james otis the pre-revolutionist-第3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！



It　came　to　be　understood　in　the　courts　of　Boston　when　Otis　appeared　as　an　advocate　that　he　had　a　case　and　believed　in　it。　　He　avoided　accepting　retainers　in　cases；　of　the　justice　of　which　he　was　in　doubt。　　Pursuing　this　method；　he　was　sometimes　involved　in　law…suits　in　which　he　was　constrained　to　turn　upon　his　own　client。

The　story　goes　of　one　such　instance　in　which　he　brought　suit　for　the　collection　of　a　bill。　　Believing　in　his　client　and　in　the　justice　of　the　claim；　he　pressed　the　matter　in　court　and　was　about　to　obtain　a　judgment　when　he　accidentally　discovered；　among　his　client's　papers；　a　receipt　which　the　plaintiff　had　signed　for　the　very　claim　under　consideration。　　Through　some　mistake　the　receipt　had　again　got　back　into　the　man's　possession；　and　he　had　taken　advantage　of　the　fact　to　institute　a　suit　for　the　collection　of　the　claim　a　second　time。

Seeing　through　the　matter　at　once；　Otis　took　the　plaintiff　aside；　confronted　him　with　the　receipt　and　denounced　him　to　his　face　as　a　rascal。　　The　man　gave　down　and　begged　for　quarter；　but　Otis　was　inexorable；　he　went　back　to　the　bar　and　stated　to　the　court　that　reasons　existed　why　the　case　of　his　client　should　be　dismissed。　　The　court；　presided　over　by　Judge　Hutchinson；　afterward　Lieutenant…Governor　and　Chief　Justice　of　Massachusetts；　expressed　its　surprise　at　the　turn　of　affairs；　complimented　Otis　for　his　honorable　course　as　an　advocate；　commended　his　conduct　to　the　bar；　and　dismissed　the　case。

With　the　spread　of　his　reputation　Mr。　Otis　was　summoned　on　legal　business　to　distant　parts。　　On　one　occasion　he　was　called　to　Halifax　to　defend　some　prisoners　under　arrest　for　piracy；　believing　them　to　be　innocent　he　convinced　the　court　in　an　eloquent　plea　and　secured　the　acquittal　of　the　prisoners。

On　another　occasion　he　was　summoned　to　Plymouth　to　defend　some　citizens　of　that　town　who　had　become　involved　in　a　riot　on　the　anniversary　of　the　Gunpowder　Plot。　　It　was　the　custom　in　the　New　England　towns　to　observe　this　day　with　a　mock　procession；　in　which　effigies　representing　the　Pope；　the　Old　Bad　One；　and　James　the　Pretender；　were　carried　through　the　streets　to　be　consigned　at　the　end　to　a　bonfire。　　In　this　instance　violence　was　done　by　some　of　the　participants；　windows　were　smashed；　gates　were　broken　down；　etc。　　Mr。　Otis　conducted　the　defense；　showing　that　the　arrested　persons　taking　part　in　a　noisy　anniversary；　and　committing　acts　that　were　innocent　in　spirit；　if　not　innocent　per　se；　ought　not　to　be　adjudged　guilty　of　serious　misdemeanor。　　This　plea　prevailed　and　the　young　men　were　acquitted。

It　is　to　be　greatly　regretted　that　the　legal　pleas　and　addresses　of　James　Otis　have　not　been　preserved。　　A　volume　of　his　speeches　would　reveal　not　only　his　style　and　character；　but　also　much　of　the　history　of　the　times。　　The　materials；　however；　are　wanting。　　He　kept　a　commonplace　book　in　which　most　of　his　business　letters　of　the　period　under　consideration　were　recorded。　　But　these　give　hardly　a　glimpse　at　the　man；　the　orator；　or　his　work。　　Tradition；　however；　is　rife　with　the　myth　of　his　method　and　manner。　　He　was　essentially　an　orator。　　He　had　the　orator's　fire　and　passion；　also　the　orator's　eccentricitieshis　sudden　high　flights　and　transitions；　his　quick　appeals　and　succession　of　images。

To　these　qualities　of　the　orator　in　general　Otis　added　the　power　of　applying　himself　to　the　facts；　also　the　power　of　cogent　reasoning　and　masterful　search　for　the　truth　which　gained　for　him　at　length　the　fame　of　first　orator　of　the　revolution。　　The　passion　and　vehemence　of　the　man　made　him　at　times　censorious　and　satirical。　　His　manner　towards　his　opponents　was　at　times　hard　to　bear。　　His　wit　was　of　that　sarcastic　kind　which；　like　a　hot　wind；　withers　its　object。

