james otis the pre-revolutionist-第15部分

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ld　be　struck　off；　whether　by　a　sabre　or　a　broadsword；　whether　chopped　off　to　gratify　a　tyrant　by　the　Christian　name　of　Tom；　Dick；　or　Harry；　is　evident。　　That　the　name　of　the　tyrant　would　be　of　no　more　avail　to　save　my　life；　than　the　name　of　the　executioner；　needs　no　proof。　　It　is；　therefore；　manifestly　of　no　importance　what　a　prince's　Christian　name　is；　if　he　be　arbitrary；　any　more；　indeed；　than　if　he　were　not　arbitrary。　　So　the　whole　amount　of　this　dangerous　proposition　may；　at　least　in　one　view；　be　reduced　to　this；　viz。：　　It　is　of　little　importance　what　a　king's　Christian　name　is。　　It　is；　indeed；　of　importance；　that　a　king；　a　governor；　and　all　good　Christians；　should　have　a　Christian　name；　but　whether　Edward；　Francis；　or　William；　is　of　none；　that　I　can　discern。〃

A　passage　ascribed　to　Otis　during　a　session　of　the　legislature　at　Cambridge　gives　some　idea　of　the　character　of　his　invective。　　It　had　been　said　in　defence　of　some　measure　that　it　had　been　taken　by　the　advice　of　Council；　when　Otis　exclaimed；　〃Ay；　by　the　advice　of　Council；　forsooth！　　And　so　it　goes；　and　so　we　are　to　be　ruined！　　The　Council　are　governed　by　his　Excellency；　his　Excellency　by　Lord　Hillsborough；　Lord　Hillsborough　by　his　Majesty；　his　Majesty　by　Lord　Bute；　and　Lord　Bute　by　the　Lord　knows　who。　　This　recalls　to　mind　what　used　to　be　said　when　I　was　a　student　in　this　place。　　It　was　observed　at　that　time；　that　the　President　directed　the　scholars　how　they　should　act；　madame　directed　the　President；　Titus；　their　black　servant；　governed　madame；　and　the　devil　prompted　Titus。〃

The　most　comprehensive　and　just　appreciation　of　the　character　and　work　of　Otis　is　given　us　by　Francis　Bowen　in　Jared　Spark's　Library　of　American　Biography。　　In　part　he　says：　　〃The　services　which　Mr。　Otis　rendered　to　this　country　were　so　conspicuous　and　important；　that　it　is　difficult　to　form　an　estimate　of　his　character　with　the　impartiality　that　history　requires。　　　Gratitude　might　justly　efface　the　memory　of　his　faults　from　the　minds　of　those　who　have　profited　so　largely　by　his　patriotism　and　his　virtues。　　But　it　is　not　necessary　thus　to　seek　excuses　for　his　failings；　or　reasons　for　covering　up　the　errors　that　he　committed。　　The　defects　of　his　temperament　and　conduct　may　be　freely　mentioned；　for　they　are　not　such　as　materially　lessen　our　respect　for　him　as　a　man。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　*　*　*　*　*　*　*　*　*　*　*　　　〃As　the　vindicator　of　American　rights；　during　the　period　of　colonial　subordination；　as　the　acknowledged　leader；　in　Massachusetts；　of　the　constitutional　opposition　to　ministerial　influence　and　parliamentary　usurpation；　the　services　of　Mr。　Otis　cannot　be　too　highly　appreciated。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　*　*　*　*　*　*　*　*　*　*　*　　　〃He　was　not　permitted　to　witness　the　grand　result　of　his　labors。　　He　did　not　live　to　enjoy　the　final　triumph；　he　can　hardly　be　said　to　have　survived　till　the　opening　of　the　struggle。　　But　the　historian　who　searches　into　the　causes　of　this　great　event；　and　seeks　to　determine　the　comparative　merits　of　the　men　who　achieved　it；　will　dwell　long　upon　the　services；　and　pay　a　just　tribute　of　admiration　and　respect　to　the　memory　of　James　Otis。〃


THE　USE　AND　ABUSE　OF　ARBITRARY　POWER；　　Including　Tracts　from　Burke；　0tis　and　Wilkes。　　By　Charles　K。　Edmunds；　Ph。D。

