james otis the pre-revolutionist-第7章

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he　legislature　of　the　Commonwealth。　　All　of　his　colleagues　were　patriots。　Boston　was　in　that　mood。

There　runs　a　story　that　when　he　was　entering　upon　his　duties　he　was　counselled　by　a　friend　to　curb　his　impetuosity　and　to　gain　leadership　by　the　mastery　of　selfadvice　most　salutary　to　one　of　his　temperament。　　But　it　was　much　like　advising　General　Putnam　to　be　calm　at　Bunker　Hill！　　Otis　promised；　however；　that　if　his　friends　would　warn　him　when　his　temperature　was　rising；　he　would　command　himself。

It　is　also　narrated　that　his　friends　did　attempt　to　pluck　him　by　the　coat；　but　he　turned　upon　them　demanding　to　know　if　he　was　a　school　boy　to　be　called　down！

At　this　time　the　relations　between　Governor　Bernard　and　the　Legislature　were　greatly　strained。　　Otis　rather　increased　the　tension。　　A　question　arose　about　a　financial　measure　whereby　gold　was　to　be　exported　and　silver　money　retained　as　the　currency　of　the　colonythe　former　at　less　than　its　nominal　valuein　a　manner　to　juggle　the　people　into　paying　their　obligations　twice　over。　　The　argument　became　hot　and　the　Council　taking　the　side　of　the　administration　was　opposed　by　the　legislative　assembly。

Chief　Justice　Hutchinson　and　James　Otis　got　into　a　controversy　which　was　bitter　enough；　and　which　may　be　illustrated　with　the　following　letter　which　James　Otis　addressed　to　the　printer　of　a　newspaper：　　

〃Perhaps　I　should　not　have　troubled　you　or　the　public　with　any　thoughts　of　mine；　had　not　his　Honor　the　Lieutenant…Governor　condescended　to　give　me　a　personal　challenge。　　This　is　an　honor　that　I　never　had　vanity　enough　to　aspire　after；　and　I　shall　ever　respect　Mr。　Hutchinson　for　it　so　long　as　I　live；　as　he　certainly　consulted　my　reputation　more　than　his　own　when　he　bestowed　it。　　A　general　officer　in　the　army　would　be　thought　very　condescending　to　accept；　much　more　to　give；　a　challenge　to　a　subaltern。　　The　honor　of　entering　the　lists　with　a　gentleman　so　much　one's　superior　in　one　view　is　certainly　tempting；　it　is　at　least　possible　that　his　Honor　may　lose　much；　but　from　those　who　have　and　desire　but　little；　but　little　can　possibly　be　taken　away。　　　　

〃I　am　your　humble　servant；　　　　　　　〃JAMES　OTIS；　JR。〃

This　controversy　continued　for　some　time；　and　it　is　thought　that　to　it　must　be　attributed　much　of　the　animosity　displayed　by　the　Chief　Justice　towards　Otis　in　the　〃History　of　Massachusetts　Bay。〃

Mr。　Otis　continued　his　aggressive　policy　in　the　session　of　the　assembly　held　in　1762。　　It　was　at　this　session　that　the　government　in　the　hope　of　getting　a　sum　of　money　adopted　the　ruse　of　creating　an　alarm　relative　to　a　French　invasion　of　Newfoundland。　　But　the　patriots　would　have　none　of　it。　　They　went　so　far　as　to　say　that　if　arbitrary　government　was　to　be　established　in　America；　it　made　no　difference　whether　the　Americans　should　have　King　Stork　or　King　Log。　　To　this　effect　ran　a　resolution　offered　by　James　Otis：

〃No　necessity　can　be　sufficient　to　justify　a　House　of　Representatives　in　giving　up　such　a　privilege；　for　it　would　be　of　little　consequence　to　the　people；　whether　they　were　subject　to　George　or　Louis；　the　King　of　Great　Britain　or　the　French　King；　if　both　were　arbitrary；　as　both　would　be；　if　both　could　levy　taxes　without　Parliament。〃

It　is　said　that　when　this　resolution　was　offered　a　loyalist　member　cried　out　in　the　Virginian　manner；　〃Treason；　treason。〃　　It　was　in　this　way　that　Mr。　Otis　gained　the　undying　enmity　of　the　King's　party　in　America。

