Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-11-26
Constitutional VS.. Popular Major
tiles,

The Copperhead newspapers are consolinG
their sick readers with reflections that thu
defeat OF Mcclellan is not so bad as it NIGH
have been. Mr. Lincoln's majority, they say
is only $4,000 by the popular vote, and il
an aggregate vote Of two millions and a hal
that is not much. 1t is true three hundred
and sixty thousand majority out of two mil
lions and a half, is far from unanimous pop
ular vote; it gives Lincoln l,430,0 to Nc
Clellan's 100000 votes. But then, these
Copperheads, who have been such chronic
stickers for the "rights Of minorities, ough,
TO see that this 800, 900 popular majority is sc
distributed that it gives Mr.. Lincoln twenty.
three out Of twenty-six States, or 2l3 out o.
24 electoral votes, or more than ten to Nc
Clellan's one. This is quite good enough tC
rejoice over, and considering that no Presi-
dent since Washington received more near
" unanimous vote of the Electoral College,
we think the Copperheads ought to be salts
lied that other people besides "Lincoln's
hirelings had hand in bringing about the
result. In Presidential election it is moi
necessary always to obtain even majority
Of the popular vote to elect; nor did the Con.
stitution so intend. 1t is not, under oul
system Of Government, the majority Of the
people who are the sovereign power, but the
political majority; that is to say, majority
Of the Electoral College, which becomes far.
Their and farther from the popular majority
as the States are multiplied in number fol
each new State, even il it have but one Rep
resentative in Congress, and but ten thousand
votes, is entitled to two Senators, and oil
course to Presidential Elector for each Of
them and this is the peculiar advantage un-
der our system, which the small States have
over the great ones, not only in the United
States Senate, but also in the choice of 9
President. The State Of New York has 600,.
900 voters, and SO Electors. The State Of
Nevada has II 900 voters and three Electors
II the popular vote Of New York were dis.
tributed into new States, no more populous
than Nevada, it would furnish over IS new
States and these would elect l65 Presidential
electors and thus vote no larger than New
York's might become in Presidential cleo.
ton nearly five and a half times as potent a,
it now is. New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio
Indiana, and Illinois, in 1850 polled nearly
two and quarter millions Of votes. They
certainly polled a majority of the votes cas-,
by the 26 States which participated in the
late election. Yet they have II less than a
majority Of the electoral college. II each Of
those States had given unanimous vote fol
Lincoln, and yet Mcclellan had carried all
the other States, each by but 100 majority,
he would have boen the lawful and Constitu-
tional President of the United States by q
majority Of II electors, though Lincoln
would have had over million and half Of
the popular majority; and every McClella
newspaper would have insisted on the right
and justice OF the election. Nor could the
friends Of Mr.. Lincoln have objected so long
as they support aud defend the Constitution
Of the United States and its wise conservative
policy. In Presidential election a majority
of 1000 in State counts for Just as much as
a majority of 100000. Mr.. Lincoln has car.
ried % out of 26 States, and 2l3 out Of 2S4
electoral votes in the college, and whether he
has succeeded by 100000 or 100000 Of a
popular majority, so far as the virtue and
potency Of the Constitution goes, it is all the
same but the last persons who ought to
grumble because the popular majority is nc
greater, are these Copperhead scrubs who
have ever Stickled for the rights Of the States
and strict construction OF the Constitution
Stockton Independent.