The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-12-28

patriotic hymn by the Choir-a quartette
consisting Of Messs. SHAW and GARDINER,
and Mrs. HUMPHREY and Mrs. ALLEN, who
by their long practice together have become
admirably fitted to produce just such inspiring
strains as 60 straight to the lowest depths Of
the popular loyal heart. The piece they sung
was loudly applauded, and the audience
doubtless all felt grateful to the Committee for
having provided so pleasant a prelude to the
rich treat In store. We understand 1t was the
purpose of the Committee to have the "Battle
Cry Of the Republc"-tune "Glory Halle
lujahs-at the close, but not knowing Of the
Intention the audience started from their seats
as soon as the lecturer had closed. We would
suggest that on future occasions the audience
be advised in advance Of the closing feature,
forit Is a trump card that all will desire to see
played, especially when in such skiful hands.
THE LECTURER.
Mr.. Isovejoy was introduced by the Presi-
dent as a man who had been long understood
to hold extreme views, but whose extreme
feelings on the slavery question were born Of
martyr blood-Mr. l.. is brother to the
I.oyejoy who was murdered at Alton, ILL.,, by
a pro-slavery mob, more than twenty-five
years ago-feelings which at the present hour
Of progress might be regarded as verging
closely upon conservatism. The speaker was
received with enthusiastic applause; said
though from portion of the West which at
some times had been regarded as unfriendly
to New England, yet he had never seen the
day that he did not call to mind with pride
the fact that he was son of that New Eng
land which rebel sympathisers had proposed
ito leave out In the cold"--lhat be was born
on the soil Of Maine and received his .educa-
ton 10 her schools.
THE LECTURE.
Mr.. Loyejoy spoke about an hour and a
halt, and confined himself mainly TO the results
Of the rebellion upon the system Of slavery.
He handled the question Of reconstruction in
. way evidently satisfactory to his audience.
He dissents from the doctrine of State suicide,
aid the reduction of the rebel States to a
territorial condition, as proposed by Mr..
sumner, and he gave very cogent reasons for
such dissent He did not believe an I'M
authorized and Illegal act Of the majority of a
State should deprive the loyal men of such
State Of their rights. The ordinances Of
secession were acts of unarmed treason, as the
resistance Of federal authority Is an act Of
armed treason. Treason works forfeiture of
all rights under the Constitution, SO that those
wilfully guilty of rebellion are, ciyilly, dead
meS, and their estates as citizens pass to
others. BY rebellion they committed personal
political suicide, but not State suicide. What
should be done, then? He would crush the
rebellion, refuse to allow wilful rebels any
part in.the government except as condition
Of amnesty, and restore the State governments
to the loyal men Of such States Just as fast as
the rebel power can be put down. The con-
dition of amnesty or pardon should be full and
unreserved allegiance to the Constitution and
laws Of the United States and submission to
the authority Of the constitutional rulers of
the land. He approved the Presidents plan
In the main--would support his plan fully and
squarely, as he had heretofore, whether il
accorded with all his own prejudices or not
THE SLAVERY QUESTION.
On the slavery question Mr.. Lovejoy enun-
ciAted some peculiar doctrines - doctrines,
however, which he supported with signal abil-
ity, evidently carrying the minds of his audi
ence with him. " The Constitution as 1t is,
the Union as It ,cas, and slavery as it should
be,"-this was his doctrine. For the Consti-
tuition as 1t Is, he had ever contended. He
would not change 1t hairs breadth. He ar
gued that 1t was a free Constitution, designed
to foster, extend and perpetuate liberty, and
not bulwark Of slavery. Slavery is not
found In II. It gives no authority to steal
man or to hold him as = slave. 1t is said the
power to do so Is plainly inferred from the
Constitution. Mr.. L. contends that the right
of man 70 himself, TO his own labor, TO the
fruit Of his toll; the right Of q man TO his
wife, and of the mother to her babe,--that
these rights are too sacred to be set aside up
on mere inference. II was to protect and
not TO destroy such rights that the Constitu-
tion was framed, and to use it for their des-
truction and to crush out the manhood Of a
single soul, or the inalienable rights Of a sim
Bie Soul ~ SIOSs pSiheisioh VI sh"e s"SaSu
charter Of popular liberty. Slavery is not an
iastitutioa--it was never instituted by law
even In South Carolina. 1t rests on robbery
and man-thet, and exists because there is no
law against it, as bigamy and theft would were
the laws prohibiting them removed.
The people ordained the Constitution, and
he would have them ordain the judges to in
terpret 1t, and IL judges are disposed to make
1t the instrument Of tyrants, he would have
new judges who shall be true to the great fat
OF the American people, and with such judges,
fairly interpreting the Constitution, recognis-
ing tie spirit, and disrcgarding all the ialsilies
OF precedent and accumulated justification
and acting in the clear light Of simple, cleal
law, every slave manacle would snap asunder
and this nation would become, as the father
Intended il should be, nation Of freemen.
Mr.. Lovejoy would have the national Con
gress declare every man, woman and child, ir
respective Of color, cline or condition, FREE
and make il felony to take that freedom
from them except for crime. Such a Law
would be 10 harmony with the Constitution
for the simple reason that slavery has prove
itself dangerous to the foundations of govern
ment aud Of civil society, and therefore ma