Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1864-04-08
Death of Owen Loreinv.

]
/ Hon. Owen Lovejoy, NJ. c. for the 9th District
OF Illinois, died at Brooklyn, y. T., on the 25th
I Mar He was born at Albion, Ne, Jan. 6. 1911
and was therefore IN his 54th year. The son of
/ a clergyman, who titled a farm to add enough
TO his salary for the support Of a large family.
owen Loyeloy had the very best sort Of New
England education, resulting in a stalwart body,
clear head, and generous heart He labored
on farm till he was Is, worked his way through
BoTdoin College by teaching, and in 1888 MI
grated to Alton, Illinois. where he studied theol-
ogy, under the care of his elder brother, Rev.
Elijah P. Lovejoy. In 1888 he was settled a.
Pastor of the Congregational Church at Prince
ton Illinois, which position he held until 1854.
when ne elected TO the Legislature Of Illinois
In 1886 he was elected to the 35th Congress. and
he WIS serving his fourth term in Congress at
the time Of his death.
We have said that he had generous heart
He was a genial mana man of warm sympa-
thies; but he was a man Of very deep feeling
We may say Of strong passions; and this was best
illustrated in his intense hatred of slavery. Most
thoroughly did he hate it, and never did man
more justly hate it. He had seen the minions
Of slavery murder his brother for slavery's sake
That martyrlom never forgotten; never did
slavery cross his path without getting blow
that would have been mortal if mortal blow
Hiih CoAiA EiNt anu eltNeFNs lIupersQnAtel IN
masters who cracked their lash on the floor of
Congress. reused in him deadly ire, and 1t was
ever brayely shown. The New York Herald well
says that "among the many fiery orators in
that fiery period preceding the withdrawal Of the
southern members from Congress, Owen Lovejoy
was, perhaps, one Of the most eminent" Nor
was he eminent as an abolitonist only. The
Herald adds that he was ga man Of extraordiu-
AIRY eloquence, and had reputation for industry
and bravery" This is all true He was more
than eloquent man of sterling sense, Of rich
humor, of sharp wit, and we have heard it said
that he was the most effective speaker Of the
great West on the stump We can easily be-
leye it, But his reputation viii stand chiefly as
the Orator of Freedom, and the hater of Oppres-
sion and the deliverer of the oppressed Well
do We remember the vain attempt Of a gang Of
slaveocrats TO intimidate and silence him on the
floor Of the House In violation Of all rules Of
decorum, they advanced upon him in a body
with threats of word and gesture as il they would
murder him on the instant Standing firmly in
the spot he had taken, in the area in front of the
Speakers chair, he stood alone, with clenched :
fists and angry gestures and fierce denunciations,
defying all their malice. They were towards, I
led by the cowardly Pryor, or his defiance would I
have stung them to the EXTREMIST outrage We
should not have been surprised had he been /
murdered on the spot. But the Speaker inter-
fered to enforce the rules, not upon his cowardly
ASSISTANTS, but upon Lovejoy. By the rules, he 1
had the right to address the House, either from I
his seat or from the Clerks desk, but not from
the place where he stood. Instantly submitting
to the rule, he took his stand in the clerks desk
and directly fronting his assailants and the /
southern side of the House, he poured upon them
such a torrent Of indignant eloquence as never
before had tingled their ears, and never will .
again. We felt that it was at the hazard of his
life; and had not every assassin known that in
any contest with him it would be life for life, we
believe he would have been murdered
The hero, the great orator, the good man
has gone. We do not expect to see his ike again;
We do not mean to forget him. In a recent visit
to Washington one of the pleasantest anticpa-
tons was to renew our acquaintance with Owen
LOvejoy. We did visit him in his sick chamber;
but We did not think it was for the last time.
Now We know that the journey was not in vain.
-Wdlf0n's Journal.