New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-08-22

no tserred in the choice of President With the
inta,t as Air Randolph said las FecerJ expedentl,
10 starve worry we oouVaut heHners AAlo Young
for Bur.
should have majority OF the electoral votes, the
Tome uOuld forthwith return 70 their chamber
end immediately prooeed ballet; aud 10 case no
on the first ballot there shall appear 10 be ma
iory Of the States in favor OF OF them IN such
case the House shall continue to ballot for President
without interruption by other business until il shall
appear that President is 6uly chosen" Fourth:
" After commencing the balotiog for PRECEDENT, the
Z" House shall not adjourn until choice be made"
Fifth: "Tbe doors of the Hou.e shall be closed during
{" the bslloting, except against the officers Of the
a. House"
ON the 18th the Senate and House Of Representatives
met, and the electoral votes were couuted.
There being no choice the two Houses then separa-
ted and the House Of Representatives proceeded the
prescribed by the CONSTITUTION, and under the
rules they bad adopted to ballot. On toe first ballot
there ere eight States for Jefferson Sin for Burr and
two were divided
The eight States which voted for Jefferson included
ali those south Of New-Englsnd except Maryland,
Delaware and South Carolina The four mRritine
North Eastern Saies with Delaware ard South Caro-
lima, voted for Aaron Burr. Vermont aud Maryland
were divided.
70 the House on their beds. One who was seriously
Ill vas attended in the House by his wife.
Tweuty-eieht ballots were had at longer o. shorter
Intervals occupying the House I'LL the next day at
The House remained in session nouinaly without
adjournment for days but after sitting out the
rt night the resolution no; 70 adjourn was .ubsi au-
tally evaded by substituting recess. During the
next four days the actual sessions very short,
only five ballotings being had. Ga the 18th February,
18th ballot the llth Feb 5Otb, 3lst, 3d. and SD
ballots, and on the 10th Feb, 34th ballot.
Ample time am now O. oting from Hildreth's
History had been lowed to Mr.. Barr to bring over,
ii he could, any of the Opposition votes aud that Of
fers both sides had been made 10 the doubtful men,
beers" subsequent DEVELOPMENTS left little doubt.
:" A part OF the evils which Hamilton hid anticipated
began already to be felt. The public mind was much
a0itsted by the delay. Rumors bad been and continued
to be circulated charging the Federaiists with the
most desperate and revolutionary intentions. Jeer-
son himself in the highest state Of agitation,
wrote TO Monroe that nothing but threats on the part
of the Opposition that The Middle States would rise III
arms and call Convention for framing new Consti'
tuition prevented the Federaiists from passing an act
to vest the executive authority 10 default OF auy cleo
ton OF President in the Chief Justice or some other
Had Congress been sitting in Philadelphia instead
of in Warrington it would have run no email risk Of
be ng invaded by mob.
on the 10th Of February thinking that the tine
had arrived for termi atiDg the struggle IN the
else of discretion Entrusted TO him by the other then
Federaliss with whom he co0psraed, Mr.. Bayard
of Delaware called general meeting Of the Federal
members and though some were SUI ! very reluctant
10 Weld, il was finally agreed that Burr had no
chance and that Jefers on must be chosen
The So ballot taken at on the Nth, resulted
Ike the former After hour interval on the seventh
day Of the proracted sitting the Both ballot was had.
Mr. Norris Of Vermont absent, and the 20 Mary
land Federfsts Crak and Baer, put IN blank oalOs,
thus giving two more States TO Jefferson which made
majority and he chosen The letters aud 1lares
of the leading Of that line show how deeply tae
public mind was agiJated The contest, In reality,
lasted gixtv days-frou the middle Of December 1870,
10 February H. 1901 During the greater part Of that
time Hamilton was in Newly ork, jefferson at w ash
ingon, and Burr at Albany. member OF the Lsgsla-
ture. On the 18th day of December, Mr. Jefferson
wrote Mr. Madison in regard to the alleged threats Of
the Federalists, "who openly declare they will pre-
vent an election and viii name President OF the
Senate pro TEN, by what they say would only be a
stretch of the Constitution"
Hamilton was inoessant in his efforts. He CORES
ponded with Gouverneur Morris, BayaEd, and Others
almost daily.
Bayard held the vote of Delaware in his hand and
on January 7tl, writing 70 Hamilton, he says:
With respect TO the personal quality OF the compel
itors SHOULD fear much from the sincerity OF Mr.
jefferson If be sincere as from the want of probity
in Mr.. Burr Taere would be really cause 10 ie a. lha
the Government would not survive the course of moral
/" and political experiment TO which It would be sub
" iected in the hands of Mr.. Jefferson"
On the 18th of February Mr.. Jefferson wrote MIR.
Monre two days before a choice was made;
Ii the Federalists would have been permitted 70
mas law for putting the Government IN the hands OF
an officer they would certainly have prevented an
election But we thought il best 10 declare, one aud
all openly and fairly that the day such an act passed
the Middle States would arm and that no such usurpa-
ton, even for a sirge day, should be submitted TO
This first shook thtm, &C. -,
Hauiltons feelings during the struggle were brought
10 GuCl
contest II is to be believed TO be an alarming fact
that while the question Of the Pres Dental election
was pendug il the House Of Representatives, par
ties were organizing In several Of the cities In the
event Of there being election, TO cut Of the eadng
Fe ieralists and sieze the Government"
In 1874 General jackson, Mr.. Adams and Mr.. Craw.
ford were the candidates and though the first had the
largest number he bad not majority Of the electoral
votes The House proceeded 10 choose one OF the three
and chose Mr. Adams. elimination and recrmlnauon
followed. Loud complaints were made that the caho
dates having the lesser number should be chosen ana
a violent political struggle was the result Sueh has
been the experience Of the House IN the only instances
In which has been called upon to make cholce OF
President These were however, It's earliest ana BET
ter dave great change has come over the 0o1y, Ia
the six-andthTty years which have passed since tue
hitter of these occurrences Ii then consisted OF about
the ables and most considerable men Of the nation 1t
has deeenerated in selfcOntrOl much as 1t has 1aen
off in sbfv Twice within the last ak years, 1t has
found the greatest difficulty IN electng ts own speaker
From the first Monday Of De ember, 1870, TO the
second dsy Of the following February, II remained
without a head. SIMILAR interval of disorder only
one dsy less in duration, occurred al the begin
ming Of the preSent session. He most be careless
OF server Of what is passing in his age, as well as
an idle student Of the history Of past ages who can
think il safe to cast such prize ar the Presidency INTO
such an arena be c0ntended for during Gays ana os
CT won according t. the chances Of intrigue, lnnmda
ton endurance ard possible corruption aud violence
All this one might be willing TO eocounter, II 1t were
necessary in order 10 prevent certain and greater
evil or 70 CON pass certain goodi but as no man can
foreeI hich Of the eight candldats VIII come upper
most in the scramble the good at the very best most
doubtful and the supposed evil is the election OF one OF
the purest mos Thoughtful and olsn crested men Oh
orr time To YOU then, gentlemen OF all parties or OF
no parry who take 10 further interest 10 potics than
10 peeE the promotion Of order fEstsrnal sentne