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Show -Recall English Immigrant ilVho BecamGreat American , JDicUuon Baker Held High Offico In Three States of the Union Becar v "One of tho Greatest Orators of Modern Times," Served Gallant tl & M fo in Defense of the Country J tifl WnNcw.p1r Union. P 5. . v , - Uh BOTH , , v l H ' 1 " - 5 testnal 4 - f j C v 1 no -K. f f f vrs, V t;r" ivf jf J r. ' nV-t If , j v- r Among the many eloquent speeches made by Baker there are three which are outstanding, une, known as the "American tneater speech," was delivered in pan Francisco in 1860 and is credited cred-ited with swinging California for Lincoln in the crucial election in that year. In it he said in part: 'We live in a day of light. We hve in an advancing generation. We live in the presence of the whole world. We are like a city set on a hill, that cannot be hid. The prayers and tears and hopes and sighs of all good men are with us, of us, for, us. "As for me, I dare not, I will not, be false to freedom. Here, many years long gone, I took my stand, and where in youth my feet were planted, there my manhood and my age shall march. I am not ashamed of freedom. I know her power. I glory in her strength. I rejoice m her majesty. I will walk beneath be-neath her banner. "I have seen her again and again struck down on a hundred chosen fields of battle. I have seen her friends fly from her. I have seen her foes gather around her. I have seen them bind her to the stake. I have seen them give her ashes to the winds, re-gathering re-gathering them that they might scatter them yet more widely. But when they turned to exult I 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." "Talking Like a God." Of the demonstration which followed, fol-lowed, 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 afterward after-ward famous as Bret Harte leaped upon the stage and frantically fran-tically waved an American flag. "Another reporter ran out into the street gesticulating wildly and cried: 'Come in! Come in I The old man is talking like a god!' " Almost as famous as this California Cali-fornia speech that "left its imprint im-print upon the history of the o do cess cluing the body of Colonel Baker at the Battle of Ball's Bluff. (From the painting by F. O. C. Darley.) vasu 'frc By ELMO SCOTT WATSON ion FEBRUARY 24 is the anniversary of the birth of a great 'uJht American who, paradoxically, was not an American at ZfS 81 least not by birth. He was born in England, but l held high office in three states of the Union, wore the ssasaerican uniform in three of our wars and finally gave his :; in defense of the country of his adoption. ian gambler who had killed Gen- I eral Richardson, United States marshal. Baker's address to the jury, "brilliant, eloquent, impassioned," impas-sioned," won an acquittal for his client, but it also led to Baker's social ostracism for a time by some of the "better citizens." When the new Republican party par-ty was organized Baker became a member and candidate for the e I nois. Two vears later "Abe" Lincoln took his seat beside "Ned" Baker in the lower house of congress. When Lincoln's second sec-ond son was born in 1846, he named him Edward Baker Lincoln Lin-coln in honor of his friend. By this time the United States was on the verge of a war with Mexico. Baker immediately returned re-turned to Illinois, making the trip in the record time of six days, raised a regiment of volunteers and marched to the Rio Grande. When congress assembled Colonel Colo-nel Baker obtained a leave of absence, ab-sence, hastened to Washington d"niey called him "A Modern moidght Errant," for he was a s't ry gallant and courageous j-j!dier. They called him C3ae Gray Eagle" because Jhis 'long, gray hair, eyes j fire, noble forehead and teJely chiseled features." He j tj3 been described as "one it,! the greatest public speak-jco's speak-jco's of modern times" and li4y said of one of his rJeeches that it was "the pt eloquent delivered by J American since Patrick ;rjRiry closed, with his immor-na? immor-na? 'Give me Liberty or give igf death!'" pis name was Edward rfrinson Baker. vJaker was the son of an Eng-0Ji Eng-0Ji Quaker and his wife who lived the Isle of Wight. Later the ynily moved to London and re a son was born on February 3 1811. He was named Edward Vinson Baker in honor of one his uncles, a British naval of-'er of-'er who fought at the Battle Trafalgar. Another 'of his un-was un-was Lord Somerville. 'Vhen the boy was five years old ! Baker family moved to Phila-Iphia, Phila-Iphia, the "City of Brotherly ve" founded by the Quaker, lliam Penn. There the father d while Edward was still a Y and he supported himself and i younger brother by working a weaver. When they grew young manhood, the two brothg s emigrated to Illinois where Iward Baker began the study law in the little town of Spring-Id Spring-Id on the Sangamon. There the 20-year-old lawyer st Southern-born Mary Ann e, a 23-year-old widow with o children. They married in il. The next year Baker left his ide to march away to war as volunteer in the Illinois troops ised to resist the "invasion" by lief Black Hawk and his Sac i -n Although he Republican nomination for United Unit-ed 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 from Oregon that 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 coali-tion of Republican and Douglas Democrats. But his greatest victory vic-tory during this campaign was to carry Oregon and California for his old friend "Abe" Lincoln, candidate can-didate for President. In Oregon Lincoln won by only 300 votes, in California by only 614 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 his seat in the senate, Baker became the most effective orator and leader in supporting Lincoln's administration adminis-tration in dealing with the problem prob-lem 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 preserva-tion of the Union. He did not remain in the senate long, however. For the "Gray Eagle," old war-horse that he was, wanted action. Lincoln offered of-fered him a commission as brigadier-general but he declined it and asked only to be made colonel colo-nel of a