All　of　these　dispositions　seemed　to　increase　his　power　and　to　augment　his　reputation；　but　they　did　not　augment　his　happiness。　　His　character　as　an　advocate　and　as　a　man　came　out　in　full　force　during　the　first　period　of　his　Boston　practice；　that　is；　in　the　interval　from　1750　to　1755。

On　attaining　his　thirtieth　year　Mr。　Otis　came　to　the　event　of　his　marriage。　　He　took　in　union；　in　the　spring　of　1755；　Ruth　Cunningham；　daughter　of　a　Boston　merchant。　　From　one　point　of　view　his　choice　was　opportune；　for　it　added　to　his　social　standing　and　also　to　his　means。　　From　another　aspect；　however；　the　marriage　was　less　fortunate。

The　Cunningham　family　was　not　well　grounded　in　the　principles　of　patriotism。　　The　timid　commercial　spirit　showed　itself　in　the　father；　and　with　this　the　daughter　sympathized。　　The　sharp　line　of　division　between　patriotism　and　loyalty　had　not　yet　been　drawn　as　it　was　drawn　five　years　afterward。　　But　it　began　to　be　drawn　very　soon　after　the　marriage　with　serious　consequences　to　the　domestic　peace　of　the　family。

It　appears　that　beside　this　general　cause　of　divergence；　the　staid　and　unenthusiastic　character　of　Mrs。　Otis　rather　chilled　the　ardor　of　the　husband；　and　he；　for　his　part；　by　his　vehemence　and　eccentricity；　did　not　strongly　conciliate　her　favor。　　There　were　times　of　active　disagreement　in　the　family；　and　in　later　years　the　marriage　was　rather　a　fact　than　a　principle。

The　result　of　Mr。　Otis's　marriage　was　a　family　of　one　son　and　two　daughters。　　The　son；　who　was　given　his　father's　name；　showed　his　father's　characteristics　from　childhood；　and　certainly　a　measure　of　his　genius。　　The　lad；　however；　entered　the　navy　at　the　outbreak　of　the　Revolution；　became　a　midshipman；　and　died　in　his　eighteenth　year。　　The　oldest　daughter；　Elizabeth；　went　wholly　against　her　father's　grain　and　purpose。　　Just　before　the　beginning　of　the　Revolution；　but　after　the　case　had　been　clearly　made　up；　she　was　married　to　a　certain　Captain　Brown；　at　that　time　a　British　officer　in　Boston；　cordially　disliked；　if　not　hated；　by　James　Otis。　　Personally；　Brown　was　respectable；　but　his　cause　was　odious。　　He　was　seriously　wounded　in　the　Battle　of　Bunker　Hill。　　Afterwards　he　was　promoted　and　was　given　a　command　in　England。　　Thither　his　wife　went　with　him；　and　Mr。　Otis　discarded　them　both；　if　not　with　anathema　at　least　with　contempt。

It　would　appear　that　his　natural　affection　was　blotted　out。　　At　least　his　resentment　was　life…long；　and　when　he　came　to　make　his　will　he　described　the　circumstances　and　disinherited　Elizabeth　with　a　shilling。　　The　fact　that　Mrs。　Otis　favored　the　unfortunate　marriage；　and　perhaps　brought　it　aboutavailing　herself　as　it　is　said；　of　one　of　Mr。　Otis's　spells　of　mental　aberration　to　carry　out　her　purposesaggravated　the　difficulty　and　made　her　husband's　exasperation　everlasting。

The　younger　daughter　of　the　family　shared　her　father's　patriotism。　　She　was　married　to　Benjamin　Lincoln；　Jr。；　a　young　lawyer　of　Boston；　whose　father　was　General　Benjamin　Lincoln　of　revolutionary　fame。　　The　marriage　was　a　happy　one；　but　ultimately　clouded　with　honorable　grief。　　Two　promising　sons　were　born；　but　each　died　before　reaching　his　majority。　　The　father　also　died　when　he　was　twenty…eight　years　old。　　The　wife　and　mother　resided　in　Cambridge；　and　died　there　in　1806。

The　second　period　in　James　Otis's　life　may　be　regarded　as　extending　from　1755　to　1760；　that　is；　from　his　thirtieth　to　his　thirty…fifth　year。　　It　was　in　this　period　that　he　rose　to　eminence。　　Already　distinguished　as　a　lawyer；　he　now　became　more　distinguished　as　a　civilian　and　a　man　of　public　affairs。

