james otis the pre-revolutionist-第14部分

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ures　only　as　on　the　tomb　in　which　the　mortal　remains　of　a　friend　repose。　　We　even　long　for　the　closing　of　the　scene；　and　think　it　would　be　far　better　if　the　now　tenantless　and　ruined　house　were　levelled　with　the　ground。〃

A　nice　sense　of　honor　was　perhaps　the　second　most　striking　point　in　Otis's　energetic　and　strongly…marked　character。　　Called　by　reason　of　his　fame　as　an　advocate　to　the　management　of　suits　even　at　a　distance　from　home；　and　receiving　the　largest　fees　ever　given　to　an　advocate　in　the　province；　he　yet　disdained　to　suffer　the　success　of　any　of　his　cases　to　rest　on　any　petty　arts　or　undue　evasions。　　Conscious　of　possessing　eminent　abilities　and　sufficient　learning　he　undertook　to　advocate　no　cause　that　he　did　not　truly　and　fully　believe　in。　　His　ardent　pleading　and　the　fairness　of　his　dealing　before　the　courts　was　the　result　of　his　firm　belief　in　the　justice　of　his　cause。　　Nothing　but　truth　could　give　him　this　firmness；　but　plain　truth　and　clear　evidence　can　be　beat　down　by　no　ability　in　handling　the　quirks　and　substitutes　of　the　law。

It　was　from　this　source　as　from　no　other　that　Otis　drew　his　power　as　a　pleader。　　He　was　as　John　Adams　records　concerning　his　speech　on　the　〃Writs　of　Assistance；〃　〃a　flame　of　fire；〃　but　he　was　a　flame　of　fire　set　burning　to　consume　the　dross　of　injustice　and　to　purify　and　rescue　the　gold　of　liberty　and　fair…dealing。　　Thomas　Hutchinson；　before　whom　Otis　often　pleaded　and　whose　testimony　is　of　the　greatest　weight　when　we　remember　that　Otis　was　his　political　opponent；　has　said　that　he　never　knew　fairer　or　more　noble　conduct　in　a　pleader　than　in　Otis；　that　he　always　disdained　to　take　advantage　of　any　clerical　error　or　similar　inadvertence；　but　passed　over　minor　points；　and　defended　his　causes　solely　on　their　broad　and　substantial　foundations。　　In　this　regard　Otis　seems　to　satisfy　Emerson's　definition　of　a　great　man；　when　in　his　essay　on　the　〃Uses　of　Great　Men〃　the　latter　declares：　　〃I　count　him　a　great　man　who　inhabits　a　higher　sphere　of　thought；　into　which　other　men　rise　with　labor　and　difficulty；　he　has　but　to　open　his　eyes　to　see　things　in　a　true　light；　and　in　large　relations；　whilst　they　must　make　painful　corrections；　and　keep　a　vigilant　eye　on　many　sources　of　error。〃

Indeed；　it　can　be　said　of　Otis　as　Coleridge　said　of　O'Connell；　〃See　how　triumphant　in　debate　and　action　he　is。　　And　why？　　Because　he　asserts　a　broad　principle；　acts　up　to　it；　rests　his　body　upon　it；　and　has　faith　in　it。〃　　The　world　is　upheld；　as　Emerson　says；　by　the　veracity　of　good　men；　and　so　the　great　power　of　Otis　as　an　advocate　before　the　civil　bar　in　the　minor　cases　of　his　career；　and　as　an　advocate　of　the　people　in　the　larger　court　in　the　great　case　of　his　life；　for　the　liberty　of　opposing　arbitrary　power　by　speaking　and　writing　the　truth；　arose　almost　entirely　from　his　absolute　integrity　and　fairmindedness。　　Clarendon's　portrait　of　Falkland　applies　equally　as　well　to　Otis；　〃He　was　so　severe　an　adorer　of　the　truth　that　he　could　as　easily　have　given　himself　leave　to　steal　as　to　dissemble。〃　　In　short；　Otis　acted　aright；　and　feared　not　the　consequences；　and　thus　became　a　power　in　the　community　because　of　his　personal　character。

The　great　popularity　that　he　immediately　acquired　he　used　for　no　sinister　or　selfish　ends。　　He　stooped　to　none　of　the　arts　of　the　demagogue；　he　was　never　carried　away　by　a　blind　spirit　of　faction。　　He　opposed　the　arbitrary　design　of　the　English　ministry　with　great　spirit　and　firmness；　though　with　some　indiscretion；　but　he　was　no　advocate　of　turbulent　dissensions　or　causeless　revolt。　　He　allowed　himself　to　be　ruled　by　the　greater　moderation　and　prudence　of　his　associates；　while　he　inspired　them　with　his　own　resistless　energy　and　determination。

No　imputation　can　justly　be　thrown　on　the　sincerity　of　his　patriotism；　although　the　attempt　was　made　by　some　of　his　contemporaries。

When　in　1764；　Otis；　as　chairman　of　a　committee　of　the　Assembly　appointed　to　consider　the　status　of　the　Sugar　Act；　favored　the　commission　of　Hutchinson　as　a　special　agent　of　the　Colony　to　go　to　England　and　present　the　claims　of　the　colonists；　he　was　accused　of　inconsistency　in　opinion　and　action；　and　of　dereliction　of　duty　as　the　acknowledged　leader　of　the　patriotic　party。　　　Combined　with　the　extraordinary　appointment　of　Hutchinson；　which　however　never　took　effect　owing　to　the　opposition　of　Governor　Bernard；　Otis　was　also　charged　with　a　too　absolute　recognition　of　the　supremacy　of　Parliament　in　his　pamphlet　on　the　Rights　of　the　Colonies。　　As　his　father　had　recently　received　a　judicial　appointment；　of　no　great　importance；　however；　some　persons　went　so　far　as　to　suspect　Otis's　fidelity　to　the　cause；　among　whom　was　John　Adams；　as　we　see　from　his　diary　quoted　elsewhere　in　this　paper。　　People　talked　of　a　compromise　in　which　he　was　supposed　to　be　engaged　for　gradually　withdrawing　all　resistance　to　the　proceedings　of　the　ministry。

