to foreign countries—­but that all matters of domestic concern were under the control and management of the States, with which outsiders could not interfere; that slavery was a domestic institution which each State must regulate for itself, without question or interference from others.  In other words, I made a speech in favor of State Rights, which went home to my hearers, who were in great numbers from the South.  I closed with a picture of the future of California, and of the glories of a country bounded by two oceans.  When I left the platform the cheers which followed showed that I had carried the people with me.  McCarty, my opponent, followed, but his speech fell flat.  Half his audience left before he had concluded.

The election took place a week from the following Monday.  I remained in Nevada until it was over.  At the precinct in town where I had spoken, I had between three and four hundred majority, and in another precinct in the outskirts I had a majority of two to one.  In the county generally I ran well, and was elected, notwithstanding the fact that I was not the nominee of any convention or the candidate of any party.  The morning following the election, as I was leaving Nevada, I rode by the store of General Anderson, and hailing him, inquired what he thought now of my getting fifty votes in the town.  “Well,” he replied, “it was that Sunday speech of yours which did the business.  McCarty could not answer it.”

There was one thing in the election which I regretted, and that was that I did not carry Marysville; a majority of the votes of its citizens was cast for my opponent.  It is true that there the greater number of gamblers and low characters of the county were gathered, but the better class predominated in numbers, and I looked with confidence to its support.  My regret, however, was sensibly diminished when I learned the cause of the failure of a portion of the people to give me their votes.  Some few weeks previous to the day of election a man was killed in the street by a person by the name of Keiger, who was immediately arrested.  The person killed was about leaving the State, and owed a small debt to Keiger, which he refused either to pay or to give security for its payment.  Exasperated by his refusal, Keiger drew a pistol and shot him.  I was sent for by an acquaintance of Keiger to attend his examination before the local magistrate, by whom he was held for the action of the grand jury.  In the afternoon of the same day a large crowd assembled in the streets, with the purpose of proceeding to the summary execution of Keiger.  Whilst the people were in a great state of excitement I made a speech to them, begging them not to resort to violence and thus cast reproach upon the good name of Marysville, but to let the law take its course, assuring them that justice would certainly be administered by the courts.  My remarks were received with evident displeasure, and I am inclined to think that violence would have