james otis the pre-revolutionist-第12部分

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！


s　will　spoil　the　club。　　He　talks　so　much；　and　takes　up　so　much　of　our　time；　and　fills　it　with　trash；　obsceneness；　profaneness；　nonsense；　and　distraction；　that　we　have　none　left　for　rational　amusements　or　inquiries。　*　*　*　I　fear；　I　tremble；　I　mourn；　for　the　man　and　for　his　country；　many　others　mourn　over　him　with　tears　in　their　eyes。〃

In　connection　with　Otis's　charge　against　Hutchinson　as　to　rapacious　office…seeking　the　following　extract　from　John　Adams's　diary　is　of　curious　interest。　　After　detailing　certain　detractions　of　which　he　had　been　the　victim；　the　diarist　breaks　out　testily：　　〃This　is　the　rant　of　Mr。　Otis　concerning　me。　*　*　*　But　be　it　known　to　Mr。　Otis　I　have　been　in　the　public　cause　as　long　as　he；　though　I　was　never　in　the　General　Court　but　one　year。

I　have　sacrificed　as　much　to　it　as　he。　　I　have　never　got　my　father　chosen　Speaker　and　Counselor　by　it；　my　brother…in…law　chosen　into　the　House　and　chosen　Speaker　by　it；　nor　a　brother…in…law's　brother…in…law　into　the　House　and　Council　by　it；　nor　did　I　ever　turn　about　in　the　House；　and　rant　it　on　the　side　of　the　prerogative　for　a　whole　year；　to　get　a　father　into　a　Probate　office　first　Justice　of　a　Court　of　Common　Pleas；　and　a　brother　into　a　clerk's　office。　　There　is　a　complication　of　malice；　envy；　and　jealousy　in　this　man；　in　the　present　disordered　state　of　his　mind；　which　is　quite　shocking。〃　（Oct。　27；　1772。）

In　this　incapacity　of　Otis；　who　at　last　had　to　seek　confinement；　Samuel　Adams　came　to　the　front　of　the　opposition　to　Hutchinson　as　representing　the　government　policy；　and　in　nothing　did　he　show　more　adroitness　than　in　the　manner　in　which　he　humored　and　exploited　the　colleague；　whom；　though　sick；　the　people　would　not　suffer　to　be　withdrawn；　as　is　shown　by　the　following　resolution：


RESOLUTION　ADOPTED　AT　A　TOWN　MEETING　IN　BOSTON；　MAY　8；　1770。

〃The　Honorable　James　Otis　having；　by　advice　of　his　physician；　retired　into　the　country　for　the　recovery　of　his　health；　Voted；　That　thanks　of　the　town　be　given　to　the　Honorable　James　Otis　for　the　great　and　important　services；　which；　as　a　representative　in　the　General　Assembly　through　a　course　of　years；　he　has　rendered　to　this　town　and　province；　particularly　for　his　undaunted　exertions　in　the　common　cause　of　the　Colonies；　from　the　beginning　of　the　present　glorious　struggle　for　the　rights　of　the　British　consituation。　　At　the　same　time；　the　town　cannot　but　express　their　ardent　wishes　for　the　recovery　of　his　health；　and　the　continuance　of　those　public　services；　that　must　long　be　remembered　with　gratitude；　and　distinguish　his　name　among　the　patriots　of　America。〃

During　short　periods　of　sanity；　or　of　only　partial　aberration；　Otis's　wit　and　humor；　rendered　more　quaint　and　striking　by　the　peculiarities　of　his　mental　condition；　made　him　the　delight　of　a　small　circle　of　friends。　　The　following　anecdote；　admirably　told　by　President　Adams；　presents　in　a　very　graphic　manner　the　peculiarities　of　his　character：

〃Otis　belonged　to　a　club；　who　met　on　evenings；　of　which　club　William　Molineux　was　a　member。　　Molineux　had　a　petition　before　the　legislature；　which　did　not　succeed　to　his　wishes；　and　he　became　for　several　evenings　sour；　and　wearied　the　company　with　his　complaints　of　services；　losses；　sacrifices；　etc。；　and　said；　'That　a　man　who　has　behaved　as　I　have；　should　be　treated　as　I　am；　is　intolerable；'　etc。　　Otis　had　said　nothing；　but　the　company　were　disgusted　and　out　of　patience；　when　Otis　rose　from　his　seat；　and　said；　'Come；　come；　Will；　quit　this　subject；　and　let　us　enjoy　ourselves；　I　also　have　a　list　of　grievances；　will　you　hear　it？'　　The　club　expected　some　fun；　and　all　cried　out；　'Ay！　ay！　let　us　hear　your　list。'

