The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-08-24
HERO OF SPEAKER CANNON
AN AB0LlTloMIST ORATOR
Uncle Joe Will Always Remem- Der His First Sight of
 Owen Lovejoy.

word was sent out that Owen Lovejoy would not be permitted to make speech in Greenup, but he made his speech and he made it right from the shoulder. I was in Coles County at the time I have in mind.
 T will always remember my first sight of Owen Lovejoy I saw big, heavy man, with a shock of thick, dark hair. When you looked into his face you knew he could lick his weight in wildcats, if necessary"
 MT. Cannon had grown interested in his recital He stood erect in the .drawing-room of the car and with hands thrust deep into his pockets and his kindly gray eye bright with the. recollection he continued:
 "Lovejoy looked over the crowd, turning his eyes from group to group of faces in the mass before him, Then with the utmost deliberation, he said, I have been told that Owen Lovejoy would not be here to-day, and that if he did come he would not be allowed to speak The oldest member of my family lies in his grave at Alton over on the Mississippi, a victim of mob violence. He died in the defense of liberty. It is the most man can do in any cause. I will speak here to- day. You could have heard e leaf rus tie anywhere, almost heard pm drop"
 The speaker was now so interested that he was using his well known full-arm windmill-sweep gestures, and in a second more as he quoted Lovejoy his voice simulated the deep tones of the man of that former day and his eyes burned with some reflection Of. the enthusiasm which must have prompted Lovejoy.
 Well, he began to speak," said Mir. Cannon. He was not afraid and right from the first, when he had occasion to do so, he called a spade a spade. It did not take him more than ten minutes to get full attention and almost possession of that crowd. Even at this distant day I can remem- Der what he said finally as though his voice was still ringing in my ears. I am called an abolitionist,' he shouted Some Republicans are afraid of be- ing classed with me. If 1 am an abolitionist, make the most of it, and you must know that there are many more like me-
 "Lovejoy had exquisite control of his voice. and he used all of his pow CTS of persuasion and pathos on that half-hostile crowd facing him. I'll try this case said Lovejoy"
 Here MT. Cannon simulated the manner of the barrister of the old school who addressed jury.
 " I want twelve men, all of them Democrats, to stand up, said Love- joy. Then turning to them he be- gan again. You will well and truly hear the statement touching the question I am about to put, and a true verdict render as you shall an- swer at the last judgment day
 'Lovejoy seemed to look far away Into the distant treetops, now" said Mir. Cannon, "and his face had the absent, strained look of one seeing a vision of distant happenings as he continued On a plantation In the dis- tant southland in the low miasmatlc swamps, there was a woman. She was young, handsome, and under Gods law, had as much right to live and control her own actions as any of us. She was of one-eighth African and seven -eighths white blood, just like your blood and mine. The overseer of the plantation, where she was held in bondage, sought to persecute her because she would not assent to his advances She escaped into the swamps. Bloodhounds were set on her trail She boarded little steam boat which piled on small river which emptied into the great Father of Waters Tn the fullness of time she landed at the first station in H. linois, name not given, and pro- ceeded from station to station. F'inal- ly she arrived in Princeton
 MT. Cannon was now swaying back and forth in time with the slow cad ence of his voice. and as his intoning grew low and full of pathos 1t was not difficult to imagine the effect the words of Lovejoy had on the audience of that distant time.
 "Lovejoy was approaching his climax" said the speaker. I myself, Owen Lovejoy, was the keeper of that station at Princeton. She came to my house hungry and told me her story She was fairer than my own daughter proud and tall and beautiful. She was naked and I clothed her. She was hungry and I gave her bread. She was penniless and I gave her money. She was unable to reach the next sta- ton and 1 sent her to 1t. So from sta- tion to station she crossed the north land far from the baying dogs on her trail and out from under the shadow of the flag we love and venerate into Canada. To-day she lives there free and happy woman
 "As LoveJoy reached the end of his simple recital some people openly sobbed and cried. He turned his eyes to the faces of his audience and thundered, As you shall answer to God what would you have done2 Get up. Rise men, and give your yer dict Heads were held up and men and women jumped to their feet, There were cries of You did right and We would have done the same It was wonderful to see what an affect the tale of the man. with his great magnetism and fine presence had on that gathering of men who in their hearts came to the meeting with hos tility toward him"
 Having delivered himself of the ex- act words of the orator of half cen- tury ago, MT Cannon seemed to search