he bitter feeling
against foreigners was intensified by an encounter of the British
steamship "Media" with a fleet of piratical Chinese junks. Thirteen of the
junks were destroyed.

[Sidenote: California an American issue]

[Sidenote: Fugitive slave bill]

In California, where most of the Chinese immigrants landed, this movement
was scarcely considered in the heat of the discussion whether California
should be admitted into the Union as a pro-slavery or anti-slavery State.
In the American Senate, Henry Clay introduced a bill for a compromise of
the controversy on slavery. His proposal favored the admission of
California as a free State. On March 7, Daniel Webster delivered a
memorable speech in which he antagonized his anti-slavery friends in the
North. This was denounced as the betrayal of his constituents. State
Conventions in South Carolina called for a Southern Congress to voice their
claims. Not long afterward a fugitive slave bill was adopted by the United
States Congress. A fine of $1,000 and six months' imprisonment was to be
imposed on any person harboring a fugitive slave or aiding him to escape.
Fugitives were to be surrendered on demand, without the benefit of
testimony or trial by jury. This served to terrorize some 20,000 escaped
slaves and created intense indignation in the North. The issues were still
more sharply drawn by the resignation of Jefferson Davis from the Senate,
to run as a State-rights candidate for Governor of Mississippi. His
Unionist rival, Foote, was elected.

[Sidenote: American filibusters in Cuba]

[Sidenote: Bulwer-Clayton treaty]

[Sidenote: Friction with Portugal]

In the meanwhile trouble had arisen with Spain and Portugal. On May 19,
General Narcisso Lopez, with 600 American filibusters, landed at Cardenas
to liberate Cuba from the dominion of Spain. He was defeated and his
expedition dispersed. Another Cuban expedition was agitated in America. On
April 25, President Taylor felt constrained to issue a second proclamation
against filibusters. In May, the United States, in conjunction with Great
Britain, recognized the independence of the Dominican Republic. Both
countries at the same time agreed not to interfere in the affairs of
Central America. In accordance with this agreement the famous
Bulwer-Clayton Treaty was completed. It provided that neither country
should obtain exclusive control over any inter-oceanic canal in Central
America, nor erect fortifications along its