james otis the pre-revolutionist-第15部分

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on　of　their　rights；　or　an　acknowledgment　of　a　right　in　the　Parliament　of　Great　Britain　to　impose　duties　and　taxes　upon　a　people；　who　are　not　represented　in　the　House　of　Commons。〃　　〃Ireland　is　a　conquered　country；　which　is　not　the　case　with　the　northern　Colonies；　except　Canada；　yet　no　duties　have　been　levied　by　the　British　Parliament　on　Ireland。　　No　internal　or　external　taxes　have　been　assessed　on　them；　but　by　their　own　Parliament。〃　

〃Granting　that　the　time　may　come；　which　we　hope　is　far　off；　when　the　British　Parliament　shall　think　fit　to　oblige　the　North　Americans；　not　only　to　maintain　civil　government　among　themselves；　for　this　they　have　already　done；　but　to　support　an　army　to　protect　them；　can　it　be　possible　that　the　duties　to　be　imposed　and　the　taxes　to　be　levied　shall　be　assessed　without　the　voice　or　consent　of　one　American　in　Parliament？　　If　we　are　not　represented；　we　are　slaves。〃

The　charge　that　Otis　turned　from　his　support　of　the　government　policy　because　his　father　failed　to　receive　the　desired　appointment　as　Chief　Justice　is　as　unfounded　as　it　is　improbable。

The　office　of　Chief　Justice　was　worth　not　over　a　hundred　and　twenty　pounds　sterling　a　year；　and　as　Colonel　Otis's　practice　at　the　bar　was　worth　much　more　than　this；　and　his　seat　in　the　legislature　gave　him　all　the　power　and　reputation　he　needed；　the　loss　of　the　Chief　Justiceship　could　not　have　been　a　very　great　concern　to　him。　　On　the　other　hand　one　of　the　first　measures　of　Otis　in　coming　into　public　life　was　to　resign　his　office　as　Advocate…General　which　was　worth　twice　as　much　as　the　seat　on　the　bench。　　Of　course　a　person　of　his　fiery　disposition　felt　keenly　the　insult　involved　in　the　rejection　of　his　father；　and　doubtless　the　event　imbittered　his　language　towards　Hutchinson；　but　it　would　hardly　be　likely　to　shape　his　whole　political　career　when　public　questions　of　such　great　moment　were　at　stake。

There　was　no　trace　of　meanness　or　selfishness　in　his　disposition。

To　be　sure；　Otis's　admitted　superiority　over　his　legal　associates　and　the　natural　impetuosity　of　his　nature　sometimes　made　him　excessively　dogmatic；　and　his　manner　though　courteous　even　to　a　fineness　towards　those　whom　he　liked　was　imperious　and　even　unguarded　toward　his　political　enemies。　　At　one　time；　having　cited　Dormat　（the　noted　French　jurist；　1625…1696；　author　of　〃The　Civil　Laws　in　their　Natural　Order；〃　1689）　in　the　course　of　an　argument；　Governor　Bernard　inquired　〃who　Dormat　was。〃　　Otis　answered　that　〃he　was　a　very　distinguished　civilian；　and　not　the　less　an　authority　for　being　unknown　to　your　excellency。〃　　Yet　notice　the　high…minded　courtesy　exhibited　in　the　following　incident：　　When　Charles　Lee　was　in　command　of　the　left　wing　of　the　army　with　his　headquarters　at　Winter　Hill；　in　what　is　now　Somerville；　he　refused　to　have　an　interview　and　conference　with　his　old　friend　Burgoyne；　then　lately　arrived　in　Boston；　looking　toward　the　restoration　of　an　amicable　understanding　between　the　colonies　and　the　mother　country。　　Four　months　later；　a　letter　came　from　the　Old　World　containing　a　warning　that　Lee　was　not　a　man　of　trustworthy　character。　　Otis　was　at　that　time　the　executive　head　of　the　provisional　government　which　had　been　formed　in　Massachusetts；　during　one　of　the　last　of　his　lucid　intervals。　　On　behalf　of　the　government　he　sent　a　letter　to　Lee；　quite　touching　for　its　fairminded　simplicity。　　The　council　had　come　into　possesssion　of　a　letter　from　Ireland　making　very　unfavorable　mention　of　Lee。　　It　produced　no　impression　upon　the　council。　　〃On　the　contrary；〃　says　Otis；　〃we　are　at　a　loss　to　know　which　is　the　highest　evidence　of　your　virtuesthe　greatness　and　number　of　your　friends；　or　the　malice　and　envy　of　your　foes。〃　　This　was　a　most　delicate　and　effective　way　of　offering　good　advice。

When　he　had　suffered　so　cruelly　at　the　hands　of　Commissioner　Robinson　and　his　companions　at　the　British　Coffee　House；　and　had　been　awarded　damages　by　the　court；　Otis's　high　spirit　revolted　at　the　idea　of　receiving　pecuniary　compensation　for　a　personal　insult；　and　Robinson's　release　drawn　up　by　Otis　himself　is　to　be　found　in　the　files　of　the　Supreme　Judicial　Court　of　Massachusetts；　along　with　Robinson's　written　acknowledgment　and　apology。　

