The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1864-04-05
Owen Loyejoy.

whole northwest will mourn with sincere
feeling the death Of OWEN LovEJoY." He
was one of those bold, daring spirits who
was willing to endure persecution even
unto death for the sake of principle, who
never turned from the path of rectitude
and who scorned to lend himself as tool
to any clique or party interest. He was
Independent in action, fearless in debae,
calm and dispassonate as reasoLer,
logical in his sequences, and untiring in
bis efforts to promote the cause of liber
", Justice, and humanity. He was the
embodiment and living representative.
of an idea which had for its avowed OBJ
iect the abolition and ultimate extinction
of the demon slavery and though out
ragged, prosecuted and reviled, oppressed
by the strong, derselted by the faithless
and condemned by the weak and vacil-
aiing, he nevertheless adhered to his
original purpose with courage and de-
t9rmin ltion that must elicit plaudits Of
pyaise from all admirers Of persev Ell ance
aud straightforward resolution. Like
our ilustrious President Abraham Lin
coin, Owen Lovejoy was the friend and
representative Of the working classes of
the people, and firm believer in the di
vine precept that equal lights, equal JUS
tice and equal liberty, should be extend
ed to the poorest of earths creatures. He
failed to perceive and acknowledge the
claim Of the Southern aristocrat TO the
,ima.and services of the painting fugitive
and boldly questioned and opposed all
laws which sanctioned or in any man
ner gave color Of right, TO the monstrous
and fallacious doctrine, that man could
hold property in his fellow man. He
consscraed himself by the most untiring
and ,igilant labor, to the cause Of the
iowly, and struggled manfully to SUSTAIN
encourage, protect and elevate, a system
of morals and political tenets, untainted
with the breath or odor of slavery. He
was a relormer IN the strictest sense OF
the word, bnt yet was neither petulant,
qnerolus or bigoted He had an mex
hauslible fund Of good nature, was mild
and forbearing wheu his generosity and
kindness were appealed to, and possessed
Of all those qualities which constitute an
agreeable companion,.. To his mother he
WAS largely indebted for the position
which he took upon the slavery question,
far she il was who seating the son BY
her side, woalt read to him from the
Emancipator, and enlarge and explain to
him the principles Of the great revolu.
ton which WAS just beginning to agitate
the minds ol the people. This was in
1886 and 1887. AT that time freedom
WAS sectional, slavery national The
man who dared to write or speak against
the crima Of humin bondage, was ostra
cised from society, called crazy fanatic
OF fool, tarred, feathered, imprisoned, and
subjected to every indignity that the
helilsh Ingenuity of the slave holder
coald devise. Popular audiences were
turned into tamutious riots. The pulpit,
the press, AMI The forum, lent their in
tluence or silent consent TO the villainy
The streets of New York, Philadelphia
and Bosom, were disgraced with slave
shambles. The halls Of Congress were
used as The theatre Of Legislation for the
interest Of the slave power. As well
might man be sunk in the lowest
depths of hell, as to be considered an
abolitionist. Northern school teachers,
fer attempting to teach the children OF
slaves to read, were driven from the
country or incarcerated in dungeons.
Slavery was everywhere triumphant, and
growing daily more avaricious and grasp
ing in its demands. As an illustration
of the spirit which controlled the coun
Try at that time, we cannot DO better than
to bring up the case ofEL,JAu LovRJoY,
brother Of Owen, who was editing a
paper at Alton Illinois, though we pre-
sumo the facts Of the mornful occurrence
are still fresh in The minds of many of
our readers. A fugitive slave bad been
caught by his master. on the Kentucky
side OF the river and whipped 10 dea,h,
and Tor this inhuman act, SO revolving
in all lis details, LoyFJoY came out in
his paper and publicly exposed the mis-.
creanis. This in the eyes Of the slave
holders was heinous sin, and they de.
sired the editor 10 retract his statement.
THIS lie re fused 10 do, but on lie con.
raly published another article more
scaling md wilheripS in It's ubuks
than '!e first. 4 uob wfs soon organ
fhed With he ayCFed object Of .hrowing