Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-04-05
FROM WASHINGTON,
eOAgrsssioaaI ROaors to Osas LosSsy-A
Compassion Rses for the Rears.

Special Correspondents ofths Cincinnati Gaastts
WAsHIEeToH, March 20.
1t was striking and historic scene in
!ne House and Senate, yesterday and To-
usy put TO appreciate it properly, enc
must LOOK also ct its companion piece.
On tne night Of the tn NoVsmbef, 1887,
. MOD was hoEhng about the walls Of
sol1dty-built warehouse in . WestsFn bor-
der village, on the Mississippi. They had
caught there an upright minister Of he
Gospel, Of the Presbyterian Church. With
few Of his friends; and, after hOars Of
Intellectual attack, were franticalIy shoat-
ing, "Fire the building" "Burn 'em out"
Shoot every d-d Aboliionist - hs
leaves"
This minister, against Whoss character
no word Of rspros0h had ever bssn ut
tered, whose relstions with all men we're
as pure and honorable ss became his Of
nee, had, years before, at the invitsticn
Of the brethren Of his Church, established
religious newspaper in st. Louis, Ehi6h
came, after time, as the subject natu.
rally arose, to speak Of Slavery, ss sn
evil good men should strive to nitigsts,
and ultimately eradicate. He was not an
abolitionist as the term was understood;
he expressly urged that nothing should Be
attempted that would interfere with the
legal rights Of Shareholders, but that meas
ures should be begun looking to the oz-
tinotion Of the evil at such distant pstiod
as might be thought expedient; and he
only referred to It, as q religious jour
nslist might and should in animadvePtinR
upon the evils Of the day. And he did
this, not at distance, with the cad Of
stirring up strife; Dut in 9 Hild, and
charitable, and Christian spirit, In the
midst Of the sla7ehOldsrs whom the ques-
ton concerned.
But it would not do; and in spite Of his
blsmeless life, and his mild trestmeht Of
the offensive subject, his Office was mobbed,
and he had found it necessary to cross the
river, and establish his press on what was
supposed to be free soil ct Alton, Illinois.
He had here continued the same manly
but temperate cause; but the prosecutions
had increased.
There several times his Office had been
mo6bed aud his press destroyed, fer No
other reason than his refusal, as 3 RELIGIOUS
editor, to msintsin profound silence On the
subject Of Slavery; he had himself bean
more than once mobbed in the streets, and
the rioters had, on at least one occasion,
violated the ssnctity Of his home, and
sought to drag him from the midst Of his
family.
And now, the fourth press bought for
him By his religious friends, in and about
bis home, who deplored while they could
not adequately prevent the prosecutions 70
which he was subjected, had arrived, and
had been stored in this warehouse for safe
keeping. Thirty or forty of the citizens
had volunteered to defend it, and had wait
ed through the evening, till the VILLAGE
seemed profoundly quiet, and all danger
was supposed to be passed. A dozsn, how
ever had still remained, with the minister.
promising TO watch out the night.
These men the mob emerging from
grogshops in the dead Of night, had csueht
in the warehouse, and one Of them de-
manded the surrender Of the press. II
was Of course refused !; and after finding
all other modes Of attack useless the mob
raised ladders against the building and
began to IRE its roof The imprisoned
men sailed out to extinguish the Gre. As
they we're retiring sgain, the minister
fingered behind moment when 9 Pist-
er, concealed behinds pile Of lumber, took
deliberate aim at him, and the poor man
fell, pierced By i've balls. The murderer
was never punished nor molested.
ItWas in the year Of our Lord, eighteen
hundred and thirty-seyen, in the State Of
Illinois, that the deed was done. Next
day they buried him, and bending over
his grave, the surviving brother, Owen
Lovejoy, vowed solemn vow that he
would "sge life long warfare a9ainst
the accursed cause Of that martyrdom.
How well he kept the vow, let the nations
history, and his own proud place in It 81
test.