| Show recall R e c a 11 english immigrant I 1 m na 0 5 0 r a nl boy ay who became a great american edward dickinson baker hold high office in throe states of the union became known as one of tho the greatest orators of modern times served gallantly in throe wars war s and finally gave hi s life in defense of tho the country of his adoption t 0 western newspaper union I 1 T an k i 1 I W iw VI X L W the body of colonel baker at the battle of balls bluff from the th painting by F 0 0 Dar ir by ELMO SCOTT WATSON 24 Is the anniversary of the birth of a great fall FEBRUARY american who paradoxically was not an american at all at least not by birth ho he was born in england but he held high office in three states of the union wore the american uniform in three of our wars and finally gave his life in defense of the country of his adoption they called him A modern knight errant for he was a very gallant and courageous soldier they called him the gray eagle because of his long gray hair eyes of fire noble forehead and finely chiseled features he has been described as one of ef the greatest public speakers ers of modern times and they said of one of ills his speeches that it was the most eloquent delivered by nn an american since patrick henry closed with his immortal give me liberty or give me death his name was edward dickinson baker baker was tile the son of an eng elsh quaker and his wife who lived on the isle of wight later the family moved to london and there a son was born on february 24 1811 he was named edward dickinson baker in honor of one of his uncles a british naval of poor who fought nt at the battle of trafalgar another of his uncles was lord somerville when the boy was five years old the baker family moved to philadelphia delp hla the city of brotherly love founded by the quaker william penn there the father died while edward was still a boy and he supported himself and his younger brother by working as a weaver when they grew to young manhood the two brothers emigrated to illinois where edward baker began the study of law in the little town of springfield on the sangamon there the 20 year old lawyer met southern born mary ann lee a 23 year old widow with two children they married in 1831 the next year baker left his bride to march away to war as a volunteer in the illinois troops raised to resist the invasion by chief black hawk and his sac and foxe warriors although lie he had no opportunity to distinguish himself in that brief and inglorious war baker did form a friendship which was to be an important factor in ills his later career it was with a tall gangling militia captain from new salem named abraham lincoln abe and ned five years later these two friends abe and ned they called each other were both serving in the illinois legislature at vandalia vandalin as whig representatives and from that time on their careers were closely linked with stephen logan they were leaders in a little group known as the springfield junto which dominated whig party councils in illinois after serving one term in fit the legislature lincoln retired to his law bract practice ice in springfield but baker rose a stop step higher by being elected to the state senate in 1840 four years later the two friends were rivals for the whig nomination for representative in congress and baker was the successful candidate he defeated his democratic opponent in the election thereby becoming the whig congressman from 1111 two years later abe lincoln took ills his seat beside ned baker in the lower house of congress when Lincol ns second son was born in 1840 1846 he named him edward baker lincoln in honor of ills his friend by this time tho the united states was on oil the verge of a war with mexico baker immediately returned to illinois making the trip in the record time of six days I 1 raised a regiment of volunteers and marched to the rio rid grande when congress assembled colonel baker obtained a leave of absence hastened to washington COL E D BAKER arid and appeared on the floor of congress in full uniform the only case on record up to that time cherp aher he made a plea for money and men baker goes to war he entreated the partisans in congress to cease their mutual criminations crimi nations and recriminations what matters differences of opinion about tile the origin of the war he pleaded send our soldiers aid comfort succor and support actions action il t ACTION I 1 1111 I 1 I 1 I 1 ile he secured action resigned from congress two days later overtook his regiment on the march front from vera cruz and fought with distinction in every engagement on the route to mexico city when gen james shields leader of the illinois troops was wounded at the batile of cerro gordo baker bo be came commander of the brigade and led it during the remainder of the war returning to illinois at the close of tile the conflict baker moved to galena according to one story he did this so he would not be a candidate for reelection election re to congress against ills his old friend abe lincoln if that is true it was an unnecessary gesture for lincoln realized that his constituents were dissatisfied with his record in congress and declined to make the race again baker was elected reelected re in 1848 18 48 but becoming interested in the project of a railroad across the isthmus of Par panama tarna he declined a in 1850 baker moved to california in 1851 and soon became a leader of the bar in that state one of his most famous cases was the defense of charles cora an ital ion fan gambler who had killed general richardson united states marshal bakers address to the jury brilliant eloquent impassioned won an acquittal for ills his client but it also led to bakers social ostracism tor for a time by some of the better citizens when the new republican party was organized baker became a member and candidate for the republican Republic ari nomination for united states senator he won the nomination but lost the election partly because of the prejudice against him as a result of the cora case then word came i from oregon that tha t a republican leader was needed there and he moved to that new state elected to senate in the campaign of 1860 he was elected to the senate by a coalition of republican and ana douglas democrats but his greatest victory during this campaign was to carry oregon and california for his old friend abe lincoln candidate tor for president in oregon lincoln won by only votes in california by only and the fact that he won at all was a tribute to the eloquence of baker when lincoln was inaugurated it was baker who introduced him to the throng of people gathered in front of the capital an honor which no one else sought at a time