The Topeka state journal., 1897-11-08
GAVE HIS LIFE
FOR HUMANITY.
A Monument in Honor of Elijah
p. LOvejOy
Was Dedicated at Alton, ILL.,,
This Afternoon.
TRIBUTE TO A MARTYR
Who Sixty Years Ago Lost
His Life
I'm Defense of the Cause of HUI
man Freedom.
TRIBUTE TO A MARTYR

Alton. Ill, Nov S-The memory of
Elijah P. Lovejoy, the martyred friend
of freedom, is to be preserved in su-
perb monument in the city cemetery of
Alton, and the dedication exercises
took place at o'clock this afternoon.
On November 8, so years ago. Lovejoy
fell victim of the fury of a prOslavery
mob. The monument was finished three
months ago, but it was thought fitting
to wait for the anniversary of his death
TO dedicate it.
Money for the erection of the shaft
was appropriated by the state legisla-
ture, which voted SIS, 900 for the pur-
pose. An additional $1,000 was raised
by the people of Alton. Louis Mulgardt
and Robert P. Bringhurst, the sculp-
tors of St Louis, wrought the plans and
the figures.
The shaft stands upon the highest
point of Atoms hills and towers 100
feet toward the sky.
The man thus hOnOred by the people
of Illinois was the first martyr that
the state gave to the cause Of liberty
and free speech, and the history of his
career is as touching as that of CrOm-
well, Joan of Arc or anything that the
stOried pages of the old world afford.
It has been said that Mrs. Harriet
Beecher Stowe. with her Uncle Toms
Cabin" started the agitation which re
suited in the war of the rebellion, but
IN the LONeJOX Tragedy was nreQ the
first shot leading up to that great con-
f1ict, and more than all this, he was at
the same time the first man to main
tain and to vindicate with his life the
right of the American press to publish
honest opinion upon any chosen subject
without fear or reserve being amena-
bic only to the accepted laws of the
country
LovejOy was born at Albion, Kenebec
county, Maine, November 9, 1902. He
entered Wallville college at 81 and
graduated four years later with the
first honOrs of his class He then came
west to St. Louis, and began teaching
in the public schools, but soon gave
that up to become the editor of the St.
Louis Times, fighting his first campaign
in behalf of the election of Henry Clay
to the presidency. About the close of
that campaign he Joined the Presby-
terian church and soon afterward con-
cluded to enter the ministry. According
~ in 1882 ne began studying at Prince
ton Theological seminary, being Ii
censed to preach the gospel one year
later.
He held two charges. at Newport, R.
I, and Spring church, n. Y, but al
though he was a powerful preacher. he
was not destined to do his great work
in the pulpit. He again returned to St.
Louis and established the St. Louis OBJ
server, the first issue of which appeared
November p, 1888 1t was essentially
q religious newspaper, but the editor
could not keep down his intense love of
liberty and his convictions in regard to
the slavery question II was lIIlEOSSlDI6
for him not soon to become involved in
the discussion of the subject, and one
day he wrote an editorial setting forth
his opinions so strongly, that when it
appeared the community was thrown
at once into a furOre of excitement. He
was away at q synOdical meeting when
it was printed. and the owners of the
press and property he occupied were
compelled to hastily print a card ex-
planning it away, to prevent mob vfo-
lence. On his return he was confronted
with a paper signed by the most influ-
entail papers, including the minister or
his church, setting forth the opinion
that slavery was divinely sanctioned
and asking him to desist from his
course.
Lovejoy printed the paper with all
signatures and appended his reply. The
gist of the letter was that the editor
claimed the right to publish his honest
convictions on any subject, and an
sWering the plea of Biblical jusuhca-
ton, he said:
Make not slaves of others if you
would not be made slaves of your !
selves"
His statements were couched in the
most inoffensive language, but never |
theless again stirred the ire of the citi-
zens.
Things went on in this way until his
presses were taken away by the own
ers but a few who sided with him |
got them restored on condition that he |
would come to Illinois. where his ut |
terances might be safely circulated. He |
made the change, but the St Louis peO- |
pie then relented and called him back. |
It happened, however, that a negro, !
arrested for a crime, assaulted the Of |
ficers and killed one of them. A mob !
soon after took him from the jail and |
burned him at the stake. When the |
trial of some of the ringleaders in this |
act came up, the judge dismissed them |
on the ground that the negro had been
incited to his act by reading the OBJ
server, and that there was no law to |
punish them.
This was too much. Lovejoy publish |
ed an editorial reply so scathing in its |
criticism that he knew violence must |
follow and at once shipped his plant to |
Alton He arrived here on Sunday, July |
21 1896 He left it in the warehouse
over night. and before daylight it was |
destroyed by a mob. This at once |
transferred the trouble to Illinois. A |
meeting was held next night in the |
Pres byterian church. where the editor |
made an address, stating that he had |
come to Alton in good faith to publish a |
religious newspaper; that his object |
had evidently been misunderstood: |
that he was not an abolitionist, but was |
honestly opposed to slavery. He also |
said that having removed from the seat |
OF slavery, he need not now continue to /
fight it. that it would be cowardice to |
fv from a slave state to attack its !
thods from free soil
He was sincere in this profession, and |
thus Modified public opinion so that |
funds were soon raised, and on Sep /
tember s, 1896, he printed the first num- |
Der of the Alton Observer. The vigor- |