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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 24, 2015)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Tuesday, February 24, 2015 OTHER VIEWS Founded October 16, 1875 KATHRYN B. BROWN Publisher JENNINE PERKINSON Advertising Director DANIEL WATTENBURGER Managing Editor TIM TRAINOR Opinion Page Editor OTHER VIEWS Oregon celebrates Edward Baker Day City, county named after close personal friend and associate of Abe Lincoln SHULRGLFJDPHVRI³¿YHV´DIRUPRI handball. Baker’s stepdaughter, Maria, was married to James Matheny, the best man at Lincoln’s 1842 wedding. espite his folksy persona, Like Lincoln, Baker kept important Abraham Lincoln actually kept papers in his hat and possessed great few close friends. Among them RUDWRULFDOVNLOOV/RQJWLPH6SULQJ¿HOG was Edward Dickinson Baker, whom attorney Milton Hay later declared that Lincoln named his second son for. Baker “was a more brilliant man than Today, Baker’s adopted state of Lincoln” but without the “steadfast and Oregon remembers him with a day in reliable ability which Lincoln had.” his honor, as February 24 is designated In 1852, Baker left Illinois for San as Edward Baker Day. However, he Francisco and four years later switched is often overlooked in Illinois, despite to the new Republican Party. He made his professional achievements and his unsuccessful runs at both a House relationship with Lincoln. and Senate seat from Baker was born in California. In late 1859, London on Feb. 24, 1811, two old friends from his and came to America Illinois days urged him with his Quaker parents to join them in Oregon, at age four. They settled to bolster that state’s in Philadelphia, where ÀHGJOLQJ5HSXEOLFDQEDVH Baker’s father founded In an overwhelmingly a school. The family Democratic area, Baker relocated to the Utopian needed support from community of New moderate Democrats, as Harmony, Ind., in 1825. he had in California. As a From there Baker landed result, he publicly favored in Carrollton, Ill., an hour Stephen A. Douglas’ north of St. Louis, where popular sovereignty he read law with Alfred mandate, a break with Caverly, a Massachusetts University of South Florida photo Lincoln. In 1860, Baker native who had come to Edward Dickinson Baker won election to the Greene County in 1822. 866HQDWHWKH¿UVW On April 27, 1831, Republican to be Baker married Mary elected from Oregon. Ann Lee, a well-to-do Still, Baker and 23-year-old widow with Lincoln remained two children. Together, close. The two men WKH\ZRXOGKDYH¿YH rode in Lincoln’s children of their own. carriage in the In 1835, Baker inaugural parade in was admitted to the March 1861, and Baker bar and that August introduced Lincoln at PRYHGWR6SULQJ¿HOG his inaugural address. RSHQLQJDODZRI¿FH A few days later, He also threw himself Lincoln became visibly into politics, winning annoyed at criticism election to two terms of Baker leveled by a in both houses of the visiting delegation of Illinois legislature as California Republicans a Whig. Among his at the White House. political associates was At the outbreak of Lincoln, and a friendly the Civil War, Baker received authority rivalry developed. to raise “a military command to be Both sought a Congressional seat known as the California Regiment,” in 1843, but Sangamon County Whigs which was actually recruited in selected Baker over Lincoln. Though Philadelphia. The recruiting process was defeated, Lincoln, a delegate to the made easier by Baker’s law partner’s nominating convention, had to work distribution of “bad whiskey” to the for Baker’s nomination, laughingly prospectives. Lincoln offered Baker a comparing himself to a “groomsman commission as brigadier general, but to a man that has cut him out, and is he declined, in order to keep his Senate marrying his own dear gal.” Despite seat. Lincoln’s efforts, Baker lost the Baker was commanding a brigade nomination. during a demonstration on the Potomac To prevent against factional splits, River in northern Virginia on Oct. the party endorsed Baker for the next 21, 1861, when he was ambushed by convention, and in 1844, he won his Southern forces, sparking the battle desired Congressional seat. But the seat of Ball’s Bluff. One scholar assessed came with a gentleman’s agreement, in Baker’s actions as “brave but tactically which Baker would serve his term, then step aside for Lincoln to have his chance inept.” He was killed in the action, becoming the only U.S. Senator to lose at the seat. On March 10, 1846, Lincoln and wife his life in a military engagement. He was buried in San Francisco Mary welcomed their second son, whom National Cemetery. The Lincolns were they named for Baker. A chronically ill distraught at the loss of their