The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-07-22

Some of our republican organs are very seri
ously exercised at the possibility of some ar
rangements among the odds and ends of the op-
position to Lincoln whereby this Presidential
election may be thrown into Congress. Thus
we are told that the voice of the people would
be sti6ed, and that paltry minority might, in
the House of Representatives, elect the Presi-
dent. where, each State having but one vote on
the question, the three comparatively insignif-
cant States of Delaware, Florida and Oregon,
with only one member each, will neutralize the
three great States of New York, Pennsy lvanis
and Ohio, which have in the aggregate seventy
nine representatives in the House. In other
words, it does look, prirna facie, little one
sided that the three members from Delaware,
Florida and Oregon, representing say 100000
people, should be equal, in the House vote for
a President, to the seventy-ine members from
New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, represent
ing seven millions of people.
But the constitution has placed the House
election on the platform of the equality of the
States, great and small; and as this resort to an
election by the States as equals can only occur
in the event of failure of the people to make
an election. there can be no just ground of COM
plant on the subject. "The proof Of the pud-
ding is also in the eating thereof" We have
had two Presidents elected by the House of Re-
resentatives-Thomas Jefferson and John
Quincy Adams-and very respectable Presidents
they made, too. Considering, in short, that
when the election goes to the House that body
is limited to the three highest candidates from
the people, the reduction of the struggle to
vote by States, each State giving only one vote
as the majority of Its representatives may deter
mine, appears to LIB to be an eminently wise and
arrangement.
But then it is said that should there be no
election of President by the people in this
case there will be no election of Vice
and that thus, while the three
highest candidates for President will be thrown
INTO the House, the two highest for Vice Presi
dent will be thrown into the Senate, and that
in this way "Old 10. Lane" by default of the
House, will become President of the United
States. This result is not impossible; for should
there be no election of Woe President by the
PSDPiS' We PhoouuiS euot 0OuCioi houc, DC
one Of the two highest candidates for Vice
President from the people, will be elected Vice
President by the overwhelming democratic ma
jorty which holds the Senate.
Next, 1t is possible that say between Lincoln,
Breckenridge and Bell-from the present party
divisions Of the House (the same that elected
Pennington Speaker) there would be no cleo
ton Of President In the short interval be-
tween February, when the case will come up,
and the 4th Of March, when the term of this
Congress will expire. In this event the person
elected Vice President by the Senate, In default
Of an election of President by the House, will
become President of the United States, and
hus General Lane may become the successor
n the White House Of Mr. Buchanan.
From present appearances, however, there is
even less probability Of this election being
thrown into Congress than there was at this
period OF the canvass that the contest of 1856
would be. Our explanations upon the subject |
are simply intended to satisfy our readers as to
he fairness of the constitutional requirements |
Of Congress in the election of President and |
Vice President, in case of failure of the people
% give any ticket majority of the electoral
vote.