He　caught　the　rising　interest　as　at　the　springing　of　the　tide；　and　rose　with　it　until　it　broke　in　lines　of　foam　along　the　shores　of　New　England。　　He　gained　the　confidence　of　the　patriot　party；　of　which　he　was　the　natural　leader。　　His　influence　became　predominant。　　He　was　the　peer　of　the　two　Adamses；　and　touched　hands　right　and　left　with　the　foremost　men　of　all　the　colonies。

It　surprises　us　to　note　that　at　this　time　James　Otis　devoted　a　considerable　section　of　his　time　to　scholastic　and　literary　pursuits。　　He　was　a　student　not　only　of　men　and　affairs　but　of　books。　　Now　it　was　that　the　influence　of　his　Harvard　education　was　seen　in　both　his　studies　and　his　works。　　We　are　surprised　to　find　him　engaged　in　the　composition　of　a　text…book　which　is　still　extant；　and；　however　obsolete；　by　no　means　devoid　of　merits。　　The　work　was　clearly　a　result　left　on　his　mind　from　his　student　days。

He　composed　and；　in　the　year　1760；　published；　by　the　house　of　B。　Mecom　in　Boston；　a　72　page　brochure　entitled　〃The　Rudiments　of　Latin　Prosody　with　a　Dissertation　on　Letters　and　the　Principles　of　Harmony　in　Poetic　and　Prosaic　Composition；　collected　from　some　of　the　best　Writers。〃

The　work　is　primarily　a　text　in　Latin　Prosody　in　which　the　author　thought　himself　to　improve　on　the　existing　treatises　on　that　subject。　　The　afterpart　of　the　pamphlet　is　devoted　to　a　curious　examination　of　the　qualities　of　the　letters　of　the　Greek　and　Roman　alphabets。

In　this　he　attempts　to　teach　the　distinction　between　quantity　and　accent　in　the　Greek　language；　but　more　particularly　to　describe　the　position　and　physiological　action　of　the　organs　of　speech　in　producing　the　elementary　sounds　in　the　languages　referred　to。　　The　author　declares　his　conviction　that　the　growth　of　science　had　been　seriously　impeded　by　the　inattention　of　people　to　the　correct　utterance　of　elementary　sounds。　　He　also　points　out　the　great　abuses　in　the　prevailing　methods　and　declares　that　these　abuses　have　so　impeded　the　work　of　education　〃that　many　have　remained　children　all　their　days。〃

Having　written　and　published　his　work　on　Latin　prosody；　Mr。　Otis　next　produced　a　similar　work　on　the　prosody　of　Greek。　　This；　however；　he　did　not　publish；　and　he　is　said　to　have　destroyed　the　manuscript　at　the　time　of　burning　his　correspondence　near　the　end　of　his　life。

A　conversation　of　James　Otis　is　narrated　by　Francis　Bowen；　in　Jared　Sparks's　〃American　Biography〃　in　which　the　orator　is　represented；　in　speaking　of　the　bad　literary　taste　prevalent　among　the　boys　of　the　time；　as　saying；　〃These　lads　are　very　fond　of　talking　about　poetry　and　repeating　passages　of　it。　　The　poets　they　quote　I　know　nothing　of；　but　do　you　take　care；　James；　＇Otis　was　addressing　James　Perkins；　Esq。；　of　Boston＇　that　you　don't　give　in　to　this　folly。　　If　you　want　to　read　poetry；　read　Shakespeare；　Milton；　Dryden　and　Pope　and　throw　all　the　rest　into　the　fire；　these　are　all　that　are　worth　reading。〃　　In　this　brief　comment　the　severity　of　Otis's　literary　taste　is　indicated　and　also　something　of　the　rather　abrupt　and　dogmatic　character　of　his　mind。　　His　criticism；　though　true；　can　hardly　be　said　to　be　judicious。

In　order　to　understand　the　part　which　James　Otis　played　in　the　great　work　of　revolution　and　independence　it　is　now　necessary　to　note　with　care　the　conditions　into　which　he　was　cast　and　with　which　he　was　environed　at　that　period　of　his　life　when　the　man…fire　flames　highest　and　the　audacity　of　the　soul　bounds　furthest　into　the　arena　of　danger。

Every　man　is　the　joint　product　of　himself　and　his　environment。　　His　life　is　the　resultant　of　the　two　forces　by　which　he　is　held　and　balanced。　　At　the　time　when　James　Otis　reached　his　thirty…fifth　year　a　condition　had　supervened　in　the　American　colonies　which　reacted　upon　his　passionate　and　Patriotic　nature　so　powerfully　as　to　bring　into　full　play　all　of　his　faculties　and　to　direct　the　whole　force　of　his　nature　against　the　tyrannical　method　of　the　mother　co