Such　charges；　however；　were　but　the　indications　of　the　unsteadiness　and　injustice　of　fickle　popular　favor。　　The　sacrifices　which　Otis　made　for　the　cause；　as　told　of　by　himself　in　the　narrative　given　in　this　paper；　were　far　too　heavy　for　his　patriotism　to　be　doubted　for　an　instant；　and　any　remaining　doubt　must　certainly　be　removed　by　a　glance　at　the　official　correspondence　of　Governor　Bernard　in　which　he　is　from　first　to　last　regarded　as　the　chief　opponent　of　the　prerogative　and　is　subjected　to　much　calumny　on　that　account。

The　selection　of　Lieutenant…Governor　Hutchinson　as　the　special　agent　of　the　Colony；　though　appearing　at　first　sight　somewhat　strange；　is　easily　explained　and　appears　as　the　best　possible　choice。　　He　was　a　native　of　the　province；　and　as　such　thoroughly　acquainted　with　its　interests　and　desirous　of　promoting　them。　　A　few　years　before　he　had　given　sound　advice　to　both　Houses　in　relation　to　the　very　matter　of　the　Sugar　Act；　counselling　them　not　to　apply　for　a　reduction　of　the　duty；　lest　they　should　appear　as　indirectly　consenting　to　pay　it　under　any　circumstances；　advice　which　had　prevailed　against　the　preconceived　opinion　of　a　majority　of　both　branches　of　the　legislature。　　Moreover；　Hutchinson's　attachment　to　the　interests　of　the　crown；　and　his　intimate　relations　with　the　ministry；　would　enable　him　to　prosecute　the　suit　of　the　province　to　great　advantage；　whereas　a　known　leader　of　the　popular　party　in　Massachusetts　would　not　be　received　with　much　favor　at　the　Board　of　Trade；　whatever　his　errand。

As　to　Otis's　rather　unstinted　recognition　of　the　prerogatives　of　the　crown　and　the　right　of　Parliament　to　tax　the　Colonies；　we　remark　that　he　had　undoubtedly　the　same　ends　in　view　as　the　other　popular　leaders；　but　he　differed　from　them　in　the　choice　of　the　means；　the　selection　of　arguments；　and　the　proper　mode　of　conducting　the　controversy。　　All　certainly　desired　to　be　exempt　from　taxation　and　to　secure　freedom　of　trade；　the　question　was　how　best　attain　these　ends　and　reconcile　their　pretensions　with　the　acknowledged　principles　of　English　law？　　Otis　opposed　both　the　Sugar　Act　and　the　Stamp　Act　on　the　same　broad　principle　on　which　Hampden　in　England　resisted　the　payment　of　ship…money；　namely；　that　neither　measure　was　sanctioned　by　the　representatives　of　the　people　on　whom　these　contributions　for　the　support　of　the　government　were　to　be　levied。　　He　was　too　good　a　lawyer　to　question　openly　the　abstract　supremacy　of　Parliament；　or　to　deny　the　technical　〃right〃　of　this　body　to　tax　America；　or　to　do　anything　else。　　But　he　affirmed　that　he　could　not　justifiably　exercise　this　right　unless　representatives　elected　by　America　were　admitted　to　sit　in　the　House　of　Commons。　　〃When　Parliament；〃　said　he；　〃shall　think　fit　to　allow　the　colonists　a　representation　in　the　House　of　Commons；　the　equity　of　their　taxing　the　colonists　will　be　as　clear　as　their　power　is　at　present　of　doing　it；　if　they　please。〃　　These　opinions　did　not　coincide　with　the　sentiments　of　the　greater　part　of　the　people　at　this　period；　and　they　were　displeased　with　the　explicit　and　comprehensive　terms　in　which　Otis　acknowledged　the　authority　of　Parliament；　they　did　not　care　to　be　reminded　of　their　subjection　in　such　positive　language。　　Otis's　incautious　use　of　words　may　have　led　him　to　exaggerate　the　sovereignty　of　England　over　her　Colonies；　but　the　course　which　he　pursued　was　undoubtedly　the　most　judicious　one　for　the　interests　of　America。

That　this　criticism　and　disaffection　concerning　Otis　was　of　short　duration；　and　justly　so；　is　shown　by　the　fact　that　at　the　end　of　the　legislative　session　he　was　appointed　chairman　of　the　committee　charged　with　securing　the　co…operation　of　the　other　Colonies　in　a　united　effort　of　opposition　to　the　scheme　for　taxing　America。　　That　he　was　sufficiently　alive　to　the　true　interests　of　the　Colonies　and　watchful　of　any　imposition　upon　their　rights　as　subjects　under　the　English　Constitution；　we　may　cite　one　or　two　brief　extracts　from　the　letter　of　instructions　to　the　provincial　agent　in　England；　written　by　him　and　adopted　by　the　representatives。　　〃The　silence　of　the　province；〃　he　says　in　regard　to　the　Sugar　Act；　〃should　have　been　imputed　to　any　cause；　even　to　despair；　rather　than　be　construed　into　tacit　cession　of　their　rights；　or　an　acknowledgment　of　a　right　in　the　Parliament　of　Great　Britain　to　impose　dut