Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1864-03-28
DEATH OF HON. OWEN LovEJoY, OF
ILLINOIS.


bune, of Illinois, arose and addressed the
House as follows:
MFR. sPEAKERi II becomes my duty TO announce
| 70 the House OF Representatives the death OF the
Honorable Owen Lovejoy, a Representative in the
Illinois Mr. Loveioy expired in the city OF Brook
lyn, NJ ", on Friday evening last, March 20, 1854.
A man OF an iron constitution, he had always en-
before the expiration Of the last Congress. He
was then stricken down by sudden and severe
lness which detained him At the capital for some
time after the Congress had expired
Returning to his home, he partially rsgained his
health during the last summer and autumn. Taking
his seat in Congress at the commencement OF the
session. in the hopeful and buoyant feelings OF his
nature, he aattered himself with the idea fhesth
recovered and energies regained, but there was
Impractical eye told OF disease and death creating
In the minds Of his friends the gravest apprehcn'
pTen,pE inTits,oS, mS 6f fi.Sa m Tfsea PorI.nS
Maine, and delivered public address on the great
events which are now challenging tho attention Of
effort At public speaking, and Il was worthy Of bis
name and his fame in his palmiebt days, and the
tory before the accents of his eloquent utterances
win have died away.
Coming back to Washington after the recess OF
Congress, he soon had a return Of tho disease
which had prostrated him nearly year before.
Alter several weeks confinement to his room and
to his bed, he had 90 iar recovered as 70 believe
House. He attended our sittings short time for
several days, but his eye mad lost Its Brightness
told, alas but too plainly that Death had already
marked him As Its carly victim. stimulated by
the stirring events OF the passing hour the impof
constituency whose interests he had never neg
lected or betrayed, and whose convictions he had
mover mBreprosented, the effort he made to resume
his duty among US was too much for him. par
tial relapse was the consequences, and then 1t was
determined that he should, for time, leave the
excitement OF the Capitol and visit more south.
ern and a more 6enial climate, In the hope that
stored.
He left hero for New York city some ten days
ago, but the trip thther was too hard for him TO
bear, and he was unable 10 pursue his journey
further. From that time he became rapidly worss
until he expired at the time have stated Though
dying away from his own behaved home, he was
yet surrounded not only by kind and hympathizing
the psnss OF his parting life asIuaged By the
affections and the care of a devoted wife.
Maine. on tSe IN Snv Of GaDuSTyl isii and ,yS.
consequently, at the time of his death, n little
over hity-three years OF age. The son Of Goa
gregAtional clergyman In country town, his early
liie was devoted TO labor upon farm and to the
acquisition OF such an education Rs he could obtain
| at New England " district schooln
| He entered Bowdoin College at the age OF TWEEN
ty-One years, and remained there for three years.
and then entered upon the pursuit Of theological
studies. He removed to Illinois in 1895. In 1889
he was ordained as pastor of the Congregational
Church at Princeton, in thN State, and remained
its pastor nearly seventeen years. ltwas his only
own staten ent, the everlasting eYAnEel Of the
fatherhood Of God, the sonBhip OF Ch ist, And the
brotherhood of man." HIS first entrance ibto po-
litioal life was In 1884, when he was elected
member OF tho lower house OF the Illinois Leglsla.
tive Assembly. In 1856 he was irat elected to Com
gresa for the then Third Congregational District of
Illinois, and he was twice re elected from that dis.
triet
In the redialrictIng Of the State in 1861, he was
again elected to the present Congress from the nfh
district, having thus been elected four tlmeH, and
having served for longer period, with four ex.
Nhua aNWs all NAN at..N
| State. This great fact speaks, in unmistalSAble
language, Of the hold which he had upon the con-
| fidencO and affections Of his constituents.