It　is　the　honor　of　England　that　she　had　deposited　in　the　virgin　soil　of　her　colonies　the　germ　of　freedom。　　Nearly　all　at　their　foundation；　or　shortly　after；　received　charters　which　conferred　the　franchises　of　the　mother　country　on　the　colonists。　　These　charters　were　neither　a　vain　show　nor　a　dead　letter；　but　really　did　establish　and　allow　powerful　institutions　which　impelled　the　colonists　to　defend　their　liberty；　and　to　control　the　power　by　participating　in　it　as　constituted　in　the　grant　of　supplies；　the　election　of　public　councils；　trial　by　jury；　and　the　right　of　assembling　to　discuss　the　general　affairs。　　To　us　of　to…day　these　appear　as　common…sense　or　logically　necessary　rights；　but　we　must　remember　that　in　those　early　days　of　colonization　they　were　distinct　privileges　accorded　in　power　to　the　colonists。　　And　it　is　in　these　very　privileges　that　we　behold　the　germinating　principle　which　was　ultimately　to　bring　to　life　the　new　republic　then　as　yet　unborn。　　For　as　Thomas　Jefferson　afterward　wrote；　〃where　every　man　is　a　sharer　in　the　direction　of　his　town…republic；　and　feels　that　he　is　a　participator　in　the　government　of　affairs；　not　merely　at　an　election　one　day　in　the　year；　but　every　day；　when　there　shall　not　be　a　man　in　the　State　who　will　not　be　a　member　of　some　one　of　its　councils；　great　or　small；　he　will　let　the　heart　be　torn　out　of　his　body　sooner　than　allow　his　power　to　be　wrested　from　him　by　a　Caesar　or　a　Bonaparte。　　How　powerfully　did　we　feel　the　energy　of　this　organization　in　the　case　of　the　embargo！〃

Notwithstanding　the　widely　different　origin　of　the　various　colonists；　the　circumstances　in　which　they　were　placed　were　so　similar；　that　the　same　general　form　of　personal　character　must　inevitably　have　developed　itself；　and　produced　a　growing　consciousness　of　power　and　impatience　of　foreign　imposition。　　The　proximate　independence　of　America　need　not　have　been　a　certainty；　however；　had　the　eyes　of　English　statesmen　not　been　blinded　to　the　truth　of　the　principles　urged　by　such　men　as　Otis　in　America　and　Burke　in　England。　　The　causes　which　were　to　produce　a　final　rupture　were；　to　be　sure；　already　at　work　（their　full　operation　being　delayed　by　the　lack　of　union　among　the　different　provinces）；　but　there　was　at　the　same　time　a　warm　hereditary　attachment　to　the　parent　country；　under　whose　wings　the　provinces　had　grown　up；　by　whose　arms　they　had　been　shielded；　and　by　whose　commerce；　in　spite　of　jealous　restrictions；　they　had　been　enriched。

Indeed　life　in　the　Colonies　was　so　closely　related　to　that　in　the　mother　country　that　in　a　very　marked　degree；　the　history　of　the　Colonies　is　only　the　more　practical　and　laborious　development　of　the　spirit　of　liberty　flourishing　amid　the　conditions　of　life　in　the　new　country　under　the　standard　of　the　laws　and　traditions　of　the　old　country。　　As　the　eminent　philosophical　historian；　M。　Guizat；　has　said；　〃It　might　be　considered　the　history　of　England　herself。〃　　The　resemblance　is　the　more　striking　when　we　remember　that　the　majority　of　the　American　Colonies　and　the　more　important　of　them　were　founded　or　increased　the　most　rapidly　at　the　very　epoch　when　England　was　preparing　to　sustain；　and　in　part　already　sustaining；　those　fierce　conflicts　against　the　pretensions　of　absolute　power　which　were　to　obtain　for　her　the　honor　of　giving　to　the　world　the　first　example　of　a　great　nation　free　and　well　governed。

How　similarly　the　state　of　affairs　appeared；　in　the　eyes　of　those　who　were　not　blinded　by　self…interest；　on　both　sides　of　the　Atlantic；　is　shown　by　the　following　extracts　from　Burke　and　Otis。

