The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-04-10
The Next Presidential EIccti0n-vVhnt a1e
the Chances In Congress.


The election of the next President and Vice
President may be thrown into Congress. As
Stunning that it will be, what are the chances? Let
us inquire. The constitution of the United States
provides that if no candidate for President shah
have received a majority of the electoral vote of
the Union, then, from the three highest candi
dates from the electoral colleges "the House of
Representatives shall choose Immediately, by
ballot, the President. But in choosing the Pre-
sdent, the votes shall be taken by States the re-
representatives. from each State having one VOTE"
land majority of all the States shall be neoes-
sary to CHOICE Next, it is provided that if
the House Of Representatives shall not choose
President before the fourth day Of March next
following, the Vice President shall act as Presi-
dent as in the case of the death or other consti-
tutional disability Of the President
Now, as in the matter Of Presidential cleo
ton by the House, the majority of the delegation
in the body from each State will decide
the single vote of the State Cor President, the
question first suggested is how will the
States be thus divided in the next Con-
gress? The following classification, from the
Congressional Northern elections which have
taken place. and from the Southern elections for
the last Congress, as basis, we think will prove
to he very near the mark
DEMOCRATIC SrA1Es-Arkansas, Alabama, California
Delaware Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mis-
souri, Mississippi North Carolina, South Carolina, Oregon
Tennessee, Texas, Nirgnia--ie
DouGIAs DEMOCRATIC STArE-lllinos-1.
REPUBLICAN SrATEs-( Assuming that Kansas will be ad
mttod in season to take hand in the Presidential cleo
sachusetts New Hampenire, New York, New Jersey,
Ohio, Penney vania, Rhode Island Vermont, Wisconsin,
Kansss-l5.
SOUTHERN OPPOSITION SrAu--Maryland-1.
DouHTuLr-MnnesOta--l.
Whole number Of States, 81. Necessary to an cleo
tion IS.
Thus it appears that the vote of two of these
| three States-Maryla Minnesota and illinois,
will be required to elect the democratic candi-
date in the House, and that three States in addi-
ton to Kansas are yet required by the republi-
cans to secure the election on their side-a tight
fit. Probably the result will be failure to elect
by the House. The votes from the electoral col
leges are counted in that body in February, and
from February to the 18th Of March an election
, may hang fire, and the issue may depend upon
the political character of the democratic candi-
date for Vice President.
The constitution provides that In the event of
the failure of the House to elect President by
the 4th Of March, the Vice President shall he the
President; and that if no candidate for Vice Pre-
sident shall have received a majority of the cleo
toral votes of the Union, " then from the two
highest numbers on the list the Senate shall
choose the Vice President" not by States but
| by majority Of the whole vote Of the Senate
| Thus, should the election of the Vice President
| be thrown into the Senate, with the election of
| the President in the House, there can be no
doubt that the democratic candidate would be
promptly elected Vice President from which
event he would, in default of an election by the
House become President Of the United States
Now, then, let us suppose that the Charleston
democratic ticket for the succession will be a
Southern ultra for President and Northern
conservative for Vice President: will il not, in
the last resort be the interest of the parties con
trolling in the House the votes of Maryland, Hi.
nois and, perhaps, Oregon, California and Min
nesota, to defeat both the Southern democratic
ultra and the Northern republican sectional eau.
didate for President by refusing coalition upon
either, 30 that the Presidency may fall upon the
shoulders Of the conservative Northern demo-
cratic Vice President?
But such an election Of the President depends
first upon the presentation 10 the House Of three
candidates from which to make choice Ac-
cordingly, should the third party in 1860 be
strong enough to carry the election into the
House, they will in that body be strong enough
not only to defeat the election Of any other can
didate, but strong enough, perhaps, to command
the election OF their own candidate. In any
event, the new conservative and national oppo-
sition party of Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee
and elsewhere in the South will discover In our