Mr. Speaker, owen LOyejoy was no common
| man. 10 saying thst in hiB death great man has
fallen, Ispeak II in no common OF haokneyed sense,
for he was great. lie was great in the leading idca
of his life; great in his conviotons; great in the
elements OF his chaTAetcr, grest in his oloquenee
great in his courage and great in his abiding and
| everything faith In the ultimate triumph OF the
eternal principles Of right, Justice, aud umAnty
No man who has sueot eded 10 stamping his ideas
and his principles, rs he has with the Impress of
indelibility, upon the mlndS and hearts OF men,
| could be IN ordinary man. Early impressed with
| convictions in regard to the subject of American
slavery he followed thoIe convictions with un-
swerving fidelity, in the face of danger, obloquy,
and ropToAeh. His natural ahhorrcnc, Of slavery
brother who fell Victim TO hiG opposition TO that
inEtitution, and who illustrated Ills principles by
fis blood, shed by lAwle1s mob. In the advAno :
tolled with an earnestness and zeal which were
without vhriablenLBs or shadow OF turning" and
IN the pursuit oil his great Ohcct IL could truly
have been said Of HIM
"No dangers daunted and no lsDors tired.n
The heated denunelAtlons OF pArtiEans, the Iili-
Guile and clamor Of the vulgar, and the threats Of
tho cowardiy ana the base, failed alike to tuTR
him from that great purpose OF his life, which like
the
"Pontio Sea- krew no retiring cbb,n
and which purpose he pursued with unfalteriog
devotion TO the last moment OF hts earthly exist.
| cnce. IGhe did not live TO see the end OF that
stupendons struggle which was to establish the
great problem which he had spent his life in work
Ing out, like Moses he saw the promised land
bright and beautiful As the last object upon which
his expiring eyes fell.
| cannot, Mr.. Speat er, dwell at length upon the
striking lnoidentS OF the lie OF my lRle colleague,
| nor HhAll the pRrtiAlity of n long and uninteF.
rupted personal and political friendship lead me TO
| trespasu toe long upon the time Of the House but
serving with him for three full Congresses in this
| House, should he rscreAnt to my own EenBe Of
what Is Que TO truth and Justice, dla not bear my
great usefulness with which he served his constit-
uents, his State nnd the country, as Representa-
tive in the American Congress: As legislator he
wsa wise, intelligent practical, yigilant, indepen-
dent, and, above all, incorruptible.
HS % was 6sy9sSa 70 eySyy Say to Ra country and
principle involved, he waB firm and unyieldlng
as the hills Of his own nStive State. Yet, in ali
matters Of mere policy, involving no surrender of
principle, there was no man more ready or more
willing to yield to the suggestions of others II is
perhaps, the case tgAt, where men have been de-
voted to particular idea, they are generally i'm
practicable In all other matters but Il was not so
with our late associate He was emInently a
practical man, and a man Of great common sense;
| u good judge of human nature, and familiar with
| the workings of the human heart
| IhAV0 spoken OF the deceased al.a public man,
| but who shall speak OF the virtues which adorned
hiS private life Who shall speak OF him as hus.
band father, fGlend neighbOr, citigGnl He was SO
genial In his intercourse, of u sympathy so quick
and ready so klnd, ArectlonRto, and generous thL
there seemed combined In him all these qualities
which challenged tho loyo and admiration OF thoso
who best kne v him, and which disArmed the re.
sentiment OF enemies, and sndeRred him to the
hearts of ftiends. Upon the Immediate family oil
our late colleague has this blow fallen with crush
inll lCoice, No words OF human sympathy or cOndol
i and II is alone to Him who temperB the wind 10
| the shoTn lAmbn that the appeal must be made
Mr.. Speaker the proceedings Of this House al
published In the COngTesBonAl anpalB for the last
six years, will furnish an undyirg record Of hf
services and laborH of the distinguished man whose
loss the couutTy deeply deyloreB. Serving dur.
ing n part of the most Interesting and turbulent
periods OF our Congressional history, he was one
Of the most active participants in those scenes In
the precursors Of that terrible civil cOmmotiOu
which has since drenched our land in blood, and
made the civilized world to stand aghAHt.
might call 10 your recollection, Mr.. speaker
and to the recollection OF those members OF thiI
House who were members of the Thlrty-sixth
Congress, that extraordinary scene In the House
Of the bth OF April 1850, and which has scarcely
parallel in the history OF any delberative Assem-
bly, In the world. 1t was on that occasion that he
bearing which eXtOrted the admiration of even hi
most deadly foes. But need not recount 10 you
Sir, the many otl or OsoaBlona duTing your HeFvcl
when he has electIihed the House by his OutbuFstl