Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1860-09-06
Lincoln or Lane.


Lincoln Of Illinois, and Senator Lane Of Or.
egon, as the only real contestants for the
Office Of President. No one pretends TO be-
lieve that either the Bell and Everett ticket
or the Douglas and Johnson ticket will re-
ceiye a msjorty OF the electoral vote. The
most sapguine friends Of Breekinridge and
Lane do not claim that meir ticket can re-
ceive msjority, without some combination
with The friends OF M. Douglas or Mr. Bell.
But whsteyer combinations may be affected
| in particular states, with view to the elec.
tion OF Congressm ~, there is no probabili-
ty Of such fusion oi the electoral tickets
Ms would give n IN ritz %, the electoral vote
to breckenridge. Tne total electoral vote
is 303 -,hc moi r'y 1852, being fecessary
to = choice. Th, fifteen slave states boye
I2O vu,e,. We d u t VIII ther Mr.. Bfeckin-
ridge is cure Of all these. The eighteen
ifee states have 1873 votes. or these, Cali
lurnia, " Jersey, aad Indians, having "a
votes, an pe,hsps UrJgOn with ts Q votes,
may be onsdered doubtful upon the Re-
| publican side.
Should Mr.. Lincoln fail OF these 81 votes,
or oi the vote OF Penny ylvanis, which is al.
20 27, he would still have four votes more
than a majority 10 the Electoral College
But the loss OF Both pennsy!yaiu (27) and
Indiana (i3) woutd dsfesrhis election by
the people. In other words, il the various
oppos 'ng tickets con get from free states 80
electoral votes. they will throw the election
into the House.
The present House of Representatives
numbers 237-l50 from the free ) ates. and
81 from the slave. Bu,ia tho House each
stute would vote as unit, aud Vt course the
mai rity of the representatives. from each
state would determine its single vote. The
House must chooss a President from the
thu ee highest candidates. OF these, Messrs
/, Lincoln and Breckenridge would os course
!, be the first two. There are 33 states, re
curing II as a msj riiy.
4 According to the known political prefer
ences Of the House, there would be 10 s'atei
for Lincoln u lor Brechinridge, for Doug
las, / Cor Bell, aud MsryisDd, Kentucky
North Carolina, and l. nisana doubtful o
!. tied. 1t is hardly possible IN these circum
a stances that the Hou.e would make an elec
a ton of President. Theiwhole session ;il
n March 4, 1861, would be spent in an engr
and excited contest, to the great detrimen
), of the public business and tranquility
According to the Constitution. the Sen
ate would elect Vice President from tn
;, two highest candidates. These Of cours
would be Messrs Ham lin and Lane, and tn
a Democratic majority OF the Sshat would vot
. for that member OF their body. whom tn
:. people of Oregon have just repudiated.
:, We put it then to those sober conservu
- tive men who are likely to throw away the
4, votes I'D IN Bell and Everett, and those o,
,. mirers Of "squatier Sovereignty "who al
~ likely TO throw theirs swny upon Dougls
~ and johnson, whether they sre willing
70 contribute to result So dsgracefol and di
% astrous as this circuitous elevation OF Lar
n. to the Presidency
,d We ask Chris ians. and patriots 10 look
n. tho ass n, his -chssset~rrpi pis- principles. b
platform, his party, and answer wheth
they will take the responsibility of putti
such man aud such policy at the he
OF the government in this grave crisis
its affairs. Compare with Lane, the cha
eo acter, the principles, tile platform, the po
're cy os Abraham Lincoln, and at the bar
sir conscience make your choice. The OF
en- way to prevent this scheme Of Southern d
''e unionists and propagandists of Slavery,
zee the elevation of Lane to the Presidency,
'h by faithful, unremtting ef,rt to make su
IL the election Of Lincoln by the people. -
MS Y. Independent.