Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1853-09-22

-,
SIDENT.
Presidential Election in the House of
Representatives.
1t has already been shown that the theory
of the constitution, and its practical work.
ing, was entirely different in the election of
President and Vice President-that by the
theory, the people were only to choose cleo
tors, to whose superior intelligence the
choice of fit persons for these high stations
was entirely committed-and that, in prac-
ticc, this theory had entirely failed from the
beginning. From the very first election,
the electors were made subordinate to the
people, having no choice of their own, and
pledged TO deliver their votes for partcu-
lar person, according TO the will of ;hose
who elected them. Thus the theory had
failed in its application to the electoral COL
lege; but there might be second or con
tingent election, and has been: and here the
theory of the constitution has failed again.
IN the event of no choice being made by the
electors; either for want Of majority Of
electoral votes being given to any one, or on
account of an equal majority for two, the
House of Representatives became an cleo
toral college for the occasion, limited to Il
choice out of the five highest (before the
constitution was amended, or the two high
est having an equal majority. The Presi-
dent and Vice President were not then vo-
ted for separately, or with any designation
of their Office. All appeared upon the re-
cord as Presidential nominees-the highest
on the list having majority, to be Presi-
dent; the next highest, also having MAORI
ty to be Vice President; but the people,
from the beginning, had Disseminated be-
tween the persons for these respective pla-
ces, always meaning one on their ticket for
President, the other for Vice President. -
But by the theory of the constitution, and
its words, those intended Vice Presidents
might be elected President in the House of
Representatives, either by being among the
five highest when there was no majority, or
being one Of two in an equal majority. This
theory failed in the House Of Representa-
tives from the first election, the demos kratoe
principlc-the people togovern-pr prevailing
there, as in the electoral college, aud over
ruling the constitutional design in each.
The first election in the House Of Repre-
sentatives was that OF Mr.. Jefferson and
Mr., Burr, in the session of l8OO-1SCl.-
These gentlemen had each majority of
all the electoral votes, and an equal ma
iority-73 each-Mr. Bnrr being intended
for Vice President. One Of the contingent
cies had then occurred in which the election
went to the House of epresentatlves.--
The federalists had acted more wisely, one
of their State electoral colleges, (that of
Rhode Island,) having withheld vote from
the intended Vice President on their side,
Mr.. Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, of South
Carolina; and so prevented an equality of
votes between him and Mr.. John Adams.
1t would have been entirely constitutional in
the House of Representatives to have elect
ed Mr.. Burr President but at the same time
gross violation of the Democratic princ-
Pile, which requires the will of the majority
to be complied with. The federal States un-
dertook TO elect Mr.. Burr, and kept up
struggle for seven days and nights, and un-
til the thirty-sixth ballot. There were six
teen States, and it required the concurrence
Of nine 10 effect an election. Until the thir-
ty-sixth Mr.. Jefferson had eight, Mr.. Burr
six and two were divided. On the thirty
sixth ballot Mr.. Jefferson had ten States
and was elected Gen. Hamilton, though
no, then in public life, took decided part
in this election, rising above all personal and
all party considerations, and urging the fed
erals from the beginning 10 vote for Mr.
Jefferson. Thus the democratic principle
prevailed. The choice of the people was
elected by The House oil Representatives;
and the struggle was fatal 10 those who had
opposed that principle. The federal party
was broken down, and at the ensuing Con-
gress elections, was left in small minority.
It's candidate at the ensuing Presidential
election received but fourteen votes out of
one hundred and seventy-six. Burr, in
whose favor, and with whose oonnivanve
the struggle had been made, was ruined
fell under the ban Of the republican party,
disappeared from public life, and was only
seen afterwards, in criminal enterprises
and ending his life in want and misery
The constitution itself, in that particular
(the mode of election,) was broken down
and had to be amended so as TO separate the
Presidential from the Vice Presidentia
ticket, giving each separate vote; and il