The national Republican., 1861-03-07
oessioni.t. ought to Co. They are already

Of their kindness, he retired amid loud ap-
plause.
SPEECH OF SENATOR BAKER.
Senator Baker, of Oregon, was next called
upon at his residence on Sixth street, when, on
being introduced by Mr.. G. B. DEMO, of iii.
nois, he spoke as follows:
am exceedingly pleased, fellow citizens of
illinois, to meet you, offering as you do a trib.
ute Of the kindness and respect which your
fathers many Of them felt for me in time gone
by, under circumstances SO pleasant to you, so
auspicious for the whole country. Nothing
could afford me more pleasure than thus to
meet you in my own house. 1t is impossible
for me to speak of Illinois without affectionate
solicitude. The grave Of my father is there,
as also the graves Of some of my children.
My earliest recollections, my boyhood, my man.
hood, my better days. were passed there. l
was with some Of your fathers defending the
frontiers against the savagcs. was with some
of you in the early struggles Of the State to
for energy, enterprise, patriotism, and wisdom.
People Of Illinois, you are one of the great
States, one Of the Central States. Although
midway on the continent, you are not removed
from the dangerous question Of civil war. You
| have all the interest in peace-in fraternal,
kindly afections-which the great blessings Of
civilization give to those who cultivate it, and
which you most eminently enjoy. Strive, then,
men of Illinois, in the midst Of such blessings
as Providence never before vouchsafed to a
people - strive while it is yet day for the
Union--to preserve it in peace and concord
Nay, more-only when the appeal for peace
bloodshed. But If that hour shall come, if
that knell shall toll, if those battalions shall
be mustered, if those legions shall be gathered,
now, as Of old, let the flag Of the whole Union
wave in the forefront of the battle. Applause
And if you must strike, striking for the Con.
stitution, for the Union, for right for freedom,
strike hard. -.
He again thanked them for the visit, when
each of them present were introduced and
taken by the hand.
The delegation here separated for their va.
rious quarters, highly delighted with their diff.
ferent visits. J a'Ls E.. s-AIJy .L'
FLAG PREsEETATIoN.-An interesting cere.
mony took place in this city on Friday evening
last being the presentation Of a stand of colors
to the Mechanics Union Rifles by a number
OF ladies'. The Rifles are new corps lately
organized, lin view of the threatened seizure Of
the capital, for the purpose Of aiding in the
peaceable Inauguration Of the President elect,
and is composed Of young me echanics employed
on the Capitol extension work. The presenta.
ton took place at the armory, where quite q
large company were assembled. The Rifles
we're in uniform, and paraded some sixty men.
Col. John W. Forney, on behalf Of the ladies,
presented the flag to the company in the fol.
lowing speech: q .. %
SPEECH OF COL. JOHN W. FoRNEY.
Captain Rutherford and gentlemen of the
Mechanics Union Rifles: have been deputed
by committee of lades-three Of whose rep
resentatives are here present to night-to be
the medium OF asking your acceptance of the
beautiful colors which you see before you !; and
l perform this duty with readiness, not only
because the gift comes from the female sex
but because it is tribute to that affection we
all owe to q common country. There is pc
culiar propriety in your special organization
You are not only the representatives Of your
country, but you are the representatives ol
those who sustain that country in the hour when
tits in danger. Now, when parties are TORI
into fragments when statesmen are discord
ant and despairing when the whole civilized
world is looking upon the spectacle of tht
proudest and freest Government on the face o
the earth in the throes of what seems to be a,
incurable dissolution, it becomes the u echanic
Of the country to step forward to do that which
politicians seem to be unable to do--to sac
7 The Union.
, Tonight may be called the last of the Thirty
A sixth Congress United States of America
the last night it may be, too, of any Congress
!, representing united people. On Monday
( citizen, constitutionally elected by the votes o
l. the American people, is to be duly and proper
!: ly inaugurated in this splendid Capitol and, il
anticipation of that event, you, inspired by NJ
|. partisan motive, am certain; you, animate
= by no disposition to interpose between conaic
:, ing organizations, have come forward to sho'
}, that whatever your own opinions may have bee
previous to the election, you are ready to d,
!. tend that flag. Pointing to the American flag.
II Around that banner cluster a thousand gloriou
Q recollections There is not star upon it tbs
s we are not resolved to keep in the heaven c
!. our country; not probably, by force, but by q
n fection. The astronomer Herschel, when h
g discovered new star in the sky above us, di
t, not, on that account, assume the right to tea
'. it thence at his will and pleasure. Shinin
y there once, it shines there forever. Our Anne
9, lean stars, discovered by the great men of or
ID country, placed there by the enterprise and tt
courage Of men like yourselves, have been p,
there forever, never to be torn thence by Il
i. hand of faction or the hand of violence. l.
8, us thank God at least for the moment, that '
N have country, and that we have a flag.
went to-day into the Senate, in the perforr
i. ance of my official duties, and heard the sc
le of tailor, q tailor himself who at the age
1T twenty could neither read nor write, and d
70 not even know the slPhabet, but was taught
ID by his wife. l heard him, Southern maj
s. speaking for his country. That man ha
1t carved his way from obscurity to emnenct
t. that man had carved his way through the roc
~ of adversely to the high position he occupies
/. and standing in the Senate, he pleaded for tn
Il. bleeding country of ours-pleaded for that r
ii vered and threatened flag, and he said, I" sint
re when has it been that because am talking f
the Union, and because l am talking for Il
e, flag of the Union, am assailed as a traitor
% am speaking the language of Washington al
I'd Jefferson and jackson, and yet an traduced