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.
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