；　with　a　promptitude　of　classical　allusions；　a　depth　of　research；　a　rapid　summary　of　historical　events　and　dates；　a　profusion　of　legal　authorities；　a　prophetic　glance　of　his　eyes　into　futurity；　and　a　rapid　torrent　of　impetuous　eloquence；　he　hurried　away　all　before　him。　　American　Independence　was　then　and　there　born。　　The　seeds　of　patriots　and　heroes；　to　defend　the　Non　sine　diis　animosus　infans；　to　defend　the　vigorous　youth；　were　then　and　there　sown。　　Every　man　of　an　immense　crowded　audience　appeared　to　me　to　go　away；　as　I　did；　ready　to　take　arms　against　Writs　of　Assistance。　　Then　and　there　was　the　first　scene　of　the　first　act　of　opposition　to　the　arbitrary　claims　of　Great　Britain。　　Then　and　there　the　child　Independence　was　born。　　In　fifteen　years；　that　is　in　1776；　he　grew　up　to　manhood；　and　declared　himself　free。〃

We　may　allow　a　little　for　the　enthusiasm　of　a　young　patriot　such　as　Adams；　but　there　can　be　no　doubt　that　his　unmeasured　eulogy　was　well　deserved。　Such　was　the　description　of　Otis's　speech。

As　to　the　speech　itself　we　have　only　a　second…hand　and　inadequate　report。　　Minot；　in　his　〃History　of　Massachusetts；〃　presents　what　purports　to　be　a　tolerably　full　outline　of　the　great　address。

Mr。　Otis　spoke　for　five　hours；　during　which　time　with　his　rather　rapid　utterance　he　would　perhaps　deliver　an　oration　of　30；000　words。　　Minot's　report　appears　to　have　been　derived　from　Adams'　notes　done　into　full　form　by　an　unknown　writer；　who　probably　put　in　here　and　there　some　rather　florid　paragraphs　of　his　own。　　At　a　subsequent　period；　Adams　took　up　the　subject　and　corrected　Minot's　report；　giving　the　revised　address　to　William　Tudor；　who　used　the　same　in　his　biography　of　James　Otis。　　From　these　sources　we　are　able　to　present　a　fair　abstract　of　what　were　the　leading　parts　of　Otis's　speech。　　In　the　beginning　he　said：　

〃May　it　please　your　Honors：

〃I　was　desired　by　one　of　the　court　to　look　into　the　books；　and　consider　the　question　now　before　them　concerning　Writs　of　Assistance。　　I　have　accordingly　considered　it；　and　now　appear；　not　only　in　obedience　to　your　order；　but　likewise　in　behalf　of　the　inhabitants　of　this　town；　who　have　present　another　petition；　and　out　of　regard　to　the　liberties　of　the　subject。　　And　I　take　this　liberty　to　declare；　that；　whether　under　a　fee　or　not　（for　in　such　a　cause　as　this　I　despise　a　fee）；　I　will　to　my　dying　day　oppose；　with　all　the　powers　and　faculties　God　has　given　me；　all

such　instruments　of　slavery　on　the　one　hand；　and　villainy　on　the　other；　as　this　Writ　of　Assistance　is。

〃It　appears　to　me　the　worst　instrument　of　arbitrary　power；　the　most　destructive　of　English　liberty　and　the　fundamental　principles　of　law；　that　was　ever　found　in　an　English　law…book。　　I　must；　therefore；　beg　your　Honors'　patience　and　attention　to　the　whole　range　of　an　argument；　that　may；　perhaps；　appear　uncommon　in　many　things；　as　well　as　to　points　of　learning　that　are　more　remote　and　unusual；　that　the　whole　tendency　of　my　design　may　the　more　easily　be　perceived；　the　conclusions　better　descend；　and　the　force　of　them　be　better　felt。

〃I　shall　not　think　much　of　my　pains　in　this　case；　as　I　engaged　in　it　from　principle。　　I　was　solicited　to　argue　this　case　as　advocate…general；　and　because　I　would　not；　I　have　been　charged　with　desertion　from　my　office。　　To　this　charge　I　can　give　a　very　sufficient　answer。　　I　renounced　that　office；　and　I　argue　this　case；　from　the　same　principle；　and　I　argue　it　with　the　greater　pleasu