james otis the pre-revolutionist-第19章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


in　which　the　complainant　has　before　sworn　that　he　suspects　his　goods　are　concealed；　and　will　find　it　adjudged　that　special　warrants　only　are　legal。　　In　the　same　manner　I　rely　on　it；　that　the　writ　prayed　for　in　this　petition　is　illegal。　　It　is　a　power　that　places　the　liberty　of　every　man　in　the　hands　of　every　petty　officer。　　I　say；　I　admit　that　special　Writs　of　Assistance；　to　search　special　places；　may　be　granted　to　certain　persons　on　oath；　but　I　deny　that　the　writ　now　prayed　for　can　be　granted；　for　I　beg　leave　to　make　some　observations　on　the　writ　itself；　before　I　proceed　to　other　Acts　of　Parliament。　　In　the　first　place；　the　writ　is　universal；　being　directed　〃to　all　and　singular　justices；　sheriffs；　constables；　and　all　other　officers　and　subjects〃；　so　that；　in　short；　it　is　directed　to　every　subject　in　the　King's　domains。　　Every　one　with　this　writ　may　be　a　tyrant；　if　this　commission　be　legal；　a　tyrant　in　a　legal　manner；　also；　may　control；　imprison；　or　murder　any　one　within　the　realm。　　In　the　next　place；　it　is　perpetual；　there　is　no　return。　　A　man　is　accountable　to　no　person　for　his　doings。　　Every　man　may　reign　secure　in　his　petty　tyranny；　and　spread　terror　and　desolation　around　him　＇until　the　trump　of　the　Archangel　shall　excite　different　emotions　in　his　soul＇。　　In　the　third　place；　a　person　with　this　writ；　in　the　daytime；　may　enter　all　houses；　shops；　etc。；　at　will；　and　command　all　to　assist　him。　　Fourthly；　by　this　writ　not　only　deputies；　etc。；　but　even　their　menial　servants；　are　allowed　to　lord　it　over　us。　　＇What　is　this　but　to　have　the　curse　of　Canaan　with　a　witness　on　us：　t　o　be　the　servants　of　servants；　the　most　despicable　of　God's　creation？＇　　Now　one　of　the　most　essential　branches　of　English　liberty　is　the　freedom　of　one's　house。　　A　man's　house　is　his　castle；　and　whilst　he　is　quiet；　he　is　as　well　guarded　as　a　prince　in　his　castle。　　This　writ；　if　it　should　be　declared　legal；　would　totally　annihilate　this　privilege。　　Custom…house　officers　may　enter　our　houses　when　they　please；　we　are　commanded　to　permit　their　entry。　　Their　menial　servants　may　enter；　may　break　locks；　bars；　and　everything　in　their　way；　and　whether　they　break　through　malice　or　revenge；　no　man；　no　court　can　inquire。　　Bare　suspicion　without　oath　is　sufficient。　　This　wanton　exercise　of　this　power　is　not　a　chimerical　suggestion　of　a　heated　brain。　　I　will　mention　some　facts。　　Mr。　Pew　had　one　of　these　writs；　and　when　Mr。　Ware　succeeded　him；　he　endorsed　this　writ　over　to　Mr。　Ware；　so　that　these　writs　are　negotiable　from　one　officer　to　another；　and　so　your　Honours　have　no　opportunity　of　judging　the　persons　to　whom　this　vast　power　is　delegated。　　Another　instance　is　this：　　Mr。　Justice　Walley　had　called　this　same　Mr。　Ware　before　him；　by　a　constable；　for　a　breach　of　the　Sabbath…day　Acts；　or　that　of　profane　swearing。　　As　soon　as　he　had　finished；　Mr。　Ware　asked　him　if　he　had　done。　　He　replied；　〃Yes。〃　　〃Well；　then；〃　said　Mr。　Ware；　〃I　will　show　you　a　little　of　my　power。　　I　command　you　to　permit　me　to　search　your　house　for　uncustomed　goods；〃　and　went　on　to　search　the　house　from　garret　to　cellar；　and　then　served　the　constable　in　the　same　manner！　　But　to　show　another　absurdity　in　this　writ；　if　it　should　be　established；　I　insist　upon　it　every　person；　by　the　14　Charles　II。；　has　this　power　as　well　as　the　Custom…house　officers。　　The　words　are；　〃it　shall　be　lawful　for　any　person　or　persons　authorized；　etc。〃　　What　a　scene　does　this　open！　　Every　man　prompted　by　revenge；　ill…humor　or　wantonness　to　inspect　the　inside　of　his　neighbour's　house；　may　get　a　Writ　of　Assistance。　　Others　will　ask　it　from　self　defence；　one　arbitrary　exertion　will　provoke　another；　until　society　be　involved　in　tumult　and　in　blood！