In　1770　Burke　thus　described　the　social　and　political　conditions　both　at　home　and　in　the　Colonies：　　〃That　the　government　is　at　once　dreaded　and　contemned；　that　the　laws　are　despoiled　of　all　their　respected　and　salutary　terrors；　that　their　inaction　is　a　subject　of　ridicule　and　their　enforcement　of　abhorrence；　that　rank；　and　office；　and　title；　and　all　the　solemn　plausibilities　of　the　world；　have　lost　their　reverence　and　effect；　that　our　foreign　politics　are　as　much　deranged　as　our　domestic　economy；　that　our　dependencies　are　slackened　in　their　affection　and　loosened　from　their　obedience；　that　we　know　neither　how　to　yield　nor　how　to　enforce；　that　hardly　anything　above　or　below；　abroad　or　at　home；　is　sound　and　entire；　but　that　disconnection　and　confusion；　in　office；　in　parties；　in　families；　in　parliament；　in　the　nation；　prevail　beyond　the　disorders　of　any　former　time；　these　are　facts　universally　admitted　and　lamented。〃

When　in　1768　troops　were　sent　to　Boston　to　prevent　a　repetition　of　the　disturbances　which　had　resulted　from　the　arbitrary　and　insulting　manner　in　which　the　commissioners　of　customs　exercised　their　office；　Otis　was　chosen　moderator　of　the　town　meeting　held　in　protest；　and　is　reported　to　have　declared　〃That　in　case　Great　Britain　was　not　disposed　to　redress　their　grievances　after　proper　applications；　the　inhabitants　had　nothing　more　to　do；　but　to　gird　the　sword　to　the　thigh；　and　shoulder　the　musket。〃　　Another　account　presents　a　somewhat　more　temperate　tone；　representing　Otis　as　〃strongly　recommending　peace　and　good　order；　and　the　grievances　the　people　labored　under　might　in　time　be　removed；　if　not；　and　we　were　called　on　to　defend　our　liberties　and　privileges；　he　hoped　and　believed　we　should；　one　and　all；　resist　even　unto　blood；　but　at　the　same　time；　he　prayed　Almighty　God　it　might　never　so　happen。〃

The　change　from　favorable　conditions　both　in　England　and　in　the　Colonies　to　the　state　of　unrest　depicted　by　these　passages　from　Burke　and　Otis；　had　been　brought　about　by　the　attempt　to　use　strong　measures；　enforced　with　no　just　regard　for　the　welfare　of　the　whole　people。　　The　English　Ministry　failed　to　realize　that　it　is　of　the　utmost　importance　not　to　make　mistakes　in　the　use　of　strong　measures；　that　firmness　is　a　virtue　only　when　it　accompanies　the　most　perfect　wisdom。　　Their　course　of　political　conduct；　combined　with　the　establishment　of　a　system　of　favoritism　both　at　home　and　abroad　like　that　adopted　by　Henry　the　Third　of　France；　produced　results　of　the　same　kind　as　the　latter。

Members　of　parliament　for　the　most　part　were　practically　convinced　that　they　did　not　depend　on　the　affection　or　opinion　of　the　people　for　their　political　being；　and　gave　themselves　over；　with　scarcely　the　appearance　of　reserve；　to　the　influence　of　the　court。　　There　was　thus　developed　both　a　ministry　and　parliament　unconnected　with　the　people；　and　we　have　the　deplorable　picture　of　the　executive　and　legislative　parts　of　a　government　attempting　to　exist　apart　from　their　true　foundationthe　opinion　of　the　people。　　How　signally　such　attempts　have　always　failed　is　a　matter　of　historical　record。　　And　the　steadfast　belief　that　they　always　will　so　fail　constitutes　the　great　force　of　public　opinion　to…day。

Had　the　English　Ministry　and　the　Colonial　Governors；　in　particular　Governor　Bernard　of　Massachusetts；　recognized　certain　cardinal　principles　of　individual　and　national　liberty；　which　were　so　strongly　advocated　by　Burke　and　Otis；　the　course　o