Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-02-07
The last Presidential Election.

The last Presidential Eieetfon'
The delure ordemocracy which oserwhe In
cd the Wing candidate at the late Presidenua
election seemed so universal, that the success
al marty Who swan upon ifs waves did no
hesitate to believe that their less fortunate com
petitors were totally and forever submerged
But since the sun has come out and the waters
grown calm. there has been no difficulty II
discerning their error The wing party SUI
6ve.--reireshod. purified and insigorated, like
tho Green earth when tho floods subsidized
Though they were not victorious in The great
contest, they exhibited create, strength than
they had ever before displayed-ond held IN
reserve power which if put forth would have
more than given the majority their side
which appeared against them. In late de.
bate in the Senate. Mr.. Borland, of Ark hay-
ing spoken of the Wing party as a miserable
minority" Mr.. Underwood of Ky, made the
following statement in reply:
Il shall turn the tables upon him by few
plain facts, showing that his party is exactly in
that situation Now, sir. how many votes did
General Pierce received Look al the tables
which have been published. and you will find
that he received less than 100000 How
many voters are there in the United Slotcsl
Sir, for other purposes applied al the Census
Bureau to ascertain the number of free white
males over the age Of twenty one years, and
found there were IN 1850, the date of the CEN
sus upwards OF 500. 900. You have them
less than one third of the voting population of
the United States, who elected the candidate
OF the Democratic party. And yet we are
perpetually tainted with The declaration that
We. the Wings, have been overwhelmed with
defeat and TINT you theDemocrats ore in oilium-
plant ma jority Thus the Democratic party
contnve to make a triumphant majority, by
electing their candidate with the votes Of less
than third of tho voting population OF the
United States. Such is the state of facts. Sir,
you might get every electoral vote provided
you could get minority of one in the popular
vote in each State of the Union--and MAORI
ty OF one has sometimes elected Governor of
a State say you might get every electoral
vote save those OF one State, and yot be IN n
considerable minority of the people OF the Uni
ted States. ! rose To state these facts, and 10
show this boastlng party, which Is 80 constant
ly tanning US with being a miserable MINOR
ty. that when the amount Of support which II
received is compared with the whole voting
population ofthe United States that party oc
cupies the very position which il so constantly
attempts TO assign 10 u.s.
IL may be said, in reply. that If the whole
population had voted, the relative proportion
which each party would have received would
have been the same; and TINT is the only reply
which can be made TO the facts / have prcsen
ted. The fact that the people did not go To the
polls and vote shows dissatisfaction, if
may be allowed the expression, with both Tho
great parties, and, If had time could show
the foundation Of that dissatisfaction. But | vii
not 60 into it. | will, however. state the fact
,hatin the State of Kentucky. where the whole
voting population was l63 ,005 in 1852, accor
Ding to the official report Of the State Auditor
only l1l,617 went to the polls at the lat
Presldential election, leaving s 1888, or near
iy one third who did not vote at all. kno,
some olthe reasons which kept them ut home
butt will not gointo that subject now. Their
IS no ground for oontending that the proper
ton of votes would have been the same ma
all the voters gone 10 the polls.
Sir, Gen. Pierce is in a minority of 47oC
in the New England States, of the actual vot
given, ifyou will put the votes which the pei
,tleman who occupies the seat 10 my left M
Hae) received with those of Gen. Scott. Al
If you take New York, Pennsylvania Ne
Jersey, Delaware,Maryland, with tbem.hc w
still be IN minority OF more than 80 900 of Il
votes actually given. You may carry on the.
calculations throughout the whole of tho a
lantic Siates,and it will be found that Gener
Pierce, did not obtain half the votes cast
those States. Sir, these boasts which are IN ad
by way OF taunting us, on all occasions, ha,
no facts upon which they can rest"
Mr. Bo'land, upon hearing this cxclaime,
"thai in the remarks he had made, he did II,
expect to call fo,t any statistical accounts
the Presidential election" Doubtless, he d
not But he found them ready, nevertheless
Mn. ALEXANDER J. MARSHALL, of Fauou;