The Trap Door Rescue: Lincoln, Baker, and the Fight for Free Speech

Abraham Lincoln (1846) [*]

In the heat of the 1840 campaign, Abraham Lincoln wasn’t just a rising political figure—he was a defender of principle, a protector of friends, and, on one unforgettable night, a man who literally dropped into a courtroom to uphold the right to speak freely.

Lincoln’s friendship with Edward D. Baker spanned more than two decades, surviving political differences and geographic distance. In fact, Lincoln named his second son Edward Baker Lincoln in honor of the fiery orator. Baker, known for his brilliance and boldness, was campaigning for the Illinois State Senate when his words nearly got him pulled from the platform—until Lincoln intervened in dramatic fashion.

🎤 The Speech That Sparked a Storm

Baker was addressing a crowd in the courtroom below Lincoln’s law office, which he shared with his first law partner, John T. Stuart. As Baker launched into a scathing critique of Democratic newspaper editors—accusing them of defending corruption wherever land offices existed—he struck a nerve. The crowd grew restless. Tension mounted. The brother of a local editor, incensed by the accusation, shouted “Pull him down!” and the mob surged toward the stage.

Baker, pale but defiant, braced himself for a fight.

⬇️ Lincoln Drops In—Literally

Above the platform was a trap door that opened into Lincoln’s office. As William Herndon recalled, Lincoln had been lying on the floor, watching the speech unfold through the opening. When the crowd threatened violence, Lincoln acted.

A pair of long legs appeared through the trap door. Then Lincoln dropped onto the platform, seized a stone water pitcher, and raised it high—ready to defend his friend.

“Hold on, gentlemen,” Lincoln shouted. “This is the land of free speech. Mr. Baker has a right to speak and ought to be heard. I am here to protect him, and no man shall take him from this stand if I can prevent it.”

The crowd quieted. Baker continued his speech. And Lincoln’s impromptu defense became legend.

🗣️ A Voice for Liberty

Fellow Whig Usher Linder, also present that night, later quoted a slightly different version of Lincoln’s words to biographer Josiah G. Holland:

“Gentlemen, let us not disgrace the age and country in which we live. This is a land where freedom of speech is guaranteed. Mr. Baker has a right to speak and ought to be permitted to do so. None shall take him from the stand while I am here if I can prevent it.” [2]

However he phrased it, the gist of Lincoln’s defense of Baker wasn’t just about friendship—it was about principle. Even in the rough-and-tumble world of frontier politics, Lincoln stood for civil discourse and constitutional rights.

Another footnote in the life of Abraham Lincoln, Storyteller.

Mac

[*] This daguerreotype is the earliest (1846) confirmed photographic image of Abraham Lincoln. It was taken by Nicholas H. Shepherd of Shepherd's Daguerreotype Miniature Gallery, in Springfield, IL. Little known fact: Shepherd also studied law at the law office of Lincoln and Herndon but never became a lawyer.

📚 Works Cited

[1] Browne, Francis F. (1913) The Every-Day Life of Abraham Lincoln. Chicago, IL: Browne and Howell Company.

[2] Holland, Josiah G. (1866) Life of Abraham Lincoln. Springfield, MA: Gurdon Bill.