army that entered it consisted of less than six thousand

men.

Meanwhile the Mexican provinces were being attacked in several different directions. Gen. Stephen Kearny marched into New Mexico, and Colonel Doniphan, into Chihuahua; and their small forces took possession of those provinces. Capt. J. C. Frémont, who was exploring California with only sixty men, had formed a plan of making California into an independent State, such as Texas had been, and had induced the American settlers in the Sacramento Valley to join him in this effort. He had raised over his troops a flag, bearing the figure of a bear, to represent independent California; but, on hearing that an American fleet had taken Monterey, on the seacoast, he raised the American flag instead. After a series of fights with Mexican troops, and with the aid of Commodore Stockton and a naval force, he took possession of California in order that it might become a part of the United States. At last a treaty was made with Mexico, by which Mexico gave up New Mexico and Upper California to the United States, and agreed to accept the Rio Grande as the boundary between herself and Texas. The territory thus added to the United States was more than half a million (522,955) square miles. In return, the United States agreed to pay Mexico fifteen millions of dollars, and to assume the debts due citizens of the United States from Mexico, amounting to three and a half millions besides. The treaty by which all this was accomplished was called the "Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo," from the city where it was made. It was signed Feb. 2, 1848, and was ratified by Congress

March 10 of the same year. Thus the Mexican War closed in two years from its beginning.

Nobody knew, when this treaty was made, how great was the value of the territory thus gained. California had been known only as a distant region, whither men went by sea, around Cape Horn, to buy hides and furs. But in 1848 there came rumors to the Eastern States of gold mines on the Sacramento River, in California, which promised to be richer than any in the world. It was said that a laborer in the employ of Captain Sutter, a Swiss settler in the Sacramento Valley, had found in the sand some glittering particles, which turned out to be gold. Then there was a sudden and eager emigration to that region from all parts of the Union; and in the very first year the mines yielded four million dollars' worth of gold. Within two years San Francisco contained fifteen thousand inhabitants. The name of California is supposed to have been taken from an old Spanish romance, in which the name was given to an imaginary island filled with gold; and the early explorer, Cortes, when he visited the western coast of the continent, applied that name to the whole region long before any gold was actually found there.

During Mr. Polk's administration three more States were admitted to the American Union, making thirty in all. These were Texas, Iowa, and Wisconsin; the names of all three being taken from Indian tribes or rivers. Texas was admitted as a State in 1845; and the same antislavery feeling that had resisted its annexation was revived to resist its admission as a State, but unsuccessfully. Then came Iowa (1846),

which was made out of a part of the great Louisiana purchase, and Wisconsin (1848), which had been a part of the old "North-west territory" originally belonging to the United States. Both these last were free States s; and it became plainer and plainer that the multitude of foreign immigrants would always prefer free territory to slave territory, and that the free States would inevitably grow faster than the others. This made the slaveholding States still more desirous to secure more States of their own description, wherever it was possible; and when, at the close of the Mexican War, a great extent of new territory was acquired, great efforts were made on both sides to secure control of it. For this purpose Mr. Wilmot of Pennsylvania introduced into Congress a measure, commonly called the "Wilmot Proviso," absolutely excluding slavery from the whole of the new acquisitions. It was long discussed, and finally defeated; but the agitation led to the formation of a new party, whose object was to oppose the extension of slavery. It was called the "Freesoil" party, and took the place of the old Liberty party. Under its new name it took an active part in the next presidential election, and at a later period, under the name of the Republican" party, obtained the control of the gov

ernment.

A

CHAPTER XXIX.

THE APPROACH OF THE CIVIL WAR.

TAYLOR, FILLMORE, AND PIERCE.

T the next presidential election, the Whig party, which had opposed the Mexican War, thought it best to nominate for president the most successful general of the war, Zachary Taylor of Louisiana. He had been popular with his soldiers, and had been named by them "Old Rough and Ready." He was opposed by the Democratic party and by the new "Freesoil" party, but was elected, and was inaugurated March 5, 1849. He died a little more than a year afterwards, July 9, 1850; and Vice-President Millard Fillmore of New York became president for the remainder of that presidential term, 1850-1853.

The antislavery struggle had now risen to be the chief question before Congress; and an attempt was made by Henry Clay of Kentucky, a very eloquent and persuasive orator, to settle it forever by a series of what were called "Compromise Measures." One of the principal measures was the admission of California as a free State. Another was the abolition of the slavetrade in the District of Columbia. These were adopted, and were regarded as concessions in favor

of freedom. On the other hand, to balance these, a bill was introduced, called the Fugitive Slave Law, giving the owners of slaves the opportunity to recapture their escaped slaves in any part of the free States, and to carry them back without trial by jury. This was considered by many to be unconstitutional, as well as inhuman. It was opposed and denounced by the leading antislavery orators, such as Charles Sumner, Horace Mann, Wendell Phillips, and Theodore Parker; but it was supported by leading Northern statesmen, such as Daniel Webster; and it became a law, Sept. 18, 1850.

This law produced more excitement than any thing that had before happened during the antislavery agitation. In Syracuse, N.Y., a fugitive named Jerry was rescued by force from the government officers: in Boston one named Shadrach was rescued; and an attempt was made to rescue another, named Anthony Burns. One man was killed in this last attempt; and troops were ordered out to aid in the surrender of the alleged slave. In Ohio a fugitive woman, named Margaret Garner, killed two of her own children to save them from being carried into slavery. In several of the States, laws were framed to restrict or defeat the operation of the Fugitive Slave Law, and to secure at least a jury trial for those claimed as slaves.

These compromise measures formed the most important feature of Mr. Fillmore's administration. In other respects his term of office was a peaceful one. One new State was admitted during this time: it was formed, in 1850, out of the territory purchased at the close of the Mexican War, and was named California;