family child, Edward Baker Lincoln died on friend, and ten-year-old Willie Lincoln, Feb. 1, 1850. the third son of the President, wrote a An ardent supporter of “manifest poem as a memorial to Baker that was destiny” in his earlier term, Baker declared the proposed split of the Union published in a Washington newspaper. Several landmarks across the nation to be “impossible.” Late in his term, he are named in Baker’s honor, including was involved in the construction of a a city and county in Oregon, forts in railroad across the Isthmus of Panama. Nevada, California, and the District of He remained close friends with Columbia, and a street in San Francisco. Lincoln, despite obvious personality A life-sized statue of Baker stands in the differences. Baker, who spent money U.S. Capitol. as fast as he made it, loved to gamble Ŷ at cards and drink champagne, all in Tom Emery is a freelance writer and contrast to Lincoln’s frugal, teetotaling historical researcher from Carlinville, ways. Ill. who has written a booklet on the life But both were excellent lawyers and saw eye-to-eye on most political matters. of Edward Baker Lincoln. He may be reached at ilcivilwar@yahoo.com. Reportedly, the two men engaged in By TOM EMERY To the East Oregonian D Baker became the first Oregon Republican elected to the U.S. Senate. He later became the first and only sitting senator to be killed in battle. Who loves America? W e have arrived at the point the shores that kiss the oceans — but a where the utter tedium and love of the idea of America. desperation of personal In a way, this is an ideological attacks against President Barack battle. Conservatism is rooted in Obama about his life story and his preservation; progressivism advances loyalty are no longer news. The alteration. These are different love histrionics have shed their ability to languages. These languages turn on shock. Most right-minded Americans your view of change itself: When you - ethically speaking, not ideologically Charles think of America, do you see a country speaking - have moved on. struggling to be maintained or one Blow But occasionally the insults prove striving to be made better? Comment to be accidentally instructive. The president not only ran for Take for instance what Rudy RI¿FHRQWKHLGHDRIFKDQJHEXWKLV Giuliani (“America’s mayor”) said about presence — in both visage and values — is the president last week at a dinner for Gov. the manifestation of change. He not only Scott Walker of Wisconsin (a contender represents a very real affront to the status quo for America’s president). At the dinner — and traditional power but is also not shy about attended, according to Politico, by “about pointing out where America can improve. 60 right-leaning business executives and Our allegiance needn’t — mustn’t — be conservative media types” — Giuliani said, blind to be true. We must acknowledge our “I do not believe, and I know this is a horrible warts if we are to proclaim our beauty. Our thing to say, but I do not believe that the aggrandizement must be grounded. We must president loves America.” He continued, “He be willing to laud America where it has soared doesn’t love you. And he doesn’t love me. He and rebuke it where it has faltered. wasn’t brought up the way you were brought America is a great country in many ways. up and I was brought up through love of this But it is far from perfect. country.” America is a living idea. It isn’t only the Yes, Mr. Mayor, it was a horrible thing to tenets of its founding, but also the terms of its say, which is why you backpedaled. On Fox, future. Every day, we make America. Giuliani gave a meandering, mealy-mouthed Seeking to preserve and enshrine one defense of the this vile statement, claiming, vision of this country from one period of preposterously, that “I’m not questioning his its past robs it of what makes it magical: its patriotism,” explaining that he hears Obama LQ¿QLWHSRVVLELOLW\IRUDGMXVWPHQW “criticize America much more often than other “All men are created equal” is an exquisite American presidents” and questioning the idea, but one that wasn’t fully embraced president’s faith in American exceptionalism. when the words were written. We, the Ah, American exceptionalism again. American people, have pushed this country to This is in part about a fundamental consider that clause in the broadest possible GLIIHUHQFHLQYLHZV,WLVDGH¿QLWLRQDO interpretation for hundreds of years. difference, not about the meaning of love but We are engaged in a constant struggle to about the meaning of America and its place force America to “be true to what you said on in the world. Does exceptionalism — if one paper,” as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. put accepts the premise — bestow exemption it. from critique? Is uniqueness perfection? Does The concept of forming “a more perfect our difference require some sort of arresting of union” has embedded in it the idea of ambition development? but not perfection itself. There is room for As the Pew Research Center pointed out betterment. America is not static. America is in July, “the view that the U.S. is exceptional striving. — standing above all other countries in And sometimes, America requires critique. the world — has declined 10 points since Jingoism is an avoidance of realism. 