The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1861-01-10
Impotent Schemes of the Traitors.

Impotent Schemes of the Traitors.
One of their plans is to cause the with
drawal of southern senators and repre-
sentatives from Congress on the day on
which the electoral votes to be counted,
SO that there may not be a quorum pres
ent. This proceeds upon the idea that
Mr.. Lincoln cannot be President until
Congress declares the result, which is
bit of the grossest nonsense. Mr.. Lin
coin is President elect from the day on
which the electoral colleges cast their
votes. Their determination makes the
fact. The provisions of the constitution
in regard to the counting of the votes,
&C., are anerely y directory, mere expedi-
ent of form for ascertaining the result, q
not substantial or constitutional part of
the fact of election. The constitution
says as follows:-"The electors shall
meet at their respective states, and vote
by ballot for President and Vice Presi-
dent; one of whom al least shall not be
an inhabitant of the same state with
themselves. They shall name in their
ballots the persons voted for as Presi-
dent and Vice President and they shall
make distinct lists of all persons voted
for as President and Of all persons voted
for as Weep ;and of the number of
votes for each, which list they shall sign
and certify, and transmit sealed to the
Government Of the United States, direc>
ted to the President of the Senate. The
President of the Senate shall, in the
Representatives, open all the certificates,
and the votes shall then be counted
The person having the greatest number
of votes for President shall be the Presi
dent, if such number shall be majority
of the whole number Of electors appoin-
ted; and, if no person have such a ma
jority, then from the person having the
highest number-not exceeding three.
on the list of those voted for as Preai-
dent-the House Of Representatives shall
choose Immediately, by ballot the Presi.
dent
The essential fact here is, that the per-
son having the highest number of cleo
toral votes shall be the President. The
duties required of the President of the
Senate are only formal. If he should
prove contumacious for any reason; or if
Congress, by reason of its dispersion by
a foreign force, or any other cause, sho
not be able to assemble; if the Capitol
should be burned down, and the electo-
raj certificate with it; or if, in any other
way, the formalities could not be COM
piled with the fact would remain. The
person having the highest number of ell
No mere whim or stubbornness Of any
President Of the Senate; no accident to
the seat of government; no contingency
by which Congress should be disabled,
is allowed to defeat the will Of the peo-
pie, declared through the Electoral Col
lagos.
These are the general provisions Of
the Constitution; but the act of Congress,
passed in 1792, to carry them into effect,
ordains, first. that 'the electors in each
State shall make and sign THREE certif
Gates of all the votes by them givep;''--
second, shall send one of these by the
Post Office and another by special mes
sage to the President Of the Senate, and
deliver the third "to the Judge of the
Distr ct in which such electors shall as.
semble;" and third, that if the former
two lists should ftil TO be received, the
list in the hands of the District judge
''shall be transmitted to the seat of Gov.
ernment." Whatever event, then, might
happen at Washington to prevent the as.
scmblage of Congress in the counting oil
the electoral votes, the record and evi.
idence of the action of the Electoral Col
leges would still exist in the archives O.
the district Judges. These would sb ow
the actual result: and as it is universe
principle of law that any failure to
observe the mere directory part Of a sta.
tute regulating an election cannot invali-
date the election itself, that result would
be carried into effect. 1t is the will o
the people of the States. legally ascer
tanned, which makes the President, anc
not any ministerial procedure of Con
gress. s..-. -..-1e -i...