se land from Mexico a proviso that none of the territory
to be acquired at the national expense should be open to slavery. This
proviso was finally defeated. But the matter was one on which people
held very strong opinions, and the question became the most important
issue in the election of 1848.

[Illustration: ZACHARY TAYLOR.]

[Sidenote: Candidates for the presidency, 1848.]

[Sidenote: "Squatter sovereignty."]

[Sidenote: Free Soil party. _McMaster_, 334-335.]

[Sidenote: Taylor and Fillmore elected.]

341. Taylor elected President, 1848.--Three candidates contested
the election of 1848. First there was Lewis Cass of Michigan, the
Democratic candidate. He was in favor of "squatter sovereignty," that
is, allowing the people of each territory to have slavery or not as they
chose. The Whig candidate was General Taylor, the victor of Buena Vista.
The Whigs put forth no statement of principles. The third candidate was
Martin Van Buren, already once President. Although a Democrat, he did
not favor the extension of slavery. He was nominated by Democrats who
did not believe in "squatter sovereignty," and by a new party which
called itself the Free Soil party. The abolitionists or Liberty party
also nominated a candidate, but he withdrew in favor of Van Buren. The
Whigs had nominated Millard Fillmore of New York for Vice-President. He
attracted to the Whig ticket a good many votes in New York. Van Buren
also drew a good many votes from the Democrats. In this way New York was
carried for Taylor and Fillmore. This decided the election, and the Whig
candidates were chosen.

[Illustration: THE SITE OF SAN FRANCISCO IN 1847. From an original
drawing.]

[Sidenote: Discovery of gold in California, 1848.]

[Sidenote: The "rush" to California, 1849. _McMaster_, 337-338;
_Source-Book_, 276-279.]

342. California.--Before the treaty of peace with Mexico was
ratified, even before it was signed, gold was discovered in California.
Reports of the discovery soon reached the towns on the western seacoast.
At once men left whatever they were doing and hastened to the hills to
dig for gold. Months later rumors of this discovery began to reach the
eastern part of the United States. At first people paid little attention
to them. But when President Polk said that gold had been found, people
began to think that it must be true. Soon hundreds of gold-seekers
started for California. Then thousands became eager to go. These first
comers