Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-01-24

pressed me as POSSESSING al eHluenL Qe
gree. His head and face denote a strong
thinking, strong feeling, earnest man; one
who has struggled much, endured much
and suffered keenly. His decidedly @nol
me tanqeren touch me not) nose, clearly
shows that he viii not be ~encroached up.
on with impunity; and yet his face, de.
spite this and the traces of bitterness and
scornlingering about the firm set mouth.
Is, as a whole, kind, sympathetic and sad
You are made to feel, however, that there
wall be ne-ehHds play with this man
During the interview I spoke Of having
listened to bis spe CHI deliveredin the Sen
atethe night before Mr.. Lincoln's first In
auguration, "Ahl were you .thers2,l
said he, his small twink1ing black ewes
growing brighter with the question,
yes ~ replied, IzwatchedS that long
night through keeping sleepless vigils
from the gallery over the exciting and in
tenselyinteresting scenes transporting be
low WELL that was a fearful nightT n
he said sand You have something to look
back te-werth remembering -Fhere-are-a
few things that it is worth On ordinary
life time TO have partieipsted an, and thai
nights scenes are one of them. It was q
trying hour for me when 1 stood alone on
that side of the ToorI I knew I was
right, and that sustained me. oIlttle did
we then know what was before US. 1t
might have been worse1 God Knows ii
has been bad enoughF5tW 81 80 VI6L6
Minutes, which before began to drag
heavily,now sped quickly as we lived over
that nights scenes, listening to Criten.
den and his Compromises, the soathing ut
tefanees of Chandler, the %treHsUna6te and
threatening speeches OF Wigf4lL Toembs
and Breckinridge, the bold, defiant replies
Of Sumner, Fessenden, bWadeJ and others,
and the gentle, persuasive eloquence of the
nobly beautiful Baker, whose pearly white
locks were vet with the dew of Weeping,
as like a fond father he went from one TO
another, throwing his arms about them,
begging and entreating them to stop the
fratrieidal wal of words, and labor for
peace, till finding all entreaiy unavailing,
he at length with tears streaming down
his manly face, burst forth, las near as I
can remember, there were no reporters
present at that hour, i'm the following
Strain. of most impsssioned ofatoryLt0h!
my poor country If rivers of blood must
h6w1 If darkness and sorrow aud wall
ing must fill aIpthis beautiful laadl There
before God and this-honorable holy, do
wash my hands of the terrible, tho awful
responsibility TINT Ilaiust! in tHan
future ages rest upon those
who so recklessly would plunge our peace
full land intoithe horrible abyss8of a Tong,
bloody civil war, the like of which the
world has never known, 1 am for peacel
I am for Umo6n'a ana for an lndgided
country 1 love the North! I love the
Soulful I love the Easti Iiovs tAs West!
North, South, East West, this j smy coun-
tryl If war must come, 1 am for my
country,yl one and i6dHisibk l9Myiife,
my fortunel my all l here dedicate to
thee; Oh my imperiled country p
Alas, how prophetic were those words,
which then sounded so strangely, and ut
which some yawHed and Others sneered,
believing them ODE tle efoakings ofa5weaE
hearted old man.. OF all that assembly
Col. Baker seemed 10 have the keenest re-
alizing sense OF the terrible gulf yaTnins
before US. AT that hour I~zbeEiSRehe had
a f~oreshadowing OF the fate that awaited
him, for of all that body he alone was
moved TO tears, and of all that body 50
la 10 = hAONg ht dtOlc was biulu Ol IlG
battlefield, where down the steep hill
sides of the mighty Potomac did literally
run riyufets ofblood. And such a vail Of
anguish as went -Hp-after that needless,
merciess slaughter at Balls Bluff, filling
all the land with sorrow and dark
ness, seemed a literal fufTIment of those
strange sounding warnings and fears. I was
gladt to find the President equally impressed
by the manner and eloque1ee of Colonel
Baker rs myself, and that his statements
Tailed SO well withsmy memories of that
memorable night, sfar,s s,
Commissioning him in his .Yearipess
we take our departure with q cordial in
vitation to come in often and informally,
pleased with the simplicity, dignity,
earnestness and modesty of this truly
president of the People, sz5 Iss 5G Il
If Mr.. johnson has not the polished
airs and graces of some of his predeees7
like and requisite for q PRESIDENT now
truth, honesty, Justice, mercy, moral and
physical courage, unfinching steadfastness
and ~unwavefing patriebism.s zl7 "n
With Seward to pilot Johnson to steer,
and Grant at the guns, I believe our once.
almost stranded ship ofEState, still labor-
ing heavily in the seas OF discord,
pounding upon the t~reacherous reefs Of
State Rights and secession till thoroughly
purged and eIeansed of the black reeking
ballast of human slavery, viii, ere long,
proudly sail into the great harbor Of
nations with every spar intact and every
sail set, amidst the ~spplauding huzzas OF,
every tongue, and saluting flags OF every
G. /. X.