Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1851-04-25
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.
MS ELECTION BY THE HOUSE OF REPRI
sENTATivEs.-THRILL SCENE.

The sT0eglc for rsihe.vacant3 Presitlen-
t:al chair shook iheF Union j, kinded
strifes and gave birth to parties which
are not yet extinct among US; with these
il is not my province nor my purpose to
meddie; but ii was my lot TO witness
the issue of the contest, when ii came
10 his head, and was decided blow for
blow, nthe high places of the feld.--
The hall Of the House of Representa-
tiyes exhibited. on that eyenlful day,
such spectacle as never had been wit
messed in this country, such as the world
never saw. There being three candi.
dates for the Presidency, and neither of
them having received the constitutional
majority giving him title TO The Office,
that crisis has arrived which, in all 9th
er countries, has been decided by the
sword; but which, having been cGntcm-
plated as possible by thai band of In
spired men {inspirvd they surely were,
with wisdom rot their own.1 who fra
med our harpy Government. had been
provided for BY the pcaceial sexpedient
Of taking the choice ouf Of the inimedi
ate hands Of the people, and committing
il tefiieir own representatives, acting.
no, as one ,amalgamated body. but IN
their seperaie capacity, as The delegation,
of the respective States; each united del
egation casing one vote. ~. .g.st
As The day appointed for the election
approached, he exciemrntof the pub.
, l,cmind became intense. Washington
was crowded. Nightly caucLses, and
the most anxious calculations, occupied
the leading men of each Of the three par
ties. So evenly baianced ,ha, after the
NEST exact serutny had been gone
through with. after the probable vote Of
each Individual man had been set down
with as much caution and cares as il
the hole result depended on lis iadi-
,idual suffrage, il was concluded III II
the result would very possibly turn on a
single vote; and wien The morning o!
decision had actually come, it. was very
general ysunderssood thai that vote was
IN the hands Of a wealthy, upright and
amiablc, but not very I'm or vigorous.
ncmoer of the New York delegation.
lie had given his promise To vote for Mr..
Adams; but the eager. agltaiing, anxious
question was whether he would remain
firm 10 that pledged .E-s a0 .a.a sa
The Hall was prepared for the pro-
cess Of The election by placing seats for
the respective State delegations, each
havingit its separate table. in the semcir-
rular open space in front Of the. Clerk :
table. Before the hour for taking their
seats there, they were to he seen walking
about in li,tle bands, or seated in groups,
earnestly conversing in low tone, eve
~ mind being occupied in the rssul! nj
the ELECTION. Each party was sangune
Of success. Bets were staked Ia IA large
amount. The most confident predlc.
lions were uttered, and hy some Of the
excited and unscrupulous. parisans With
out, most ferocious ihreaiS were uitered.
Another Missouri contest was expected.
None counted on less than forty or iifi,
ballolings: some said the election would
occupy weeks, perhaps menihsi while
others went se far rs 10 say that no
choice swonldsbe made; but that Con
grcss would hreak up in roD. 10 a
patriotic mind it seemed as if all evil
powers who soughiihe ruin of free Gov
ernment had gathered together at Wash-
ington, and were hurting through the
troubled air. Many persons carried con-
aealed weapons, as expecting some. yio.
lent outbreak. The bar rooms of hotels
and ealing houses were crowded With
guests, whose aspect buded no good To
the country, or the peaceful progress OF
its government. Many hear, that low
ed American regulated freedom itemb!ed
in'view Of the untritd experiment now
for the irsi time 10 be attempted. A.
midst such augurics The day of election
came. Every avenue leading TO the
Capitol was filed with people. all llwl,ose
faces looked in one direction, and We're
filled with one common expression of
grave and interested. curiosity. lnto the
galleries which surround and overlook
the hall of Representatives not an addi-
,ional human being could by possibility
be forced, and the slaircases. quite oul
of sight and hearing Of what was pass
ing within, were crammed with watching
y mui,itudes, hoping against hope. to gain
by some good chance, or dint of patience
and Of physical strength, a glimpse al
least Of the exciting scene. y. N3sA'
l. had been proposed in debate, OF
the day previous, that, during the cleo
tion, the galleries Of the hall should be
closed, as they could, at best, accommo-
date but handful of those who were
anxious to witness the scene; but Mr..
McDutIie, lihen a prominent member Of
the House., warmly denied the right Of
Congress TO exclude the people from
witnessing. If they SO. pleased the acts
Of their own representatives, in mat
ter especially, 50 sitally affecting them
all. And when il was suggested thai
the admission Of SO great and SO excited
crowd, would inevitably be productive
of disorder. he sprangu up, and, in tones
which echoed through the hall and galle-
ries. pledged himself for, '.the orderly
deportmen, Of the People, while look
ing on such scene." His appeal was