The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1907-02-27
CHAPTER TX.
Famous Lovejoy Incident at Ahon and
lincoln's Attitude.


prise. and, after meeting with consid. |
cradle opposition, In the summer of I
1896 he moved his types and press
across the river to Alton. III. Here he
found mn opposition more violent than |
that from which he had fed His !
press was thrown into the river the
night after its arrival, and he was in
formed that no abolition paper would
he allowed in tile town The better
class of citizens, however deprecated
the Outrage and pledged themselves to
reimburse Mr.. Lovejoy In case he
would agree not to make his paper an
abolition journal. Mr.. Lovejoy assured
them 1t was not his purpose to cstab-
lish such Il paper In Alton. but one of
religious character. At the same
time he would not give up his right as
an American citizen to publish what
ever he pleased on any subject. holding
himself answcrablc TO the laws of his
country in so doing. With this general
understanding, he was permitted to go
forward. He continued about year,
discussing In his paper the slavery
question occasionally, not, however, In
violent manner. but with tone of
moderation. This policy. however was
not satisfactory. 1t was regarded as
violation of his pledge, and the con-
tents Of his office were again destroyed
Mr.. Lovejoy issued au appeal for aid
to re-establish his paper, which met
with a prompt and generous response.
He proposed to bring mp another press
and announced that armed men would
protect It. Meantime a committee pre-
sented him with some resolutions
adopted at large meeting of the clti-
zens of Alton reminding him that he
had previously given n pledge that in
his paper he would refrain from advo-
eating abolltionlsm and also censurlng
him for not having kept his promise
and desiring TO know If he intended to
continue the publication Of such doc
trines in the future. His response con-
sisted of denial of the right OF any
portion of the people Of Alton to pre-
scribe what questions he should or
should not discuss In his paper. Great
excitement followed. Another press
was brought mp on the 21st of Septem-
Der, which shortly after followed the
fate of its predecessor. Another ar
rived Nov. Z, 1897. and was conveyed
to stone warehouse by the riverside,
where Mr.. LoveJoy and few friends
(some of them not abolitionlsts) re-
solved to defend 1t to the last. That
night they were attacked First there
was brief parley. then a volley OF
stones, then an attempt to carry the
building by assault. At this juncture
n shot was fired out of second story
WINDOW, which killed a young man In
the crowd. 1t was said to have been
fred by Lovejoy, and as the corpse
was borne away the wrath OF the pop
ulace knew no bounds. It was pro-
posed to get powder from the maya
zine and blow the warehouse up. 9th
erS thought the torch would be better
agent, and finally man ran up lad
der to fire the roof. LoveIoy came out
Of the door and, firing one shot, re-
treated within, where he rallied the
garrison for sortle. In the meantime
many shots were fired both by the as
sailants and the assailed. The house
was once actually set OH fire by one
person from the mob and saved by an
other But the courage Of Mr.. Love
joys friends was gradually sinking.
and they responded but family to his
strong appeals for action. As last
resource he rushed to the door with a
was shot dead on the threshold. The
other man was wounded In the leg
The warehouse was in flames. The
mob grew more feroclous over the
blood that had been shed and riddled
the doors and windows with volleys
from all sorts OF firearms. The aboll-
tonlsts had fought good fight; but
seeing now nothing but death before
them In that dismal, bloody and burn
Ing house, they escaped down the river
bank by twos and threes as best they
could, and their press was tumbled
after them into the river. And thus
ended the first attempt to establish an
abolition paper In Illinois. The result
was certainly anything hut encourag-
Ing and indicated pretty clearly what
must have been the general state OF
puphN iccHuk tnTousuOut tut Sttlt III
regard to slavery agitation.
Protest Against Abolition.
In fact, no state was more alive to
the necessity OF depressing the aboll-
tlonlsts than Illinois, and accordingly
1t was proposed In the legislature to
take some action similar to that which
had been already taken or was actually
pending In the legislatures Of sister
commemorative, from Massachusetts,
through the list A number Of resolu-
tons were reported and passed with
no serious opposition. The record does
not disclose the precise form In which
they passed. but that is Of little conse-
quence now. That they were extreme
enough may be gathered from the con-
slderate language of the protest and
from the fact that such protest was
considered necessary at all The pro-
test was undoubtedly the product OF
Mr.. Lincoln's pen, for his alrolt direct
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