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These¡¡principles¡¡of¡¡the¡¡civilized¡¡life¡¡were¡¡strongly¡¡illustrated¡¡in¡¡our¡¡War¡¡of¡¡Independence¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡forerunners¡¡of¡¡that¡¡war¡¡were¡¡a¡¡race¡¡of¡¡giants¡£¡¡¡¡Their¡¡like¡¡has¡¡hardly¡¡been¡¡seen¡¡in¡¡any¡¡other¡¡epoch¡¡of¡¡that¡¡sublime¡¡scrimmage¡¡called¡¡history¡£¡¡¡¡Five¡¡or¡¡six¡¡names¡¡may¡¡be¡¡selected¡¡from¡¡the¡¡list¡¡of¡¡the¡¡early¡¡American¡¡prophets¡¡whose¡¡deeds¡¡and¡¡outcry£»¡¡if¡¡reduced¡¡to¡¡hexameters£»¡¡would¡¡be¡¡not¡¡the¡¡Iliad£»¡¡not¡¡the¡¡Jerusalem¡¡Delivered£»¡¡but¡¡the¡¡Epic¡¡of¡¡Human¡¡Liberty¡£
The¡¡greatest¡¡of¡¡these£»¡¡our¡¡protagonists¡¡of¡¡freedom£»¡¡was¡¡Benjamin¡¡Franklin¡£¡¡¡¡After¡¡him¡¡it¡¡were¡¡difficult¡¡to¡¡name¡¡the¡¡second¡£¡¡¡¡It¡¡is¡¡always¡¡difficult¡¡to¡¡find¡¡the¡¡second¡¡man£»¡¡for¡¡there¡¡are¡¡several¡¡who¡¡come¡¡after¡£¡¡¡¡In¡¡the¡¡case¡¡of¡¡our¡¡forerunners¡¡the¡¡second¡¡may¡¡have¡¡been¡¡Thomas¡¡Jefferson£»¡¡it¡¡may¡¡have¡¡been¡¡Samuel¡¡Adams£»¡¡it¡¡may¡¡have¡¡been¡¡his¡¡cousin£»¡¡it¡¡may¡¡have¡¡been¡¡Thomas¡¡Paine£»¡¡it¡¡may¡¡have¡¡been¡¡Patrick¡¡Henry£»¡¡it¡¡may¡¡have¡¡been¡¡James¡¡Otis£»¡¡the¡¡subject¡¡of¡¡this¡¡monograph¡£
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The¡¡American¡¡Otises¡¡of¡¡the¡¡seventeenth¡¡century¡¡were¡¡of¡¡English¡¡descent¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡emigration¡¡of¡¡the¡¡family¡¡from¡¡the¡¡mother¡¡country¡¡occurred¡¡at¡¡an¡¡early¡¡day¡¡when¡¡the¡¡settlements¡¡in¡¡New¡¡England¡¡were¡¡still¡¡infrequent¡¡and¡¡weak¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡Otis¡¡family¡¡was¡¡among¡¡the¡¡first¡¡to¡¡settle¡¡at¡¡the¡¡town¡¡of¡¡Hingham¡£¡¡¡¡Nor¡¡was¡¡it¡¡long¡¡until¡¡the¡¡name¡¡appeared¡¡in¡¡the¡¡public¡¡records£»¡¡indicating¡¡official¡¡rank¡¡and¡¡leadership¡£¡¡¡¡From¡¡Hingham£»¡¡John¡¡Otis£»¡¡who¡¡was¡¡born¡¡in¡¡1657£»¡¡ancestor¡¡of¡¡the¡¡subject¡¡of¡¡this¡¡sketch£»¡¡removed¡¡to¡¡Barnstable£»¡¡near¡¡the¡¡center¡¡of¡¡the¡¡peninsula¡¡of¡¡Massachusetts£»¡¡and¡¡became¡¡one¡¡of¡¡the¡¡first¡¡men¡¡of¡¡that¡¡settlement¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡was¡¡sent¡¡to¡¡the¡¡Legislature¡¡and¡¡thence¡¡to¡¡the¡¡Council¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Colony¡¡in¡¡which¡¡he¡¡had¡¡a¡¡seat¡¡for¡¡twenty¡one¡¡years¡£¡¡¡¡During¡¡this¡¡period¡¡he¡¡was¡¡promoted¡¡to¡¡the¡¡place¡¡of¡¡Chief¡¡Justice¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Common¡¡Pleas£»¡¡and¡¡while¡¡holding¡¡this¡¡important¡¡place¡¡he¡¡was¡¡also¡¡judge¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Probate¡¡Court¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡family¡¡rose¡¡and¡¡flourished¡¡in¡¡reputation¡£
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