Next　to　his　impetuous　devotion　to　the　true　relations　of　things；　the　source　of　Otis's　power　lay　in　his　adequate　preparation　for　the　life　of　an　advocate。　　Bred　to　the　law　at　a　time　long　before　the　pathway　had　been　smoothed　by　the　multiplication　of　elementary　works　and　other　modern　improvements；　he　yet　fully　mastered　that　abstruse　science；　which　perhaps　does　more　to　quicken　and　invigorate　the　understanding　than　many　of　the　other　kinds　of　learning　put　together。　　As　a　sufficient　foundation　for　his　later　legal　studies　he　had　pursued　at　Harvard；　the　foremost　college　in　the　colonies；　not　only　the　regular　undergraduate　classical　course；　but　also　the　three　years　of　work　required　for　the　Master's　degree。　　Moreover；　in　conformity　with　his　views　on　the　necessity　of　a　generous　and　comprehensive　culture　of　the　mind　as　a　means　of　success　at　the　bar；　or　in　any　professional　career；　Otis　did　not　plunge　at　once　from　his　collegiate　courses　into　the　routine　of　the　legal　office；　but　allowed　himself　two　years　of　self…directed　general　study　with　a　view　toward　further　disciplining　his　mind　and　widening　his　information。　　The　subjects　thus　pursued　and　the　general　culture　which　he　acquired　served　to　open　and　to　liberalize　his　mind　in　nearly　the　same　proportion　as　the　assiduous　study　of　the　law　was　next　to　invigorate　and　quicken　it。　　In　conversation　with　his　brother　he　remarked；　〃that　Blackstone's　Commentaries　would　have　saved　him　seven　years'　labor　pouring　over　and　delving　in　black　letter。〃　　He　appears　to　have　formed　a　very　correct　judgment　respecting　the　nature　of　professional　education　and　the　best　means　of　mastering　its　abstruse　details。　　He　constantly　inculcated　upon　the　young　men　who　came　to　study　in　his　office　the　maxim；　〃that　a　lawyer　ought　never　to　be　without　a　volume　of　natural　or　public　law；　or　moral　philosophy；　on　his　table　or　in　his　pocket。〃

After　two　years　of　practice　in　Plymouth；　he　removed　to　Boston　（1750）；　where　he　found　the　larger　field　which　was　demanded　by　his　superior　training　and　abilities；　and　he　very　soon　rose　to　the　front　rank　of　his　profession。

The　regard　which　he　entertained　for　his　master　in　the　law　is　well　shown　by　his　conduct　as　the　opposing　advocate　during　the　hearing　on　the　Writs　of　Assistance；　when　Otis　having　resigned　his　post　of　Advocate…General　of　the　Province　in　order　to　champion　the　people's　cause；　the　vacancy　was　filled　by　the　appointment　of　Gridley。　　Otis　held　the　character　and　abilities　of　his　former　teacher　in　very　high　respect；　and　allowed　this　differential　feeling　to　appear　throughout　the　trial。　　〃It　was；〃　says　John　Adams；　who　was　present　on　this　occasion；　and　from　whom　nearly　all　the　details　of　the　course　of　this　affair　are　derived；　〃it　was　a　moral　spectacle　more　affecting　to　me　than　any　I　have　ever　seen　upon　the　stage；　to　observe　a　pupil　treating　his　master　with　all　the　deference；　respect；　esteem；　and　affection　of　a　son　to　a　father；　and　that　without　the　least　affectation；　while　he　baffled　and　confounded　all　his　authorities；　confuted　all　his　arguments；　and　reduced　him　to　silence。〃　　Nor　was　a　suitable　return　wanting　on　the　part　of　Mr。　Gridley；　who　〃seemed　to　me　to　exult　inwardly　at　the　glory　and　triumph　of　his　pupil。〃

Though　he　made　no　pretensions　to　scholarship；　some　of　his　writings　showed　a　cultivated　taste　and　a　love　of　literary　pursuits；　which　were　gratified　so　far　as　his　numerous　engagements　in　public　service　would　permit。　　With　a　literary　taste　formed　and　matured　by　the　study　of　Latin　and　Greek　prosidy　as　constituted　in　the　best　models　of　antiquity；　it　is　not　surprising　that　his　opinions　on　matters　of　criticism　and　scholarship　were　those　of　the　Odd　school；　and　that　he　decried　all　the　forms　of　innovation　in　letters　which　had　begun　to　show　themselves　in　his　day；　and　which　he　regarded　as　affectations。　　His　constant　advice　to　young　people　was　if　you　want　to　read　poetry；　read　Shakespeare；　Milton；　Dryden；　and　Pope；　throw　all　the　rest　in　the　fire。　　And　with　the　addition　of　but　one　or　two　names　which　have　appeared　since　his　time；　such　counsel　is　judicious　advice　even　to…day。　

His　abilities　were；　perhaps；　somewhat　overrated　in　the　admiring　judgment　of　his　contemporaries。　　His　style　as　a　writer　was　copious　and　energetic；　but　it　was　sometimes　careless；　coarse　and　even　incorrect。　　His　eloquence　was　better　adapted　to　popular　assemblies　than　to　the　graver　occasions　of　legislative　debate；　in　the　halls　of　justice；　it　produced　a　greater　effect　on　the　jury　than　on　the　judge。　　〃The　few　fragments　of　his　speeches　that　were　reported　and　are　now　extant　give　no　idea　of　the　enthusiasm　that　was　created　by　their　delivery。　　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。〃　　While　his　arguments　were　sometimes　comprehensive　and　varied；　they　generally　related　only　to　a　few　points　which　they　placed　in　a　very　clear　and　convincing　light。　　His　object　was　immediate　effect。　　He　had　studied　the　art　of　clear　expression　and　forcible　argument　in　order　to