It　was　in　the　period　following　his　legislative　service　that　James　Otis　prepared　his　powerful　pamphlet　entitled　〃A　Vindication　of　the　Conduct　of　the　House　of　Representatives　of　the　Province　of　the　Massachusetts　Bay。〃　　In　this　work　he　traverses　and　justifies　the　course　pursued　by　the　patriot　legislature　during　the　sessions　of　his　attendance。

Great　was　the　joy　of　the　American　Colonies　at　the　conclusion　of　the　French　and　Indian　War。　　The　Treaty　of　Paris　in　February　of　1763　conceded　Canada　to　Great　Britain　and　insured　the　predominance　of　English　institutions　in　the　New　World。

The　animosities　of　the　Americans　towards　the　mother　country　rapidly　subsided。　　Meetings　were　held　in　the　principal　towns　to　ratify　the　peace。　　At　the　jubilee　in　Boston；　James　Otis　presided。

He　made　on　the　occasion　one　of　his　notable　addresses。　　He　referred　with　enthusiasm　to　the　〃expulsion　of　the　heathen〃　meaning　the　French；　and　then　expressed　sentiments　of　strong　affection　for　Great　Britain　and　appreciation　of　the　filial　relations　of　the　American　Colonies　to　her。

In　these　utterances　Otis　reflected　the　sentiment　of　the　Bostonians　and　of　the　whole　people。　　The　General　Assembly　of　Massachusetts　took　up　the　theme　and　passed　resolutions　of　gratitude　and　loyalty。　　At　this　particular　juncture　the　Americans　did　not　anticipate　what　was　soon　to　follow。

The　English　Ministry　was　already　preparing　a　scheme　for　the　raising　of　revenue　in　America：　　The　question　of　the　right　of　taxation　suddenly　obtruded　itself。　　The　Americans　claimed　the　right　as　Englishmen　to　tax　themselves。　　The　English　ministers　replied　that　Parliament；　and　not　the　Colonial　Assemblies；　was　the　proper　body　to　vote　taxes　in　any　and　all　parts　of　the　British　Empire。　　The　Americans　replied　that　they　were　not　represented　in　Parliament。　　Parliament　replied　that　many　of　the　towns；　shires；　and　boroughs　in　England　were　not　represented。　　If　they　were　not　represented；　they　ought　to　be；　said　the　Americans；and　thus　the　case　was　made　up。

By　the　beginning　of　1764　it　was　known　that　the　Ministers　had　determined　to　make　a　rigorous　enforcement　of　the　Sugar　Act。　　Than　this；　nothing　could　be　more　odious　to　America。

In　the　spring　of　the　year　just　named；　the　citizens　of　Boston　held　a　great　meeting　to　protest　against　the　impending　policy　of　the　crown。　　As　a　member　of　the　Assembly　and　as　chairman　of　a　committee　Mr。　Otis　made　a　report　which　was　ordered　to　be　sent　to　the　agent　of　the　government　along　with　the　copy　of　Otis's　recent　pamphlet；　〃The　Rights　of　the　British　Colonies　asserted　and　proved。〃

At　this　time　Lieutenant…Governor　Hutchinson　was　about　to　become　the　representative　of　the　Colony　in　its　contention　with　the　crown　and　for　some　reason；　not　very　apparent；　Mr。　Otis　favored　his　appointment。　　Governor　Bernard；　however；　opposed　the　measure；　and　Hutchinson　declined　the　appointment。　　Otis's　course　was　censured　by　the　patriots　and　his　popularity　was　for　the　while　impaired。　　However；　he　took　strong　grounds　against　the　Sugar　Act；　and　soon　afterward　still　more　strenuously　opposed　the　Stamp　Act。

He　regained　the　impaired　confidence　of　the　people　and　at　the　close　of　the　session　of　the　Assembly　he　was　appointed　chairman　of　a　committee　to　correspond　with　the　other　Colonies；　and　thus　to　promote　the　common　interest　of　all。　　This；　after　the　intercolonial　conference　which　Franklin　had　promoted；　was　perhaps　the　first　step　towards　the　creation　of　the　Continental　Congress。　　Mr。　Otis's　letter　to　the　provincial　agent　went　to　England；　though　it　was　sent　in　the　name　of　the　Lower　House　only。　　In　this　document　the　writer　said：

〃Granting　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。〃

This　document　was　one　of　the　few　American　papers　which　was　read　and　criticized　in　the　British　Parliament。　　The　merits　of　Mr。　Otis's　pamphlet　were　actually　debated　in　the　House　of　Lords　by　Lord　Littleton　and　Lord　Mansfield。　　The　latter　in　the　course　of　his　remarks　said：