regiment which he would raise. Although the men were recruited in New York and Philadelphia, Phila-delphia, it was called the First California, in honor of the state of his adoption. During the time he was raising this outfit, he West," wa&' the speech which he delivered in Union square, New York, on April 20, 1861. It began: be-gan: "The majesty of the people is here today to sustain the majesty of the constitution, and I come, a wanderer from the far Pacific, to record my oath along with yours of the great Empire state." Further along in the speech 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? Nay, more than these, is it power, and might and majesty alone? "No, our country is more, far more than all these. The country coun-try which demands our love, our courage, our devotion, our heart's blood, is more than all these. Our country is the history of our fathers fa-thers our country is the tradition tradi-tion of our mothers our country is past renown our country is present pride and power our country is future hope and destiny des-tiny our country is greatness, glory, truth, constitutional libertyabove liber-tyabove all, freedom forever! 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, audi-ence, let me say, as my last word, that when amid sheeted fire and flame I saw and led the hosts of New York as tiey charged in contest on a foreign soil for the honor of the flag, so again, if Providence shall will it, ... x 1 1 . 1 , ! 11 J COL. E. D. BAKER and appeared on the floor" of congress con-gress in full uniform (the only case on record up to that time) where he made a plea for money and men. Baker Goes to War. He entreated the partisans in congress to cease their "mutual criminations and recriminations." recrimina-tions." "What matters differences differ-ences of opinion about the origin of the war?" he pleaded. Send our soldiers aid, comfort, succor and support. Action! Action!! ACTION! ! ! !" He secured action, resigned from congress two days later, overtook his regiment on the march from Vera Cruz and fought with distinction in every engagement on the route to Mexico Mex-ico City. When Gen. James Shields, leader of the Illinois troops, was wounded at the Battle Bat-tle of Cerro Gordo, Baker became be-came commander of the brigade and led it during the remainder of the war. . Returning to Illinois at the close of the conflict, Baker moved to Galena. According to one story, he did this so he would not be a candidate for re-election to congress con-gress against his old friend, "Abe" Lincoln. If that is true, a r oxe wan . , 4d no opportunity to distinguish Imself in that brief and inglori-js inglori-js "war," Baker did form a iendship which was to be an Vortant factor in his later ca-er ca-er It was with a tall, gangling '.ilitia captain from New Salem jmed Abraham Lincoln. "Abe" and "Ned." !Five years later these two fcends "Abe" and "Ned" they tiled each other were both krving in the Illinois legislature t Vandalia as Whig representees represente-es and from that time on heir careers were closely linked, fith Stephen Logan, they were eaders in a little group, known again appeared on the floor of congress in his uniform, thus giving giv-ing him the distinction of being "the only man ever to address both houses of congress in uniform." uni-form." "Father" Baker. Finally his regiment was ready for service and he led it to Fortress Fort-ress Monroe. His paternal appearance ap-pearance and kindness to his men, although he remained a good disciplinarian, won for him another nickname by his men "Father" Baker. His career in the army was almost as short as had been his service in the senate. sen-ate. At the Battle of Ball's Bluff nn October 21, 1361, he was in 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, con-stitution, for right, for freedom, for humanity and in the hope that the banner of my country may advance, and wheresoever that banner waves there glory may pursue and freedom be established." es-tablished." The third of Baker's greatest speeches was delivered in the United States senate in reply to Senator Judah P. Benjamin of Louisiana (who, like Baker, was English-born and an American by adoption), who claimed that the southern states had the right to secede from the Union. To this claim Baker hurled defiance in these words: "I deny that this union is a ;ompact between sovereign states at all . . There is but one sovereign sov-ereign and that is the people. The state government is its creation; crea-tion; the federal government is its creation; each supreme in its sphere; each sovereign for its purpose; but each limited in its authority, and each dependent upon delegated power." is the "Springfield Junto, wnicn bminated Whig party councils in Uinois. After serving one term in the egislature, Lincoln retired to his law practice in Springfield, but iaker rose a step higher by be-wg be-wg elected to the state senate in 1840. Four years later the two Mends were rivals for the Whig nomination for representative in Congress and Baker was the successful suc-cessful candidate. He defeated lis Democratic opponent in the election, thereby becoming the Wily Whig congressman from Illi- I it was an unnecessary gesture, for Lincoln realized that his constituents con-stituents were dissatisfied with his record in congress and declined de-clined to make the race again. Baker was re-elected in 1348, but, becoming interested in the project proj-ect oTa railroad across the Isthmus Isth-mus of Panama, he declined a renomination in 1850. Raker moved to California in 18 and soon became a leader of the bar in that state. One of his most famous cases was the defense of Charles Cora, an Hal- on uliuuci ----- -- command of a brigade and, exposing ex-posing himself to the hottest fire, fell mortally wounded while leading lead-ing a charge. They took his body back to his adopted state of California and buried it in the famous Lone Mountain cemetery. Years later it was moved to the Presidio burial ground near San Francisco's Francis-co's Golden Gate and his grave will be a shrine for thousands of Americans who attend the exposition expo-sition there this year. |