The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-03-16

Ia -
laws Of all lhe world.
The himo Of Moseley Baker was oslablish-
ed ~ IeNas--n star fixed in tho ornament
beyond the power Of change. CLIENTS pour.
ed into hls Office, his renowu spread, lac re-
eeiyed messages with offers of ihoukand dot.
lar fees from every section of the State Iill
success won him the nickname Of " the al
cndoH pdde meeuBi.n
And yer, HtTpUEr to ruy, tito great iayyysf
az limas seemed unhappy. The fire dim
I med IN his eye and the gloom darkenrd on
hia brow IN his bosom puawed n cunsclcss
| grief that no wealth could hppcase, that the
din ofbuHlnesH could not drown, nor the mu.
! ste of4aaio aoothe with Leihean alurlnura
/ From The gay circle OF dancers where smiles
made the starlight of night, and Beauty
showed her pictures Of lhe angels he would
turn awny-nnd always to wcew while the
vision of all othors most strongly suggestive
oi innocence, Eden, and perfect jOy-thc Wis
] ion Of children az pay-ncurly drove him
mud with sorrow Had ho lcG far behind
him, IN his own native land, liiIle briPht.hnir-
ed, swect.lippeh praltlors, who called him
| fnIhorY Or had he been crossed in the ng-
ONES of hopeless love Z Such were the
questions many asked but none could nnswes,
All saw him miserable, yet few could believe
him criminal, Bui slill whenever duty, be-
lnevolence, or business called the brave nun
would battle with his despair aud conquer
all the ghosts of memory 10y sheer onnlpo-
teuce of will. Then No could minglc with
ctowds-Ihe widest aud witticst Of nll-And
despatch lHbors Ia n week that might hnyc
engaged others for months. Ills inynrinblc
and wonderful success excited The jealousy
of enemies, aud Col. Hunter cent him n
challenge 10 nOiiHI cOuIUaI. DakcT HoggCd
most numerically with his fist first The see
ond and then the principal, Such was the
trial oi hs conrngei u was tie only attempt
ever made to bully him or the track.
/ Ills prosperity continually iHcrcascd; his fees
were tn be- reckoned alone by thousands, and
none less lhOun squnre league ofTcxnn soil. |
Besides, hc turned speculaior himself aud
within three years was tho greatest land ow. !
uer ia the slnic.
But cloud had long been gathering on |
the heights Of the plateau of hnehunc, and \
Moscley Baker was the very first to foresec !
that II was destined 10 break IN whirlwnds
of fire and storm-rnin ofblood on the green
cry Of prairies. lie uttered the first bold |
-nppenl. calling Il nniinn 10 nrinH nj a meeting
ofIho citizens OF San Felipe, the second day
Of June 1885, and the first resolutions adopted
IN the crisis were the progeny Of his brnin
aud the birth OF his pen. Indeed. he had
half madc the circuit of Texns, laundering
tbe Nar-cry- to The iyrnnt of the Ia.
ble land Liberty for tho people Of the t,rH-
rie Independence !"--Bciorr the great pop-
ulnr chiefs, Houston, Rusk, Henderson. aud
Atcher, had nnsea!ed 'hoir lips by u single
When Gen. Cos wns informed of Bakers
activity, an order wns forthwith issued for
his arrest ns n irniIur; but ere the mandate
could reach It's destnnii"D, all rue Texans
had become traitors. SO contagious a thing
is example
In hricfspace the campaign opened, aud
Baker volunteered as n private, refusing nil
solicitation to accept the highest Office OF
command. He wds Ia difthe grind bloody 4
battles of the war. On the retreat of Iious-
toms army, hc was stationed at the hepd of q
guard of eighty men TO protect the crossing
of the Brnzos, which lie made good against
the whole Mexican host, led on 10y Santa
Anna in person
And finally, To crown all, Mosclcy Bakers
shonc the brightest blade ihrouSSl the sui.
phrous smoke and fire of san Jacinto.
Al the close of the campaign he wns cleo I
ted to Congress; and Ht the first session of q
Congress he wits elected hfigndicr general I
Bu; still occasionally, the old gloom, che inf. \
mite regret, would come back again on h- {
soul, lmptcssing his face with picture Of c
snrrnM.-ln one of lhese tiIs of !
raylcss melancholy he suddenly rose one day /
IN his plncs on the floor of Congress, nnd I
startled every mcmber with tho strange an a
- hI = Ithhcl' hill u Cfluilnul,
but pcnitcnt ALSO and am going now to /
confess my ihulisw
Every eye wns upon him, aud every ear
was wide open, for he had never been known :
before to speak Of himself
tic CUIrtruurr=-t'rst-.t- II t-.t+t4lsf Lea
der in the State of Alabama, and, while
tncirler OF the Legislature save the for !
tunes Of n friend, wus persuaded to use my
privilege ns member under special stat
ute to borrow twenty thousand dollars out
of the bank My friend failed to repay it,
and wns accused of fraud, ,dsgraced and ru- :
med. Forced to fly my country. forsnke '
my beloved family, and wander forth mn ex- I
lie like u second CAIN found an usylum in
y our beautiful land. But have since lived {
on the light Of a single hope--lhe hope to
be enabled to pay that debt nndbe reunited
once more without dishonor TO my wife and
children. il WINS for this alone lnbored mud
suffered, ms you are all the Witnesses. And
now, by the mercy of God the Almighty, my I
hope is realised am able 10 pay that debt, a
and then shall fejoin my beloved ones, and l
spend my last days in peaceful relirement.-I 8
Mr. Speaker, ] shall never again seek public q
Office or human glory aud from this mo-
ment 1resign my rights and duties on this I
floor" 9
And then ns if relieved of 'thnt poriIous '
stuff" which had SO long weighed upon his '
heart, he left the hall with n smile of serene q
and brilliant tranquility. This occurred the .
gth of March, 1888, and on the 10Th he adj
dressed letter TO Ihe president of the Bank 7
of Alabamn, offering to liquidate every claim !
against him. The bank sent on mn agent inJ
the pcrson of Joel White, TO whom Baker ;
nnid t,ycntp-ouo thousand dollars prarinal y