〃Otis　is　a　man　of　consequence　among　the　people　there。　　They　have　chosen　him　for　one　of　their　deputies　at　the　Congress；　and　general　meeting　from　the　respective　governments。　　It　is　said　the　man　is　mad。　　What　then？　　One　madman　often　makes　many。　　Massaniello　was　mad；　nobody　doubts；　yet　for　all　that；　he　overturned　the　government　of　Naples。　　Madness　is　catching　in　all　popular　assemblies；　and　upon　all　popular　matters。　　The　book　is　full　of　wildness。　　I　never　read　it　till　a　few　days　ago；　for　I　seldom　look　into　such　things。〃

It　was　in　the　course　of　this　pamphlet　that　the　Mr。　Otis　spoke　so　strongly　on　taxation　and　representation。　　〃The　very　act　of　taxing；〃　said　he；　〃exercised　over　those　who　are　not　represented；　appears　to　me　to　be　depriving　them　of　one　of　their　most　essential　rights；　and；　if　continued　seems　to　be；　in　effect；　an　entire　disfranchisement　of　every　civil　right。　For　what　one　civil　right　is　worth　a　rush；　after　a　man's　property　is　subject　to　be　taken　from　him　at　pleasure；　without　his　consent？〃＇2＇

In　this　was　the　germ　of　the　stern　resistance　offered　by　the　Americans　to　the　Stamp　Act。　　No　man　in　the　colonies　did　so　much　to　confute　the　principles　on　which　the　Stamp　Act　rested　as　did　James　Otis。

When　the　General　Assembly　of　Massachusetts　met　in　May　of　1765；　Governor　Bernard　urged　in　his　address　the　duty　of　submission　to　Parliament　as　to　the　〃conservators　of　liberty。〃　　It　was　this　recommendation　which　being　referred　to　a　Committee；　of　which　Otis　was　a　member；　led　to　the　adoption　of　a　resolution　for　the　holding　of　a　Colonial　Congress　in　New　York。

Nine　colonies　accepted　the　invitation　of　Massachusetts；　and　James　Otis　headed　the　delegation　of　three　members　chosen　to　represent　the　mother　colony　in　that　prophetic　body。

The　story　of　the　contest　of　the　Americans　with　the　home　government　on　the　subject　of　the　Stamp　Act　is　well　known。　　The　controversy　resulted　on　the　18th　of　March；　1766；　in　the　repeal　of　the　Act　by　Parliament。　　But　the　repeal　was　accompanied　with　a　salvo　to　British　obduracy　in　the　form　of　a　declaration　that　Parliament　had　〃the　right　to　bind　the　colonies　in　all　cases　whatsoever。〃

Notwithstanding　this　hateful　addendum；　the　repeal　of　the　Act　was　received　in　America　with　the　greatest　joy。　　During　the　excitement　antecedent　to　the　repeal；　mobs　had　surged　through　the　streets　of　Boston；　building　bonfires　and　burning　effigies　of　officers　and　other　adherents　of　the　king's　party。　　In　one　of　these　ebullitions；　the　house　of　Lieutenant…Governor　Hutchinson　was　attacked　and　pillaged。　　The　better　people　had　nothing　to　do　with　it。　　Many　were　arrested　and　imprisoned。

Governor　Bernard　was　so　much　alarmed　that　he　declared　himself　to　be　a　governor　only　in　name。　　The　partisans　of　the　crown　started　a　story　that　James　Otis　was　the　instigator　of　the　riots。　　There　is　a　hint　to　this　effect　in　Hutchinson's　〃History　of　Massachusetts　Bay。〃　　But　it　is　evident　that　the　charge　was　unfoundedexcept　in　this；　that　in　times　of　public　excitement　the　utterances　of　orators　are　frequently　wrested　from　their　purpose　by　the　ignorant　and　made　to　do　service　in　the　cause　of　anarchy。

Meanwhile　on　the　first　of　November；　Mr。　Otis　returned　from　the　Congress　in　New　York；　laid　a　copy　of　the　proceedings　before　the　Assembly；　and　was　formally　thanked　for　his　services。

During　the　Stamp　Act　year；　Mr。　Otis　found　time　to　compose　two　pamphlets　setting　forth　his　views　on　the　great　questions　of　the　day。　　There　had　recently　appeared　a　letter　written　by　a　Halifax　gentleman　and　addressed　to　a　Rhode　Island　friend。　　The　latter　personage　was　un