The Portland daily press., 1881-01-31
Owen Lovejoy's Eloouence.

In recent address before the Illinois Bar
Association, Hon. 1. M. Arnold said: Lovejoy
always suggested to me a Roundhead of tn.
days of Cromwell He was thoroughly in ear
nest; almost if not quite fanatical In his poll
tics His courage was unfinching, and he
would have died for his principles. He had a
blunt, masculine eloquence rarely equalled,
and on the slavery question, as stump speak
er, it would be difficult to name his superior.
In February, 1852 at the Capitol in
Washington, speaking of the acts which led to
this trial for harboring fugitive slave,) there
is one of the boldest and most effective bursts
OF eloquence, from Loveioy, to be found in all
the literature of anti-slavery discussion. He
had been taunted and reproached on the floor
OF Congress, and stigmatized as one who, in
aiding slaves to escape, had violated the laws
and constitution of his country. He had been
denounced as ''nigger-stealer", threatened
by the Shareholders, and they attempted to in
timidate and silence him. They little knew
the man, and his reply silenced them, and ex-
torted the admiration of friend and foe. He
closed one of the most radical and i'm passiorca
anti-slavery speeches ever made in Congress,
by unfinchinly declaring, "I do assist fugitive
slaves. Proclaim it, then, upon the housotops;
write it on every leaf that trembles In the for
est; make it blaze from the sun at high noon.
and shine forth in the milder radiance of every
star that bedecks the armament of God; let il
echo through all the arches of heaven and re-
vertebrate and below along all the deep gorges
OF hell, where slave catchers will be very likely
to hear it, Owen Lovejey lives at Princeton,
ILL.,, three-quarters of a mile east of the viii
lage; and he aids every fugitive that comes to
slavery, dost thou think to cross my humble
threshold, and forbid me to give bread to the
hungry and shelter to the homeless? bid Won
defiance in the name of God!"
heard Lovej0y declare that after the death
OF his brother he went to the graveyard at AL
ton, and kneeling upon the sod which covered
the remains OF that brother, he there before
God, swore eternal vengeance upon slavery
He kept his oath.
He was man of powerful physique, intense
feellng and great magnetism as speaker and
he went forth like Peter the Hermit, with a
heart OF fire and tongue of lightning, preach
ing his crusade against slavery.
In the log schoolhouses in the meeting
houses and places OF worship, and in the open
air, he preached and lectured with a yehe-
mence and energy which carried the people
with him. The martyrdom of his brother was
sufficient excuse for his violence, and the
pane paa > OF Loyeloy the martyr, like the name OF
a name to "conjare' with.
Some idea of his dramatic power may be OBJ
tanned from sermon preached at Princeton
in January, 1912, on the death of his brother.
After describing his murder by cruel mob,
because he would not surrender the freedom
OF the press, he declared solemnly that for
himself, come life!or death, II will devote the
residue OF my life to the anti-savery cause"
The Shareholders and their sympathizers"
said he, "have murdered my brother, and if
another victim is needed, am ready"
His aged and widowed mother was present
in the church. Pausing and turning to her he
said, Mother, you have given one son, your
elder. to liberty; are you willing to give an
other?" and the heroic mother replied, eyes,
my son-you cannot die in better causei' He
lived to see slavery die amid the flames of war
which itself had kindled