Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-08-21
TRlUMPHS OF EtoQUfNCE.
Il Takes the Occasion to Make the
Orator Famous.
James Otis Marvellous Cradles which John
Adams Described q ssFlaas Of fire.
Patrick nsar's First Great spssch-
Bsechsr's Effort IL EagIand.


1t has been correctly urged that
American oratory for the last 40 years
has shown no signs of controlling in
fuence over legislation, and very
seldom over voters. This does not in
dicate any essential decline in oratory
or in the power of the American orator
to express high sentiments. It takes
the occasion to make the man, but
above all it takes peculiar combina-
ton of circumstances to make a COM
manding orator. says writer in the
st. Louis Globe Democrat. Demosthe-
mes did not make his generation. but
the generation made Demosthenes.
The English Parliament is as duh and
| devoid of masterful utterance as the
American Congress. 1t is all the more
| pleasant to go back in our history to a
| different condition Of affairs, where we
shall find an outburst of eloquence
| that seemed to catch like flame along
the whole Atlantic coast from Boston
to Charleston and Savannah. 1t is not
| easy for us to explain how 1t happened
that even under the stress of tyranny
and the longing for personal liberty.
there should have occurred within q
short period the marvellous Grafton at
Boston OF which John Adams says: 1T
was a flame of fire." and that other
great Grafton which placed Patrick
Henry at the front Of orators, perhaps.
Of all ages. In the year 1861 the coun-
Gil chamber In the city of Boston was
crowded with colonists. called together
to discuss the legality Of granting writs
Of assistance to officers of the customs
of the ports Of Massachusetts. The
old writs had expired. Should new
writs be granted under circumstances?
James Otis. who had recently held the
office of acknowledgements. but had re-
signed his office for the reason that ne
would not support this claim for the
renewal Of writs. claiming that they
were the worstinstruments of arbitrary
power that ever were found in English
law books. was present as minor coun-
sell
Judge Thatcher. a lawyer eminent In
Boston. had already addressed the
court. when Otis arose. John Adams,
reporting the speech. says that Otis
spoke with such a profusiOn of learn
ing. such convincing argument and
such torrent Of sublime and pathetic
eloquence, that a great crowd of spec
tatOrs and auditors went away alb
solutely electrified. He declares that
James Otis was Isaiah and Ezekiel
united: that he spoke in a style Of
oratory that had never been equalled
in this or any other country; that his
Grafton against writs of assistance
breathed into this nation the breath of
life" He insists that American in
dependence was then and there born,
and the seeds of patriots and heroes
were then and there sown. Every man
of crowded audience appeared to go |
away as l did ready to take up arms |
against writs of assistance. Then and |
there was the first scene of the first act |
of opposition to the arbitrary claims of |
Great Britain"
Otis was only So years old. a graduate |
Oh Harvard College, who, after a study |
of literature and philosophy, had de-
voted himself to the law. and was then |
.practicing in Boston. with nothing but |
youth to plead against his supremacy
in the profession. His speech made
him at once the leader of public opinion
in New England on all questions per-
tanning to the rights of the colonies.
And as these rights became the all
absorbing topics. to be settled in a little
more than Is years with absolute in
dependence from the mother country,
Otis naturally became a hero. Adams
does not forget to boast that the work
of Otis was done at least three years
before the explosion of the volcano in
Virginia. The speech in itself, from
which he had quoted, was not more
memorable for eloquence than many
later utterances of Otis. Nor can it be
said that his speeches were as marked
for power in controlling the events of
the revolution as his pamphlets. But
this event, when he attacked the legal
ity Of the writs of assistance, marks
the first arousal of the public spirit of
Massachusetts, to the point of resistance
to parliamentary dictation. Adams is
probably right that 1t was the first
stroke of the revolution. 1t is an un-
pleasant sequel to this brilliant episode
that we are compelled to remember that
James Otis in the latter period Of ma
tion-making, gave up his grip on the
establishment of an independent nation
and passed out of sight as a man of
probably disordered brain, losing also
faith in popular government.
Patrick Henry's first great speech
was not that which has been most often
quoted; 1t was in 1868, when an indicy-
ment was brought in Virginia against
certain Baptist preachers for preaching
the Gospel contrary to law. Patrick
Henry, listening to the reading of the
Indictment, exclaimed to the court:
May it please your worship, what did
1 hear read? Did hear an expression
that these men whom your worships are
about to try for misdemeanor are
charged with preaching the Gospel OF
the Son Of God?" In an earlier stage {
of this contest Henry had been sum- !
moned to act as counsel in a suit ,
brought by the Rev. James Maury to
recover damages for allowances not !,
paid to him by his parishioners. accord
ing to law. His influence upon the jury !
is recounted by William Writ, written
so years after the event, and also by [
the Dlafntiff the Rev, James Nancy G