Elijah Parish Lovejoy
Elijah Parish Lovejoy
Elijah Parish Lovejoywas an American Presbyterian minister, journalist, newspaper editor and abolitionist. He was murdered by a pro-slavery mob in Alton, Illinois, during their attack on his warehouse to destroy his press and abolitionist materials...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionClergyman
Date of Birth9 November 1802
CountryUnited States of America
running writing blood
But gentlemen, as long as I am an American Citizen, and as long as American blood runs in these veins, I shall hold myself at liberty to speak, to write, and to publish whatever I please on any subject.
cultivated drawn flag formed freedom heads material soil waves whip
The very flag of freedom that waves over our heads is formed from material cultivated by slaves, on soil moistened with their blood drawn from them by the whip of a republican taskmaster!
eternal god happiness hate infinite jehovah laugh provide reject
The eternal God - the infinite Jehovah - has done all he could do - even to the sacrificing his own Son - to provide a way for man's happiness, and yet they reject him, hate him, and laugh him to scorn!
citizens course either favor fear fellow god good governed higher highly opinion permitted taken value
While I value the good opinion of my fellow citizens as highly as anyone, I may be permitted to say that I am governed by higher considerations than either the favor or the fear of man. I am impelled to the course I have taken because I fear God.
freely land publish subject
I know that I have the right freely to speak and publish my sentiments, subject only to the laws of the land for the abuse of that right.
besides cannot compromise life surrender though truth
I cannot surrender my principles, though the whole world besides should vote them down - I can make no compromise between truth and error, even though my life be the alternative.
appealed cannot cheerfully constitution die god laws protect rest
I have appealed to the constitution and laws of my country; if they fail to protect me, I appeal to God, and with Him I cheerfully rest my cause. I can die at my post, but I cannot desert it.
accepted assurance bring divine lay receive sinful sins sorrows
I was, by divine grace, enabled to bring all my sins and all my sorrows and lay them at the feet of Jesus, and to receive the blessed assurance that He had accepted me, all sinful and polluted as I was.
convert man piece possible thus
It is not possible that one man can convert another into a piece of property, thus at once annihilating all his personal rights, without the most flagrant injustice and usurpation.