Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1860-09-14
SENSE FROM AN UNEXPECTED
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Gov Houston has set a wise examnlo g.
his fellow nominees in Withdrawing from
contest in which there was not the remotos,
possibility Of his election, and in which bo
had not the sustaining force Of any principle
to keep him in the field. He gives also to
the opponents Of Mr. Lincoln some wise AL.
vice in his letter Of withdrawal. to be enforc-
cd by his example. In that letter he saws.
"Lc not those who rely upon carrying the election p
to the House Of Representatives deceive hcmsclvcs 49,
The people have been taught to dread such cnns,,
ton Neither four, three two opponents to the h.
publican candidate carry there and II they could
The strife which rs being engaged among The different
factions would render the result very uncertain
This seems to rs eminenty true. The
people of these United States have been 40
long accustomed 90 choose their own Prcsi
dent, that they will not yield that choice 10
any body Of mcn--ccrtainly not to a body 80
constituted as the present House of Repro.
sontatives. They have indeed been taught
TO dread that consummation, and that very
House has been principle teacher Of that
dread. The very highest confidence in thcm
would be required by the people before they
would consent To give To- them this highest
choice, and their doings during the last scs-
sion taught no such lesson. The people have
not forgotten the pcrtinacious contest over
the Spcakcrship, nor the pledge Of some forty
of them to use any means to defeat the election
Of a Republican speaker and they will not
fail 60 consider that a similar pledge ON the
part of that number Of INSCRIPTIONS men. with
the far higher prize of the Presidency. and its
millions of patronage in view, would be almost
certainly taken and carried into effect with
more bitterness and pertnacity possibly with
more success, than before. Moreover, the
revelations Of the Coyodc Committee as 10 tho
weight of the Administration and the means
uscd by it to carry unpopular measures
through the House, will not be forgotten
and the people are certainly not so favorably
disposed to the present Administration as TO
desire TO see the incoming one bound TO it by
{ any sense of owing Is possession Of the scat
of power TO the cxcrtions of Mr.. Buchanan
and his Congressional whipTer-n, Mr.. Cor
nclius Wendell, and their influence upon
weak backed members of the House.
This same lack Of confidence. which will
make the people refuse to give the choice Of
the next President, knowingly, 10 Congress,
will also be sure to bring TO nought the fan
oics of some of our politicians and newspapers
in this State, of the choice by the people OF a
body Of electors not pledged to vote for ono
candidate, but chosen 20 vote for whom they
please. 1t makes not the slightest difference
that that was the original idea which led TO
the adoption of the system of an Electoral
College Tho idea Is obsolete and can never
be revived. except for purposes of fraud and
deception. The present manner of voting has
become "a popular habit. Their votes are as
the people understand it, cast directly for the
Presidential candidate of their choice and il
would take no short time to make the change
20 the other method and accustom them 90 a
Ia faIH tl., 3, o