Illinois newspaper directory. History of the Illinois press association

Illinois Newspaper Directory and Historyhibited, etc. His position upon that question called down upon him the wrath of thepro-slavery men; but he insisted and reiterated the fact that the 'system of Americanslavery was a gigantic and monstrous wrong,' and from that position he never receded.But it was in the convention struggle when the Spectator wielded its greatest influenceand was an important factor in the campaign. The election to pass upon the question ofholding a convention was set for the fifth of August, 1824. The campaign openedimmediately after the passage of the bill over Governor Coles' veto. It reached througha period of eighteen months. Into the canvass was injected a bitterness and malignitywhich the agitation of slavery question only could produce. The pro-slavery party wasbeaten at the polls, and then was settled forever the question of the admission of slaveryinto the free state of Illinois. To that end, the Spectator was by far the largestcontributor."Hooper Warren was a native of New Hampshire, born in 1790. He learned theprinter's trade in the office of the Rutland Herald, Vermont. In 1814 he removed toDelaware, and three years later to Kentucky. In 1818 he came west to St. Louis, andworked at the case in the office of the Gazette. In March, 1819, he came to Illinois, andin May, following, founded the Spectator and continued its publication for nearly sixyears, then sold it to Thomas Lippincott, and went to Cincinnati and there edited theNational Crisis. A year later he returned to Edwardsville and re-purchased the Spectator.He removed the type and press to Springfield and there for two years published theSangamo Spectator. During that time or in 1829, in company with two other gentlemenhe established the Galena Advertiser and Upper Mississippi Herald. In 1836, he removedto Chicago and published the Commercial Advertiser, which was the third paper establishedin Chicago. In 1850 he published the Bureau Advocate at Princeton, and in 1851he returned to Chicago, and in company with Z. Eastman, published the Free West,and Western Citizen. He subsequently retired to his farm, and died August 22, 1864.Such in brief is a sketch of Hooper Warren, one of the pioneer publishers of Illinois. Hewas eminently a man of work as well as thought. He rarely took time to write butstanding at the case he composed and set up the thoughts as they came crowding fromthe brain. He was the advocate and staunch friend of the natural and God-given rightsof all men, and hence was the bitter and unrelenting foe of human slavery. GeorgeChurchill, the co-worker and partner of Hooper Warren in the first year of the publicationof the Spectator, was a native of Hubbardtown, Rutland county, Vermont;born October 11, 1789. As he grew to manhood he imbibed a taste for literary workwhich induced him to learn the printer's trade. He was an apprentice in the office ofthe Albany Sentinel, New York. He subsequently worked in printing offices in Philadelphia,Pittsburgh and Louisville. In June, 1817, he came to St. Louis, and in May,1819, came to Illinois. He settled in Madison county and remained there until his deathin 1872. He was a strong, forcible writer, and in the matter of political information hisknowledge surpassed most men. It is proper that I should here make mention of a fewof the able writers and contributors to the Spectator and other papers published inIllinois at that time. Among those who were particularly prominent were Edward Colesand Morris Birkbeck. The former was governor of the state from 1822 to 1826, andduring the convention struggle was the heart and soul of the pro-slavery party. His penwrote many columns denouncing and exposing the schemes of the opposition. MorrisBirkbeck was a powerful writer. He contributed to the Spectator a series of letters overthe lion: de plume of 'Jonathan Freeman' which were widely read and copied. He was anEnglishman by birth, had received a classical education, and in 1817 he came to Americaand settled at Albion, in Edwards county, this state. It is generally conceded that hepen to defeat the pro-slavery party than any other mandid more through the aid of his54