Daily Kennebec journal., 1900-10-27

ow of vindctive hatred and intoI-
erance whose intensity can scarcely
be realized by men of the present day
and generation. Nor were the perse-
cutions of the hostile slave power Girect
ed against him alone. His family
was threatened also. and finally was
forced to leave the city in order to e~-
cape the violence directed against it,
A mob broke into his printing office
and destroyed his type and machinery;
but it was unable TO silence him.
Moving across the river he re-estab-
lished himself at Alton. Illinois. in the
hope that. upon the soil of free
state he could enjoy undisturbed thar
liberty of thought and speech. which APP
peared to be Impossible in slave terri
tory. But he was doomed TO dlSap-
pointment Even there the mass of
the people loaded him with ridicule
and abuse The timid few who Sc
cretly sympathized with him had noi
the courage to assert themselves. The
local authorities We're too coWarily and
to much under the sway OF the slave
power to afford him adequate protec
ton His Missouri enemies followed
him to his new home. Three times his
office was broken into, and three press
es were thrown into the Mississippi
river His appeals for the aid and
sympathy of the North were met with
ridicule. But such discouraSements
could not move him from the path of
duty His courage never deserted him
Upon one occasion he was returning
home in the evening with
Nrif
when he was set upon by ruff
fianly mob of pro-slav2ry nen--tte
hired thugs of the power that was
bent upon his destruction. When he
was recognized a cry went up TO tar
and feather him. Surrounded by the
enraged and enfuriated mob his cour-
age did not desert him, Gentlemen"
he said. II have one request to make.
My wife is at home dan
serously sick If you will send
one OF your men to take this
medicine to her. and not alarm her
will so with you" This request was
acceded TO. and a man was dispatched
upon the errand. but they had not
gone far when the leader OF the moo
stopped Il can never do violence to
so brave and noble a man." he said
and the crowd dispersed and per-
mitted him to return home in safety.
Such a life, with its constant dan
gers and prosecutions was enough to
try any mans soul: but nothing could
silence Lovejoy. He saw the PLAIN
path of duty opening before hlm. ana
did not finch from walking in ~
Friendless and alone mark for the
ridicule of the indifferent. and the
hatred of the supporters OF the lnsti-
tuition he opposed. his faith in the JUS
tice of his course. and the support OF
lust God. never deserted him. He had
seen every human instinct trampled
unon in the name Of might and had
heard the agOniZed cries of negroes
publicly burned at the stake in the
streets of his adopted city. His whole
soul revolted at the wrongs OF sys-
TEN which worked such iniquitles-and
no was not TO be frightened into
silence regarding il.
Ar public meeting in a speech OF
wonderful pathos and eloquence ne
declared al know YOU can tar and
feather me. hang me up. or throw me
into the Mississippi but what then?
have sworn eternal opposition to slav-
cry. and by the blessing OF GOD VIII
never 60 back. If the civil authori-
ties refuse to protect me l must look
10 God and if I die I am determined
to make my grave III Alton. ms
speech was his last. A few nights
later he suffered martyrdom in defence
of the cause to which he had dedlcateu
himself.
With a small band OF friends he was