But at present we must confine ourselves to his principles and authorities in opposition to the acts of trade and writs of assistance. These principles I perfectly remember. The authorities in detail I could not be supposed to retain; though with recollecting the names, Vattel, Coke and Holt, I might have found them again by a diligent search. But Mr. Otis himself has saved that trouble, by a publication of his own, which must be the subject of another letter from your humble servant,
JOHN ADAMS.
TO THE HON. WM. TUDOR.
Quincy, August 31, 1818.
DEAR SIR,
I HAVE before mentioned the instructions of the city of Boston to their representatives, in May 1764, printed in an appendix to Mr. Otis's "Rights of the colonies." In obedience to those instructions, or at least in consequence of them Mr. Otis prepared a memorial to the house of representatives, which was by them voted to be transmitted to Jasper Mauduit, Esq. agent for the province, only as a statement drawn up by one of the house, to be improved as he may judge proper.
In this memorial Mr. Otis has preserved and immortalized his own arguments and authorities to prove the acts of trade null and void, which he had advanced and produced three years before in his oration against those acts and their formidable instrument, writs of assistance. This is a fortunate circumstance for me, because it relieves me from the trouble of recollection, and the more painful task of research in old books.
"The public transactions", says Mr. Otis, "from William the first, to the revolution, may be considered as one continued struggle, between the prince and the people, all tending to that happy establishment, which Great Britain has since enjoyed.