The San Francisco call., 1895-11-24


There rises before me frequently a men,
ory of my childhood which does not lose
its dist;nctness as the years go by. The
picture which presents itself is that of a
small group of earnest men, framed in
flickering shadows, about the open fire.
place of my fathers house, and listening
eagerly to the voice of one who sat in
the midst of them, holding a little child
upon his knee which he played with as he
talked. He was a large man, of striking
presence, finely formed features, gray hair
and splendid eyes, which flashed and
frightened as he uttered sentences having
in them the words liberty" country"
'duty," glory" There was that in his
grand bearing, graceful gestures and musi-
cal voice which charmed the child who
did not understand his words, and not less
so the men, his listeners, who did. Who
was this man and what was the occasion
which called to his lips those words of
profound and sacred meaning to the
patriots of every age? 1t was Colonel Ed
ward Dickinson Baker during his memor-
able campaign as a Republican candidate
for Congress in 1859.
That was perhaps the most brilliant cam
paign which has ever been made in Cali
fornia by any public man. From San
Diego to Yreka went Colonel Baker speak
ing in public halls, in open air meetings,
at country hearthstones, and everywhere
chanting the splendid hymn of liberty and
Union which was so familiar TO his heart
and tongue. Hear one of its cadences
which was waited out among the pines of
the Sierras as the opening sentence of his
famous "Forest Hip speech: 81 am
speaking" he said, ''in the mountains,
always in all lands favorable to the great
idea of rea! liberty always an inspiration
to it's defenders; always a fortress for its
warriors"
In vain, however, was expended Colonel
Bakers efforts and eloquence. The time
was not yet ripe for Republican victory in
California. Defeated in his aspiration,
yet resolved to represent the Pacific Coast
at the Nations Capitol in its time of
trouble and to utter there voice for free
dom from the farthest west, Colonel Baker
went to Oregon and within year was
chosen the first Senator of the new State.
Before another year had passed he had
stood upon the floor of the United States
Senate, and with splendid courage and
matchless eIoquence had hurled defiance
in the teeth of secession, and the treason to
country Of which it was but another name.
And again before the year had faded he
had gone forth al the head of his 'Califor-
MIA Regiment to his death upon that
bloody battle field near Leesburg Virginia.
Thus passed and closed the last two years
of the life of him who was not only the
greatest orator, but also the most dramatic
character in the history of California.
The career OF Colonel Baker prior to his
coming to California in 1852 may be briefly
recited. He was born in England on the
oath day of February, 1911. His parents
brought him to America when he was
years of age and located in Philadelphia,
where the next ten years of his boyhood
were spent. The family then moved west
TO Illinois and in 1925 settled in st. Clair
County. 1t was there that the forming
character of the young man first began to
attract attention. His devotion to books,
his quickness of apprehension, his
wonderful memory. and, more than
all, his restless and fiery ambition,
before he was II years of age, had
marked him for distinguished career.
Naturally he was led to the study of law,
although for a while he was an ardent
member and "exhorter" in the Chris
tan Church. The young Baker was,
however, of too militant a nature for a
churchman, and when the Black Hawk
war broke out in 1882 he was among the
first to volunteer and the last to leave the
service ct the close of the war. In 1885
he returned to the practice of the law,
locating at Springfield, Ill. He was then !
in the twenty-fifth year OF his age, and |
was thrown into the society of notable
of young men. like himself look
ing for distinction. Among his friends OF
that period were Lincoln, Douglass, Nc
Dougall, Shields, Logan, Trumbull and
others who have made the State of II
linois notable as producer of great men.
With these young giants in the games of
law and politics the ardent and ambitious
Baker began to shine, especially. as an
orator, before juries and upon the stump.
Within two years he was elected to the
State Legislature, where he served in the
over house until 1S40 when he went up to
The State Senate, there to represent the peo
pie OF Illinois for four years more. From
the Senate Baker was sent to Congress as
the only Wing representative from his
State. His eight preceding years OF public