Again；　these　writs　are　not　returned。　　Writs；　in　their　nature；　are　temporary　things。　　When　the　purposes　for　which　they　are　issued　are　answered；　they　exist　no　more；　but　these　live　forever；　no　one　can　be　called　to　account。　　Thus　reason　and　the　constitution　are　both　against　this　writ。　　Let　us　see　what　authority　there　is　for　it。　　Not　more　than　one　instance　can　be　found　of　it　in　all　our　law…books；　and　that　was　in　the　zenith　of　arbitrary　power；　namely；　in　the　reign　of　Charles　II。；　when　star…chamber　powers　were　pushed　to　extremity　by　some　ignorant　clerk　of　the　exchequer。　　But　had　this　writ　been　in　any　book　whatever；　it　would　have　been　illegal。　　All　precedents　are　under　the　control　of　the　principles　of　law。　　Lord　Talbot　（the　Earl　of　Shrewsbury；　an　English　peer　of　the　era　of　William　and　Mary）　says　it　is　better　to　observe　these　than　any　precedents；　though　in　the　House　of　Lords　the　last　resort　of　the　subject。　　No　Acts　of　Parliament　can　establish　such　a　writ；　though　it　should　be　made　in　the　very　words　of　the　petition；　it　would　be　void。　　An　act　against　the　constitution　is　void。　　But　this　proves　no　more　than　what　I　before　observed；　that　special　writs　may　be　granted　on　oath　and　probable　suspicion。　　The　act　of　7　and　8　William　III。　that　the　officers　of　the　plantations　shall　have　the　same　powers；　etc。；　is　confined　to　this　sense；　that　an　officer　should　show　probable　ground；　should　take　his　oath　of　it；　should　do　this　before　a　magistrate；　and　that　such　magistrate；　if　he　think　proper；　should　issue　a　special　warrant　to　a　constable　to　search　the　places。　　That　of　6　Anne　can　prove　no　more。

＇4＇　Otis's　opponenthis　legal　preceptorwho　argued　in　favor　of　the　Writs。


JAMES　OTIS　ON　THE　STAMP　ACT。　　An　Oration　Delivered　Before　the　Governor　and　Council　In　Boston；　December　20；　1765。

It　is　with　great　grief　that　I　appear　before　your　Excellency　（Governor　Hutchinson）　and　Honours　（of　the　City　Council）　on　this　occasion。　　A　wicked　and　unfeeling　minister　（Earl　Grenville）　has　caused　a　people；　the　most　loyal　and　affectionate　that　ever　king　was　blest　with；　to　groan　under　the　most　insupportable　oppression。

But　I　think；　Sir；　that　he　now　stands　upon　the　brink　of　inevitable　destruction；　and　trust　that　soon；　very　soon；　he　will　feel　the　full　weight　of　his　injured　sovereign's　righteous　indignation。　　I　have　no　doubt；　Sir；　but　that　the　loyal　and　dutiful　representations　of　nine　provinces；　the　cries　and　supplications　of　a　distressed　people；　the　united　voice　of　all　his　Majesty's　most　loyal　and　affectionate　British…American　subjects；　will　obtain　all　that　ample　redress　which　they　have　a　right　to　expect；　and　that　erelong　they　will　see　their　cruel　and　insidious　enemies；　both　at　home　and　abroad；　put　to　shame　and　confusion。

My　brother　Adams　has　entered　so　largely　into　the　validity　of　the　act；　that　I　shall　not　enlarge　on　that　head。　　Indeed；　what　has　been　observed　is　sufficient　to　convince　the　most　illiterate　savage　that　the　Parliament　of　England　had　no　regard　to　the　very　first　principles　of　their　own　liberties。　

Only　the　preamble　of　that　oppressive　act　is　enough　to　rouse　the　blood　of　every　generous　Briton。〃We　your　Majesty's　subjects；　the　commons　of　Great　Britain；　etc。；　do　give　and　grant〃What？　　Their　own　property？　　No！　　The　treasure；　the　heart's　blood　of　all　your　Majesty's　dutiful　and　affectionate　British…American　subjects。

But　the　time　is　far　spent。　　I　will　not　tire　your　patience。　　It　was　once　a　fundamental　maxim　that　every　subject　had　the　same　right　to　his　life；　liberty；　property；　and　the　law　that　the　King　had　to　his　crown；　and　'tis　yet；　I　venture　to　say；　as　much　as　a　crown　is　worth；　to　deny　the　subject　his　law；　which　is　his　birthright。　　'Tis　a　first　principle　〃that　Majesty　should　not　only　shine　in　arms；　but　be　armed　with　the　laws。〃　　The　administration　of　justice　is　necessary　to　the　very　existence　of　governments。　　Nothing　can　warrant　the　stopping　the　course　of　justice　but　the　impossibility　of　holding　courts；　by　reason　of　war；　invasion；　rebellion；　or　insurrection。　　This　was　law　at　a　time　when　the　whole　island　of　Great　Britain　was　divided　into　an　infinite　number　of　petty　baronies　and　principalities；　as　Germany　is；　at　this　day。