〃'Well；　then；　Will；　in　the　first　place；　I　resigned　the　office　of　the　Advocate…General；　which　I　held　from　the　crown；　that　produced　mehow　much　do　you　think？'　　'A　great　deal；　no　doubt；'　said　Molineux。　'Shall　we　say　two　hundred　sterling　a　year？'　　'Ay；　more　I　believe；'　said　Molineux。　　'Well；　let　it　be　two　hundred；　that　for　ten　years；　is　two　thousand。　　In　the　next　place；　I　have　been　obliged　to　relinquish　the　greatest　part　of　my　business　at　the　bar。　　Will　you　set　that　at　two　hundred　more？'　　'O；　I　believe　it　much　more　than　that。'　　'Well；　let　it　be　two　hundred；　this；　for　ten　years；　is　two　thousand。　　You　allow；　then；　I　have　lost　four　thousand　pounds　sterling？'　'Ay；　and　much　more；　too；'　said　Molineux。

〃'In　the　next　place；　I　have　lost　a　hundred　friends；　among　whom　were　the　men　of　the　first　rank；　fortune；　and　power；　in　the　province。　　At　what　price　will　you　estimate　them？'　　'Dn　them；'　said　Molineux；　'at　nothing：　　you　are　better　without　them　than　with　them。'　　A　loud　laugh。　　'Be　it　so；'　said　Otis。

〃'In　the　next　place；　I　have　made　a　thousand　enemies；　among　whom　are　the　government　of　the　province　and　the　nation。　　What　do　you　think　of　this　item？'　　'That　is　as　it　may　happen；'　said　Molineux。

〃'In　the　next　place；　you　know；　I　love　pleasure；　but　I　have　renounced　all　amusement　for　ten　years。　　What　is　that　worth　to　a　man　of　pleasure？'　　'No　great　matter；'　said　Molineux；　'you　have　made　politics　your　amusement。'　　A　hearty　laugh。

〃'In　the　next　place；　I　have　ruined　as　fine　health；　and　as　good　a　constitution　of　body；　as　nature　ever　gave　to　man。'　　'This　is　melancholy　indeed；'　said　Molineux；　'there　is　nothing　to　be　said　on　that　point。'　

〃'Once　more；'　said　Otis；　holding　his　head　down　before　Molineux；　'look　upon　this　head！'　　（Where　was　a　scar　in　which　a　man　might　bury　his　finger。）　　'What　do　you　think　of　this？　　And；　what　is　worse；　my　friends　think　I　have　a　monstrous　crack　in　my　skull。'

〃This　made　all　the　company　very　grave；　and　look　very　solemn。　　But　Otis；　setting　up　a　laugh；　and　with　a　gay　countenance；　said　to　Molineux；　'Now；　Willy；　my　advice　to　you　is；　to　say　no　more　about　your　grievances；　for　you　and　I　had　better　put　up　our　accounts　of　profit　and　loss　in　our　pockets；　and　say　no　more　about　them；　lest　the　world　should　laugh　at　us。'〃

This　whimsical　dialogue　put　all　the　company；　including　Molineux；　in　a　good　humor；　and　they　passed　the　rest　of　the　evening　very　pleasantly。

One　of　the　few　fragments　in　Otis'　handwriting　now　extant；　is　a　memorandum　made　during　the　two　years　of　transient　sanity　just　preceding　his　tragic　death。　　Returning　one　Sunday　from　public　worship；　he　wrote：　　〃I　have　this　day　attended　divine　service；　and　heard　a　sensible　discourse；　and　thanks　be　to　God；　I　now　enjoy　the　greatest　of　all　blessings；　mens　sana　in　copore　sano〃　（a　sound　mind　in　a　sound　body）。　　But　this　gleam　of　reason　was　as　transient　as　others　that　had　preceded；　and　with　Bowen　we　willingly　draw　a　veil　over　the　sad　record　of　this　most　terrible　misfortune　of　our　hero。　　〃To　be　among　men；　and　yet　not　of　them；　to　preserve　the　outward　form　and　lineaments　of　a　human　being；　while　the　spirit　within　is　wanting；　or　is　transformed　into　a　wreck　of　what　it　has　been；　is　surely　one　of　the　most　impressive　and　affecting　instances　of　the　ills　to　which　mortality　is　exposed。　　It　enforces　with　melancholy　earnestness　the　moral　lesson；　that　the　only　objects　of　the　affections　are　the　character　and　the　intellect；　and　when　these　are　destroyed；　we　look　upon　the　external　shape　and　features　only　as　on　the　tomb　in　which　the　mortal　remains　of　a　friend　repose。　　We　even　long　for　the　closing　of　the　scene；　and　think　it　would　be　far　better　if　the　now　tenantless　and　ruined　house　were　levelled　with　the　ground。〃

