Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-02-07

trivt JAMES OTls-a name dear to The hiSto-
~ OF American freedom. MIR. Otis lived to
see the independence of his country eSta-
blished, bnt not to enjoy il. The wounds he
receivedi IN the assassination mentioned by
AIR. Adams, were not mortal, hut they de-
sfroyet his reason, aiid he lived several wears
aitcr---' a great man IN rufus. In lucid
interval lie is said to have forgiven his assas-
suns, aud 10 have reiinanished the su,n of
5U30t. sterling which the chief of the rang
was adiadsed TO pay for the injury done to
m.-EditOr.
QUINCY, January li,Isls.
~ Dir NH;s-n former letter I hazlrded an
opinion that the true history OF the American
revolutions could not he recovered-I had
ny reasons tor that apprehension; one of which
will attempt Ia explain
Ut the determination of the British Cabinet
70 assert and maiGtau the sovereign authority
OF parliament over The colonies, in ali eases of
taxation aud interna! policy, the first demon
stratioB which arrived in America was an or.
der in council 10 the officers OF the customs in
Massachusetts Bay, 20 carry into execution
The acts OF trade, 10 apply 10 the supreme III.
dicatnre OF the province tor'writs ofassistaiits
To authorize item 10 h;eak and enter ali nous
es, cellars, casks. nc. to search and seize all
goods, wares and merchamdzcs on which the
taxes imposed by those acts had not been paid.
Mr.. Cookie, of Salient 4 deputy under Mr..
Paxton, oi Boston, the collector OF the toms
pelitlnned tue superior court in Salem in Nov
tIO0, for such u writ The court doubted its
consiitutonai,ty aud consequently its Legality:
but, as the kings order Ought to be consider.
Ell, they ordered tue question: to be argued be-
fore them by counsel, at the next February
term, in Boston.
Tie community was greatly alarmed-
The merchants OF Salem and OF Boston appii-
ed to Mr.. OtS 10 defend them aud their couu.
try against THAI formidable Instrument ofarbi-
trary power. They rendered him rich fees
he engaged in ihcir cause, bat " ouii accept
no fees.
JAMES OrIs, ofRoston, sprung from families
among the earliest of the planters OF the colo
mics, ai,d the most respectable in rank. while
the word rank aud the idea annexed to it were
tolerated III America. He was gentleman OF
general science, and extensive literature. He
had been an interchangeable student during the
whole course ot his education in college, and
al the bar. He well versed in Greek and
Roman history, philosophy, uratory, poetry,
niNthoogs HIS classical studies had been NM
suaily ardent aud his acquisitions uaconl-
monty great. lie had composed ii treatise en-
LATIN prosody, wiii CHI he lent 10 me, and | ur
ged linn to print lie consented Ii is extant
aud may speak Tor itself. Ii has been lately
reviewed in the Anthology BY one OF our best
scholars, AT anature age and in respectable
station lie had also composed with equal skill
and great labor, treatise Oh Greek proSodv
This he also len; me, aud by his induIgencc,
had II la my possession Six months. When [
returned il, begged him 10 print it. He said
there were no Greek types in the country,
or, II there were, there was no printer WaJ
knew how 70 use tien.
lie "as i passionate sdnirer of the Greek
poets, especially of Homer; and he said it was
il vain 10 attempt 10 read the poets III any Ian.
Saage Without being master of ihvir prosOdy.--
This classic scholar was also great master of
the laws of nature aud nations. He had read
Pu.fendorf, Grotus, Barbeyrac, Buramaqui
Eattel, Hemeccins and, iii the civil law, DO
mal jusunian. and, upon occasions consulted
the corpus juriS al large. Ii was u maxim which
lie ncucatcd on his pupils, as his patron III the
profession, Mr. liridley, had uoise before him,
" that a LAWYER OUGHT NEVER TO BE WITH
our VOLUME OF NATURAL OR POBLIC LAW,
OR MORAL atn '1soPIY, ON HIS TABLE or IN
HIsPocKEr.R In the history, the common law
and minute faycS ItUluut mo huH 81.
or atie;Nt ilf H;.stOu.
Thus justified to resist the system of usnrpa.
ton anaEss:i0tism meditated by the British
srsnisStN y; Ndcr the auspices of the carl of Butte
Mi. otiS esigned MS commission from the
crown, as sIvocate general, an office very Ia
Sta,iFe az tat time, and a sure road to the
tishestiaVfA of government i'm America, and
cnsaged IN tlS canse of his country without fee
OF reward. tls argument, speech, discourse,
ofation haran9pe-call itby which name yom
WI, Was tne mfst Impressive upon his crowd
{" AUDIENCE OF a: that ever heard before or
Snce, excepting only many speeches by him
sell IN Faneol fSIl, and in the House of Re-
pIesentat.ves, wh&h he made from time to
time, tor ten years afterwards. There were no
StenograPhers in those DAYS Speeches wore
nor printed, and all that was not remembered.
nke tue hardngues OfIndian orators was lost
:" a. - no, al the distance of 81 years, would
sneniP! upon memory, TO give even sketch
OF Il some OF tie heads are remembered out
% "icl' LiVy or Sallust would not scrupie 10
cohpose an Grafton for history. shall not es
say an analysis or sketch of it at present 7
shall only say, and do say i'll the most solemn
manner, that MI. Otis's Grafton, against rrrits
OF assistance. bTeathed into this ration the
breath Of life.
Although GIr. Otis had never before inter.
iered IN public affairs his exertion OH this sim
Sie occasion, securedhim commanding POM
Idrity WIFI tiie friends of their country and The
terror and vengeance of her enemies neither
. u "iiiciI ever deserted him.
AT the next election, in Nav I1GI he wa. o.
iee'eu, ny vast majority, representative in |
The legislature, OF the town of Boston, and con- |
tuned 10 be so elected annually for nine wears |
Here, at the head of the country interest. no |
CONDUCTED her cause with forttude, pru. |
dence, aOlilIy and perseverance,, which has ne. |
yer been exceeded in America, at every sacri. |
nee OF health, pleasure, profit and reputation
ana aganstai the powers Of government and |
All the talents, learning, wit, scurrility and |
IUsolence OF its prostitutes.
Hampden was shot i'm omen field of hattie |
Gus was basely assassinated in a cofee-house
~ the night, by "A we'll dressed banditti. wilma |
commissioner Of the customs at their head.
during the period OF nine years that Mr.
OTIS was al the head Of the cause of his conn |
try he held correspondence with gentlemen |
in Engiand, Scotland and various colonies in |
America. tic must have written aud received
many letters, collected many pamphlets, |
ana; PROBABLY, composed manuscripts which |
misIi l.ave illustrated the rising dawn of the |
revolution.
After my return from Europe, l asked his |
daughter whether size had found amonp her |
faiheT manuscripts, "a treatise on Greek pro. |
Sody WIZ pu,ds aud eyes nplifted, in a 1
ism g gref, she cried" OH sir / have |
not hne from my fathers pen-I have not |
even ns name IN his own hand writing ;" ~ |
When she was a little Gained I asked her
no las bis papers, Where ere they -. |
She answered, 4" They arc no more In one 80 /
those unhappy dispositions of mind. which |
distressed him after his great misfortune. and |
Mite before MS death, lie collected all his j