2011.” At that time last year, 58 percent of You can simultaneously love and be Americans believed the United States is “one disappointed in the object of your love, of the greatest countries in the world, along wanting it to be better than it is. In fact, that is with others,” while only 28 percent believed a measure of love. Honest critique is a pillar of it “stands above all other countries in the patriotism. world.” (Whether this is truly a measure of As James Baldwin put it, “I love America exceptionalism or diminished standing isn’t more than any other country in the world, and, completely clear to me.) exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to And what does it mean to love the country? criticize her perpetually.” We’re not talking about touristic love of the Ŷ place — not the mountains and the valleys, the Charles M. Blow is The New York Times’s cities and the suburbs, the mighty rivers and visual Op-Ed columist. YOUR VIEWS City council made a mess of statue program from the start I support the Requa statue and made my fair share contribution, but I have to agree with Larry O’Rourke. The whole statue program has been less than transparent. This program is the mayor’s dream and from my experience attending the city council meetings, what the mayor wants, the mayor gets. Now it’s been said this new statue has the city council’s unanimous support, and when ¿UVWEURXJKWWRFRXQFLOWKDWZDVWKHFDVH,QD subsequent meeting, when a donation from the city was asked for, support wavered. Though the request was granted, I would hardly call it enthusiastic. :KHQ'HDQ)RXTXHWWH¿UVWDSSURDFKHGPH about the statue, I gladly made a contribution, but warned him then not to get involved with the city and begged him to give back the $5,000 donation and select a different location. ,GLGQ¶WNQRZDWWKHWLPHWKDW%URZQ¿HOG3DUN had been selected because, as the mayor put it, it is the center of many athletic activities. Since I walk through the park daily, about the only athletic activity I’ve observed are dogs exercising their bowels and bladders, and homeless looking for a place to rest, smoke, and knock down a few cold ones. The out-of-town letter writing is indeed being pushed by the statue proponents. I mentioned this to the mayor, but he pretty much blew it off as not being relevant. The only way I see of changing the location is a vote by the city council. Remember, the city manager approves the agenda with input from the mayor concerning statue matters. Since the mayor also appointed himself to the Arts Commission — the purse strings — don’t expect a vote. Write to your city council rep and attend the council meetings until they get the point. When the council spends 45 minutes arguing over a stop sign and then gets “frustrated” by the resentment of the taxpayers at the way this whole statue program has been handled, it just makes me wonder who they really represent. This whole statue program, though the intentions were good, has been mishandled from the beginning. Those people on Perkins could have easily had a new street for what’s been spent on the statues and crosswalks had they spoken up sooner. Then again, until they made their plea at a city council meeting, nobody in city hall cared to listen. Rick Rohde Pendleton The more statues the better for Pendleton’s Main Street It is all good! Whether bronze statues are erected on Main Street to honor early Round-Up personalities, a local madam or a noteworthy teacher and coach, all have contributed to Pendleton’s colorful and eclectic history. It has been interesting to read the letters from so many of Don Requa’s loyal ex-students, many of whom now reside throughout the country. Some still have family members who live in this area. Even if they do not, since they are demonstrating that they still feel involved with the community. Presumably these letter writers will attend a dedication, or return to visit another time to see this new representation. Additional tourism is always needed. Acquiring more statues and murals, especially those contributed by dedicated groups who raise money for this purpose, will contribute to a more interesting town. Keep it going, Pendleton! Dale and Judy Wendt Pendleton