A　nice　sense　of　honor　was　perhaps　the　second　most　striking　point　in　Otis's　energetic　and　strongly…marked　character。　　Called　by　reason　of　his　fame　as　an　advocate　to　the　management　of　suits　even　at　a　distance　from　home；　and　receiving　the　largest　fees　ever　given　to　an　advocate　in　the　province；　he　yet　disdained　to　suffer　the　success　of　any　of　his　cases　to　rest　on　any　petty　arts　or　undue　evasions。　　Conscious　of　possessing　eminent　abilities　and　sufficient　learning　he　undertook　to　advocate　no　cause　that　he　did　not　truly　and　fully　believe　in。　　His　ardent　pleading　and　the　fairness　of　his　dealing　before　the　courts　was　the　result　of　his　firm　belief　in　the　justice　of　his　cause。　　Nothing　but　truth　could　give　him　this　firmness；　but　plain　truth　and　clear　evidence　can　be　beat　down　by　no　ability　in　handling　the　quirks　and　substitutes　of　the　law。

It　was　from　this　source　as　from　no　other　that　Otis　drew　his　power　as　a　pleader。　　He　was　as　John　Adams　records　concerning　his　speech　on　the　〃Writs　of　Assistance；〃　〃a　flame　of　fire；〃　but　he　was　a　flame　of　fire　set　burning　to　consume　the　dross　of　injustice　and　to　purify　and　rescue　the　gold　of　liberty　and　fair…dealing。　　Thomas　Hutchinson；　before　whom　Otis　often　pleaded　and　whose　testimony　is　of　the　greatest　weight　when　we　remember　that　Otis　was　his　political　opponent；　has　said　that　he　never　knew　fairer　or　more　noble　conduct　in　a　pleader　than　in　Otis；　that　he　always　disdained　to　take　advantage　of　any　clerical　error　or　similar　inadvertence；　but　passed　over　minor　points；　and　defended　his　causes　solely　on　their　broad　and　substantial　foundations。　　In　this　regard　Otis　seems　to　satisfy　Emerson's　definition　of　a　great　man；　when　in　his　essay　on　the　〃Uses　of　Great　Men〃　the　latter　declares：　　〃I　count　him　a　great　man　who　inhabits　a　higher　sphere　of　thought；　into　which　other　men　rise　with　labor　and　difficulty；　he　has　but　to　open　his　eyes　to　see　things　in　a　true　light；　and　in　large　relations；　whilst　they　must　make　painful　corrections；　and　keep　a　vigilant　eye　on　many　sources　of　error。〃

Indeed；　it　can　be　said　of　Otis　as　Coleridge　said　of　O'Connell；　〃See　how　triumphant　in　debate　and　action　he　is。　　And　why？　　Because　he　asserts　a　broad　principle；　acts　up　to　it；　rests　his　body　upon　it；　and　has　faith　in　it。〃　　The　world　is　upheld；　as　Emerson　says；　by　the　veracity　of　good　men；　and　so　the　great　power　of　Otis　as　an　advocate　before　the　civil　bar　in　the　minor　cases　of　his　career；　and　as　an　advocate　of　the　people　in　the　larger　court　in　the　great　case　of　his　life；　for　the　liberty　of　opposing　arbitrary　power　by　speaking　and　writing　the　truth；　arose　almost　entirely　from　his　absolute　integrity　and　fairmindedness。　　Clarendon's　portrait　of　Falkland　applies　equally　as　well　to　Otis；　〃He　was　so　severe　an　adorer　of　the　truth　that　he　could　as　easily　have　given　himself　leave　to　steal　as　to　dissemble。〃　　In　short；　Otis　acted　aright；　and　feared　not　the　consequences；　and　thus　became　a　power　in　the　community　beca