Insurrections　then；　and　even　invasions；　put　the　whole　nation　into　such　confusion　that　justice　could　not　have　her　equal　course；　especially　as　the　kings　in　ancient　times　frequently　sat　as　judges。　　But　war　has　now　become　so　much　of　a　science；　and　gives　so　little　disturbance　to　a　nation　engaged；　that　no　war；　foreign　or　domestic；　is　a　sufficient　reason　for　shutting　up　the　courts。　　But　if　it　were；　we　are　not　in　such　a　state；　but　far　otherwise；　the　whole　people　being　willing　and　demanding　the　full　administration　of　justice。　　The　shutting　up　of　the　courts　is　an　abdication；　a　total　dissolution　of　government。　　Whoever　takes　from　the　king　his　executive　power；　takes　from　the　king　his　kingship。　　〃The　laws　which　forbid　a　man　to　pursue　his　right　one　way；　ought　to　be　understood　with　this　equitable　restriction；　that　one　finds　judges　to　whom　he　may　apply。〃

I　can't　but　observe　that　cruel　and　unheard…of　neglect　of　that　enemy　to　his　king　and　country；　the　author　of　this　Act；　that；　when　all　business；　the　very　life　and　being　of　a　commercial　state；　was　to　be　carried　on　by　the　use　of　stamps；　that　wicked　and　execrable　minister　never　paid　the　least　regard　to　the　miseries　of　this　extensive　continent；　but　suffered　the　time　for　the　taking　place　of　the　Act　to　elapse　months　before　a　single　stamp　was　received。　　Though　this　was　a　high　piece　of　infidelity　to　the　interest　of　his　royal　master；　yet　it　makes　it　evident　that　it　could　never　be　intended；　that　if　stamps　were　not　to　be　had；　it　should　put　a　stop　to　all　justice；　which　is；　ipse　facto；　a　dissolution　of　society。

It　is　a　strange　kind　of　law　which　we　hear　advanced　nowadays；　that　because　one　unpopular　Act　can't　be　carried　into　execution；　that　therefore　there　shall　be　an　end　of　all　law。　　We　are　not　the　first　people　who　have　risen　to　prevent　the　execution　of　a　law；　the　very　people　of　England　themselves　rose　in　opposition　to　the　famous　Jew…bill；　and　got　that　immediately　repealed。　　And　lawyers　know　that　there　are　limits；　beyond　which；　if　parliaments　go；　their　acts　bind　not。

The　king　is　always　presumed　to　be　present　in　his　courts；　holding　out　the　law　to　his　subjects；　and　when　he　shuts　his　courts；　he　unkings　himself　in　the　most　essential　point。　　Magna　Charter　and　the　other　statutes　are　full；　〃that　they　will　not　defer；　delay；　nor　deny　any　man　justice〃；　〃that　it　shall　not　be　commanded　by　the　Great　Seal；　or　in　any　other　way；　to　disturb　or　delay　common　right。〃　　The　judges　of　England　are　〃not　to　counsel；　or　assent　to　anything　which　may　turn　to　the　damage　or　disherison　of　the　crown。〃　　They　are　sworn　not　to　deny　to　any　man　common　right；　by　the　king's　letters；　nor　none　other　man's；　nor　for　none　other　cause。　　Is　not　the　dissolution　of　society　a　disherison　of　the　crown？　　The　〃justices　are　commanded　that　they　shall　do　even　law　and　execution　of　right　to　all　our　subjects；　rich　and　poor；　without　having　regard　to　any　person；　without　letting　to　do　right　for　any　letters　or　commandment　which　may　come　to　them；　or　by　any　other　cause。〃


ANECDOTES　AND　CHARACTERISTICS　OF　OTIS；　ETC。　　OTIS　AND　HIS　FELLOW　PATRIOTS。

Professor　Hosmer　draws　the　following　pictures　of　Otis　and　his　contemporaries：

〃The　splendid　Otis；　whose　leadership　was　at　first　unquestioned；　was　like　the　huge　cannon　on　the　man…of…war；　in　Victor　Hugo's　story；　that　had　broken　from　its　moorings　in　the　storm；　and　become　a　terror　to　those　whom　it　formerly　defended。　　He　was　indeed　a　great　gun；　from　whom　in　the　time　of　the　Stamp　Act　had　been　sent　the　most　powerful　bolts　a