when sedition filled the air and there was even danger of assassination taking ills his seat in the senate baker became the most effective orator and leader in supporting Lincol ns administration in dealing with the problem of secession of the southern states when fort sumter was fired upon he went to new york to deliver an address in union square on april 20 1861 and thrilled the immense crowd there with his appeal for the preservation of the union ile he did not remain in the senate long however for the gray eagle old warhorse war horse that he was wanted action lincoln offered him a commission as briga dier general but he declined it and asked only to be made colonel of a regiment which he would raise although the men were recruited in new york and philadelphia delp lila it was called the first california in honor of the state of his adoption during the time he was raising this outfit he again appeared on the floor of congress in his mil milford form thus giving him the distinction of being i the only man ever ev er to address both houses of congress in uniform father baker finally his regiment was ready ter lor service ice and he led it to fortress monroe his paternal appearance pe pearn arance tice and kindness to ills his men although he remained a good disciplinarian won for him another nickname by his men father baker ills his career in the army was almost as short as had been ills his service in the senate at tile the battle of balls bluff on october 21 1801 he was in command of a brigade and exposing himself to tile the hottest fire fell mortally wounded while leading a charge they took his body back to hi his adopted state of california and buried it in the famous lone mountain cemetery years later it was moved to the Pre presidio burial ground near san francis cos golden gate and his grove grave will be a shrine for thousands of americans who attend the exposition there this year among the many eloquent speeches mode made by baker there are three which are arc outstanding one known as the american theater speech was delivered in san an francisco in 1860 and Is credited eted with swinging california for lincoln in the crucial election in that year in it ho he sold said in part we live in a day of light wo we live in an advancing generation we live in the presence of tho the whole world wo we ore are like a city set on a hill that cannot be hid the P prayers ayers r and tears and hopes and s sighs of all good men man are with us of us for us As for me I 1 dare n not ot I 1 wl will it not be false to freedom here many years long gone I 1 took my stand and where in youth my feet were planted there my manhood and my ago age shall march I 1 am not ashamed of freedom I 1 know her power I 1 glory in her strength I 1 rejoice in her majesty I 1 will walk beneath her banner 1 I have seen her again and again struck down on a hundred chosen fields of battle I 1 have seen her friends fly from her I 1 have seen her foes gather around her I 1 have seen them bind her to the stake I 1 have seen them give her ashes to the winds re gathering them that they might scatter them yet more widely but when they turned to exult I 1 have seen her again meet them face to face clad in complete steel and brandishing in her strong right hand a flaming sword red with insufferable light 4 talking like a god 11 of the demonstration which I 1 followed a historian writes cheer after cheer rolled from side to side from pit to dome even the reporters were swept away in the frenzy and left their desks and tables to fall in with the shouting multitude A young fellow just come of age after ward famous as bret leaped upon the stage and frantically waved an american flag another reporter ran out into the street gesticulating wildly and cried come int come itil int the old man Is talking like a godl almost as famous as this california speech that left its imprint upon the history of the west was the speech which he delivered in union square new york on april 20 1861 it be gan the majesty of the people is here today to sustain the majesty of the constitution and I 1 come a wanderer from the far pacific to record my oath along with yours of the great empire state further along in the speech lie he uttered these often quoted words fellow citizens what is this country Is it the soil on which we tread Is it the gathering of familiar faces Is it our luxury and pomp and pride noy nay more i than these is it power and might and majesty alone no our country is more far more than all these the country which demands our love our courageous courage our devotion our hearts blood is more than all these our counti country is the history of our fathers our country is tile the tradition of our mothers our country is past renown our country is present pride and power our country is future hope and destiny our country Is greatness glory truth constitutional liberty above all freedom fo forever reverl 1 these are the watchwords under which we fight and we will shout them out till the stars appear in the sky in the stormiest hour of battle A pledge to fight the address closed thus and if from the far pacific a voice feebler than the feeblest murmur upon its shore may be heard to give you courage and hope in the contest that voice is yours today and if a man whose hair is gray who is well nigh worn out in the battle and toil of life may pledge himself on such an occasion and in such an audience lot let me say as my last word that when amid sheeted fire and flame I 1 saw and led the hosts of now new york as they charged in contest on an a foreign soil for the honor of the flag so again if providence shall will it this feeble hand shall draw a sword never yet dishonored not to fight for honor on a foreign soil but for country for home for law for government for constitution ution for right for freedom fur for humanity rand and in the hope that the banner of my country may advance and that banner waves there glory may pursue and freedom b be e established the third of bakers greatest speeches was delivered in the united states senate in reply to senator judah P denjamin benjamin of louisiana who like baker was english b rn and an american by adoption who claimed that the southern states had the right to secede from the union to this claim baker hurled de deblance flance in these words 1 I deny that this union la is a compact between sovereign states at all there is but one sovereign and that is the people the state slate government is its creation the federal government is its creation each supreme in its sphere each sovereign for its pur purpose pise but each limited in its authority auth crity and each dependent upon delegated power |
