Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1860-09-07
From the Independent.
LINCOLN OR LANE.

4
| All the signs of the times point to Mr.. Lin
coin of illinois, and Senator Lane of Oregon,
as the only real contestants for the office of
President. No one pretends to believe that
either the Bell and Everett ticket or the Dou-
| glas aud Johnson ticket will receive majority
Of .the electoral vote. The most sanguiae
friends Of Rreckinridge and Lane do not claim
that their ticket will receive majority, with
out some combination with the friends of Mr..
Douglas or of Mr.. Boil. But whatever COM
binatons may be affected in particulars states,
with view to the election of Congressman,
there is no probability of such fusion of the
electoral tickets as would give majority of
the electoral vote to Breckinridge. The total
electoral vote is 303--a majority, l52, being
necessary 10 a choice. The fifteen slave states
have 120 votes. We doubt whether Mr..
Breckenridge is sure OF all these. The eighteen
free states have 1873 votes. OF these, Cali
forpia, New Jersey, aud Indiana. having "a
votes, ard perhaps Oregon with its three votes,
may be considered doubtful upon the Republic
can side.
Should Mr.. Lincoln fail of these 27 votes
;. or of the vote of ennsylvanis, which is also
| 27, be would still have four more votes than a
majority in the Electoral College. But the
/ loss of both Pennsylvania f2I and Indiana II 81
would defeat his election by the people. In
other words, il the various opposing tickets
can get from the free states 80 electoral votes,
they will throw the election into the House.
The present House of Representatives num-
bers 237--150 from the free states, and 81
from the slave. But in the House each state
would vote as a. unit, and of course the ma
/ af tbo Ii
| would determine lis single vote. The House
must choose President from the three highest
candidates. OF these, Messrs. Lincoln and
! Breckenridge would of course be the first two.
There are 80 states, requiring II as a majority.
According to the known political preferences
| of the House, there would be fifteen states for
Lincoln, II for Breekinridge, l for Douglas,
for Bell, and Maryland, Kentucky, North
| Carolina, and Louisiana doubtful or tied. 1t
is hardly possible in these circumstances that
the House would make an election-o of President.
| The whole session till March 4. 1861, would
be spen. in an angry and excited contest, to the
great detriment of the public business and
tranquility.
According to the constitution, the Senate
would elect a Vice President from the two
highest candidates. These of course would
be Messrs. Hamlin and Lane, and the Demo-
cratic majority of the Senate would vote for
that member of their body, whom the people
of Oregon have just repudiated.
We put it then to those sober conservative
men who are likely to throw away their votes
upon Bell and Everett, and those admirers OF
I''squatter Sovereignty who are likely to throw
theirs away upon Douglas and johnson, wheth-
er they are willing to contribute to result SO
disgraceful and disastrous as this circuilous
elevation of Lane to the Presidency
We ask Christians and patriots to look at
the man, his character, his platform, his party,
and answer whether they will take the respon
sibility of putting such man and such a
policy at the head of the Government in this
grave crisis of Its affairs. Compare with Lane
the character, the principles, the platform, the
policy of Abraham Lincoln, and at the bar oi
conscience make your choice. The only way
to prevent this scheme of Southern disunionists
and propagandists of slavery, for the elevation
of Lane to the Presidency, is by faithful, unre-
mitting effort to make sure the election of Lin.
coin By the people.