In stating the result of the intended hostile meeting with him, I mentioned that when he proceeded on his way to Sacramento, he left his second, Mr. Fairfax, standing alone on the ground, and that I invited the latter to take a seat in my carriage.  From this time the intercourse between Mr. Fairfax and myself became more frequent than it had been previously, and a friendship followed which continued as long as he lived.  He was not sparing in his censure of the conduct of his principal, whilst his language was complimentary of mine.  In a few months I became quite intimate with him, and I found him possessed of a noble and chivalric spirit.  With great gentleness of manner, he had the most intrepid courage.  His fidelity to his friends and devotion to their interests attached them strongly to him.  He was beloved by all who knew him.  No man in the State was more popular.  He represented the county of Yuba in the Legislature two or three times, and at one session was Speaker of the Assembly.  When the land office at Marysville was established in 1855, he was appointed Register; and in 1856, he was elected Clerk of the Supreme Court of the State.  It was my good fortune to aid him in securing both of these positions.  At my suggestion, Mr. McDougal, a Member of Congress from California, urged the establishment of the land office, and obtained for him the appointment of Register.  In 1856, when he sought the clerkship of the Supreme Court of the State, I became a delegate from Yuba County to the State Convention, and made his nomination for that office my special object, and with the aid of the rest of the delegation, succeeded in obtaining it.

Two or three incidents which I will relate will illustrate the character of the man.  It was either in the session of 1854 or 1855, I forget which, that a petition was presented to the Assembly of California on the part of some of the colored people of the State, requesting that the laws then in force, which excluded them from being witnesses in cases where a white person was a party, might be repealed so as to allow them to testify in such cases.  At that time there was a great deal of feeling throughout the country on the subject of slavery, and any attempt to legislate in behalf of the colored people was sure to excite opposition, and give rise to suggestions that its promoter was not sound on the slavery question.  The presentation of the petition accordingly stirred up angry feelings.  It created a perfect outburst of indignation, and some one moved that the petition should be thrown out of the window; and the motion was passed almost unanimously.  If I recollect aright, there was but a single vote in the negative.  I was standing by Mr. Fairfax when he was informed of the proceeding.  He at once denounced it, and said, in energetic terms—­“This is all wrong—­the petition should have been received.  If my horse or my dog could in any way express its wishes to me I would listen to it.  It is a shame that a petition from any one, black or white, should not be received by the Legislature of the State, whether it be granted or not.”  I was greatly impressed at that time with the manliness of this expression in a community which looked with suspicion on any movement in favor of extending any rights to the colored race.