[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 133 (Monday, September 10, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H10332-H10333]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              OWEN LOVEJOY PRINCETON POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 2825) to designate the facility of the United 
States Postal Service located at 326 South Main Street in Princeton, 
Illinois, as the ``Owen Lovejoy Princeton Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2825

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. OWEN LOVEJOY PRINCETON POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 326 South Main Street in Princeton, 
     Illinois, shall be known and designated as the ``Owen Lovejoy 
     Princeton Post Office Building''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be 
     a reference to the ``Owen Lovejoy Princeton Post Office 
     Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Sali) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I 
might consume.
  As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government 
Reform, I'm pleased to join my colleague in the consideration of H.R. 
2825, which names the postal facility in Princeton, Illinois after Owen 
Lovejoy.
  H.R. 2825, which was introduced by Representative Jerry Weller on 
June 21, 2007, was reported from the Oversight Committee on July 19, 
2007, by a voice vote. This measure has the support of the entire 
Illinois congressional delegation.
  Mr. Owen Lovejoy, the son of a Congregational minister, was born on 
January 16, 1811, in Albion, Maine. He graduated from Bowdoin College, 
Brunswick, in 1832 and studied law.
  In 1836, Mr. Lovejoy was ordained as the pastor of the Congregational 
Church in Princeton, Illinois, a position which he held for 17 years. 
He was a strong opponent of slavery, and he used the pulpit to attack 
slavery and helped slaves gain their freedom from bondage.
  In 1856, Mr. Lovejoy was elected to Congress with the help of fellow 
Illinoisan, Abraham Lincoln. He served four terms in the United States 
House of Representatives and continued his work as an abolitionist.
  Mr. Lovejoy worked with Members of Congress in both Chambers to 
weaken slavery and attempted to achieve a measure of equality for all 
people regardless of race. When critics within his own Republican Party 
expressed fears that the former slaves were not going to live in the 
North if they gained their freedom, Mr. Lovejoy replied, and I quote, 
``Let them stay where they are and work under the stimulus of cash 
instead of the lash.''
  Mr. Lovejoy died on March 25, 1864, just 2 weeks before the 
introduction of the 13th amendment to the Constitution.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague, Representative Jerry Weller, for 
introducing this legislation, and urge swift passage.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SALI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, today we celebrate Mr. Owen Lovejoy, who was an 
accomplished lawyer, Congregational Minister, abolitionist and 
Republican Congressman.
  Mr. Lovejoy was born on January 6, 1811, in Maine, where he taught 
school in order to support himself while in college and law school 
after his father's death.
  After becoming a convert to abolitionism in 1836, he studied for the 
ministry under his brother, Elijah Lovejoy, a well known antislavery, 
Presbyterian minister. Tragically, 1 year later, Elijah was murdered 
while trying to prevent the destruction of the printing press of an 
Illinois antislavery society from an angry, drunken anti-abolition mob. 
After his brother's murder, Mr. Lovejoy is reported to have vowed to 
devote himself to, quote, ``the cause that has been sprinkled with my 
brother's blood.''
  After becoming a Congregational church minister, Lovejoy used the 
pulpit to attack slavery.
  He was elected to Congress in 1856, with the support of Abraham 
Lincoln, and served four terms. Although he died before seeing the 
enactment of the 13th amendment to the Constitution, Congressman 
Lovejoy's legacy lives as a lifelong champion of equality.
  Because of his courageous support of equality for all, regardless of 
race, it is fitting that we name the Princeton, Illinois Post Office in 
his honor.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve. I have no 
further speakers, so I will wait for my colleague to yield back, and 
then I will.
  Mr. SALI. Mr. Speaker, I yield back.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated, I have no further 
speakers, but I, again, want to commend my colleague from Illinois, 
Representative Jerry Weller, for introducing this legislation.
  Owen Lovejoy, in actuality, is one of the great abolitionists of his 
day, an individual that many people don't know nearly enough about. And 
so I commend Representative Weller for making sure that he will be 
etched in the hearts and minds of the people in that town and in that 
community. I urge its passage.
  Mr. WELLER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my 
colleagues to support H.R. 2825, a bill I introduced that would name 
the post office in Princeton, Illinois after Owen Lovejoy. Owen Lovejoy 
is perhaps best known for his role in advocating for the abolition of 
slavery and his work with the Underground Railroad.
  Owen Lovejoy was born in Albion, Maine in 1811 to Daniel, a 
Presbyterian minister, and Elizabeth Lovejoy. While growing up, young 
Owen came to admire his older brother Elijah, who taught him Latin 
classics when Elijah came home from college. Owen grew up to follow in 
his brother's footsteps by attending Bowdoin College. Unfortunately, 
his father died while Owen was in school, forcing him to leave Bowdoin 
College after 3 years.
  After the death of his father, Owen moved to Illinois to live with 
his brother Elijah, who was the editor of an anti-slavery newspaper. 
During this time, Owen became a convert to abolitionism. His dedication 
to abolitionism grew on November 7, 1937 when an anti-abolition mob 
attempted to destroy Elijah's printing press. In the ensuing struggle, 
Elijah Lovejoy was killed by the mob. For Owen, abolitionism became 
``the cause that has been sprinkled with my brother's blood.''
  After his brother's death, Owen Lovejoy moved to Princeton, a village 
with a population of 200. Rev. Edward Beecher recommended him to 
Hampshire Colony Congregational Church, the church from which he spoke 
out against slavery for the next 17 years.
  Owen used the pulpit to attack slavery. He also operated the 
``Lovejoy Line'' of the Underground Railroad. His farmhouse, surrounded 
by 1300 acres of farmland, was one of the busiest for slaves trying to 
gain their freedom.
  In 1854, Owen Lovejoy was elected to the Illinois legislature. Two 
years later, he was elected to Congress with the help of a fellow 
Illinoisan, Abraham Lincoln. He served four terms as the Representative 
to Illinois' Third

[[Page H10333]]

Congressional District. As a Congressman, Owen continued to work 
towards the abolition of slavery. Owen worked with members in both 
chambers in creating legislation to weaken slavery and achieve equality 
for all people, regardless of race.
  In 1863, Owen introduced the legislative version of the Emancipation 
Proclamation. Sadly, he did not get the chance to see his legislation 
become law. On March 25, 1864, Owen Lovejoy died of Bright's disease, 2 
weeks before the introduction of the Thirteenth Amendment to the 
Constitution. When President Lincoln heard of Lovejoy's death, he 
wrote,

       It can be truly said of him that while he was personally 
     ambitious he bravely endured the obscurity which the 
     unpopularity of his principles imposed . . . To the day of 
     his death, it would scarcely wrong any other to say, he was 
     my most generous friend.

  I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring Owen Lovejoy for his work 
and determination towards abolishing slavery in America by supporting 
H.R. 2825.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2825.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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