The Portland daily press., 1866-05-21
Eloquence Of Gen. Baker.

@hA@NAA4NASO~~~N~~-
The Washington correspondent of the Wor-
cester Spy, describing the scene in the Senate
last week, during the delivery of the great
speech Ex-senator Nye of Nevada, thus refers
to that Wonderful reply made impromptu by
Gen. Baker of Oregon, to the insolent and
reasonable Grafton delivered by John G.
breckenridge at the special session of '61, in
opposition TO the army bill, giving 100000
men to suppress the rebellion:
Baker had been up all night, attending to
the Decentralization of his regiment, which
had arrived IN the night from Fortress Mum
roe Breckenridge was speaking when the
Oregon Senator came into the chamber clad
in his colonePs uniform, with military gaunt-
let's and boots on, dirty, travel-soiled and
tired. He listened for about fifteen minutes,
and then went into the ante-chamber, where
he fell asleep Immediately. About ten min
utes before the Kentucky Catalina closed,
Gen Baker wss awakened and came in, TAX
ing his seat at the extreme end of the left or
outer circle of chairs. As he rose to reply,
and that ringing "Mr. President" pealed
through the chamber, like the martial COM
mand of attention Battalionp every one.
turned instinctively to the orator. Who that
heard will ever forget or escape the influence
of that overwhelming food ofeloquent denun-
citation. The fiery speech, winged by the
tones ola musical, powerful and penetrating
voice, was all instinct and alive with the bur-
den of nations Indignation. At that hour
Senator Baker embodied, as no other man
did or has done, before or since, the national
passion, heroic determination and lofty spirit
ofeXalted sacrifice. His garb gave wonder
full pictureSqueness and force to winged sem
teLces with which he painted the treason of
the rebels, the power ofloyal freemen, and the
certain destruction Of those who invoked
bloodshed in behalf OF the damnable triumph
of slavery.
l remember two gestures whose effects car
ried in them whole volume of defamation.
One was in reply to the threatening sneer of
Brecllinridge,-th the North would not fur
nish men at the demands of Mr.. Lincoln. The
orator had walked from his seat on the ex-
IRENE left until he stood in the very centre of
the centre isle, facing the attentive presiding
officer. There he stood, his martial figure,
which dwells in my memory as the embodi-
ment of heroic life, his head aloft, with the
gray locks thrown back, the blue-gray eyes
flashing with the passion of the occasion. his
hand and arm flung aloft in an indescribable
majesty of gesture. Half turning to the Ken
tuckian, whose handsome face had grown pal
lid with excitement, the orator pealed his tri-
umphant yet warning threat to the traitors
sheer, that the President could not obtain the
men ;-"that he had but to put his foot down
and armed legions would arise land as the
words peaed out, the orators foot, clad with
martial boot and spur, was planted with for
ward step which made the chamber ring again
beneath its tread. The effect was wonderful.
With the sweeping gesture and the momentum
of that resonant step, it seemed to those who
listened as if the very air about them became
thronged with the armed cohorts of freedom
and nationality Fastening at their leaders CALL
Another dramatic realization was when the
Kentuckian, stung to the quick by the power
full alusion made BY Baker to the Roman pun
ishment for traitors-their being flung from
the famed Tarpeian rock-sprung to his feet
with all the olden insolence OF the lordly PLAN
ter, and demanded-"Does the Senator from
Oregon have reference to me?" "The gentle
man from Kentucky can make whatever ap-
plication pleases him." was the singing and
naughty rejoinder of the noble orator, accom-
panied by look and gesture under which
Breckenridge sunk into his seat. l can see il
now: That flashing face and figure with its
ifnperious right arm and forefinger extended
which as the lofty defiance pealed out, point
ed towards the Kentuckan, seeming to make
him shrink into his seat, as if by an impelling
force, as it lowered with the falling cadence OF
the replying voice. The majesty of that ges-
tured reply was more than the conscious trail
tor could bear, and no word escaped his lips
during the remainder of that wonderful inn
promptu Grafton.