Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1856-10-06
An Election by the House.

Several speakers expected oe present. one,
come all aud keep the ball in motion"
An Election by the House.
In the late grandiloquent and hghalutin letter of
Judge Lyons-whioh we hired able-bodied man
to read for US few days ago-it was asserted with
great deal Of confidence that il the Presidential
election went into the House. Fremont would be
elected. This is great error-and there may be
some who fearful of such issue, propose to
discuss briefly the probable result Of an election by
the House.
In the first place. the vote is given in the House
by States, and not by individual members. Thus,
Delaware Florida has the strength as New
York or Pennsylvania. Each State, large and small
has one vot,, and one ony--and that vote is deter
mined by majority of the members from that State
Virginia in such case would give her ono vote for
Buchanan, because majority of her representatives
Democrats. On the other hand, MARYLAND would
vote for Fillmore because the majority Of her repre-
sentatives are Fillmore men,
In the next place. it is necessary that candidate
should receive n majority of all the States in order
to be elected. There thrty-one States in all
and thus can be elected without receiving the
votes of sixteen States at the least Fremont can
not be elected by he House, because it is beyond
the utmost range Of probability that he receive
the votes of the sixteen States necessary to elect
him.
There sixteen Northern and fifteen Southern
States Assuming positively certain that Fremont
will in event, obtain the vote of Southern State
1t will be seen that he must get spery Northern State
to be elected. This cannot be DONE because Caifor
MIA reckoned among the Northern States, is repre-
scented by two determined Democrats as any in
Congress. The vote Of Iowa, another Northern
State would be lost to Fremont because the delega-
ton evenly divided between Fremont and Buch-
anan. The vote Of Illinois is uncertain at present
it depends elections be held there during the
present month to supply vacancies caused by resie
nations But, taking the most favorable view Of il
for Fremont, and surprising that these vacancies will
be supplied with Fremont men, and that consequent
ly the vote Of the State will be given to Fremont, il
will be that he still fails OF an election on nc.
of the loss of California and Iowa-the former
of wh,ch would so for Buchanan, and the latter be
divided, aud q matter of course not counted.
Ii the election 20 into the House, the following
will be the exact coalition of the vote:
For FcemoHt:-Maine New Hampshire, Vermont
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut New York
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan,
Wisconsin-l3.
For BUehaHan:-Y Virginia, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Georgia, Florida. Alabama, Mississippi,
lsoulhlan1. ATkahsaS Oalliornla--lU
For FlUiaOre-Delaware, MARYLAND Kentucky
Missouri.
The three States of Tennessee, Texas, and Iowa
would not vote at all-because Tennessee and Texas
are each exactly divided between Fillmore aud Bu-
chanan, and Iowa divided between Buchanan and
Fremont
Tie Constitution does not require that a candidate
should receive majority ~ Tie States eotiH1-but
a If all tha Sfata
three States Of Tennessee Texas, and Iowa did not
vote at ALL it would still be requisite that candidate
should have sixteen States Uoting for him to secure
his election.
Assuming therefore that Illinois will be Fremont
State, by reason of the elections for vacancies !,
will be seen that Fremont can, under no eireu,n.
stduces, get than fourteen States No Southern
State will vote for him-Cafornia is dead aeain.t
him, and Iowa will fail to count Even give him
both Illinois and Iowa 0he latter of which he cannot
get unless the Democratic representative from that
State prove aithIes and he still fails of the necessary
sixteen.
IL Is clear therefore that Fremont's chances of nm
election by the House utterly hopeless
Who ~il be elected then No one unless Their,
be some yielding or some compromise In the EVEN
OF the failu-eof the House to elect by the 4th Of
March, the Constitution provides that the Senate shn
then elect Vice President out Of the three highest
candidates Cor the Vice Presidency-and this Vic,
President 80 elected, becomes the President in con
sequence Of the vacancy in the Presidency.
u the House, therefore, fail to make an election n,
the 4th Of March, the Senate will elect the Vice pr.
identr who becomes, 60 Instant, the President
The Senate, being largely Democratic. would n,
course elect Mr. Breckenridge
The Black Republicans Of the Uouse unst,io .,
elect Fremont, would have to choose between IN,
the three following alternatives:
Either unite with the Buchanan men. and ,l.,
old Buck; or, unite with the Fillmore men and cleo
Mr.. Fillmore: or defeat an election altogether AM
thus let the Senate elect Breckenridge
What course they would pursue IL is impossil,l
70 tell IL is difficult to say whether they hate IN
more or buchanan with the greater intensity Som
have supposed that they would elect Fillmore IN mr.,
ference To permitting Breckenridge to be elected
the Senate but Of this opinion can at this time
formet " they do, il will be upon the dircst con
Pulsion; aud Of course would deserve and receive p
consideration Cor an act which they would be fore,
10 perform upon compulsion
II may be asked n the Fillmore men will not uni
upon Buchanan, and elect him. They would do
20 defeat Fremont but Fremont has no earth
chance, We incline TO the opinion they will stick
Fillmore and lei the senate elect Breckenridge.
Ear as we can gather their wishes, they would mu,
prefer breckenridge TO Buchanan for President
We conclude, therefore have little doubt
the justice Of the conclusion, that II the election
10 the House, Fremont can IN no contingency
elected. And that either Mr. Fillmore or Mr. Bree
enriigc viii be our next President
NvySr'helcss, Is Is always unfortunate that