rnal　dangers；　and　the　election　of　the　President　is　a　cause　of　agitation；　but　not　of　ruin。
  Mode　Of　Election
  Skill　of　the　American　legislators　shown　in　the　mode　of　election　adopted　by　them　…　Creation　of　a　special　electoral　body　…　Separate　votes　of　these　electors　…　Case　in　which　the　House　of　Representatives　is　called　upon　to　choose　the　President　…　Results　of　the　twelve　elections　which　have　taken　place　since　the　Constitution　has　been　established。
  Besides　the　dangers　which　are　inherent　in　the　system；　many　other　difficulties　may　arise　from　the　mode　of　election；　which　may　be　obviated　by　the　precaution　of　the　legislator。　　When　a　people　met　in　arms　on　some　public　spot　to　choose　its　head；　it　was　exposed　to　all　the　chances　of　civil　war　resulting　from　so　martial　a　mode　of　proceeding；　besides　the　dangers　of　the　elective　system　in　itself。　　The　Polish　laws；　which　subjected　the　election　of　the　sovereign　to　the　veto　of　a　single　individual；　suggested　the　murder　of　that　individual　or　prepared　the　way　to　anarchy。
  In　the　examination　of　the　institutions　and　the　political　as　well　as　social　condition　of　the　United　States；　we　are　struck　by　the　admirable　harmony　of　the　gifts　of　fortune　and　the　efforts　of　man。　　The　nation　possessed　two　of　the　main　causes　of　internal　peace；　it　was　a　new　country；　but　it　was　inhabited　by　a　people　grown　old　in　the　exercise　of　freedom。　　America　had　no　hostile　neighbors　to　dread；　and　the　American　legislators；　profiting　by　these　favorable　circumstances；　created　a　weak　and　subordinate　executive　power　which　could　without　danger　be　made　elective。
  It　then　only　remained　for　them　to　choose　the　least　dangerous　of　the　various　modes　of　election；　and　the　rules　which　they　laid　down　upon　this　point　admirably　correspond　to　the　securities　which　the　physical　and　political　constitution　of　the　country　already　afforded。　　Their　object　was　to　find　the　mode　of　election　which　would　best　express　the　choice　of　the　people　with　the　least　possible　excitement　and　suspense。　　It　was　admitted　in　the　first　place　that　the　simple　majority　should　be　decisive；　but　the　difficulty　was　to　obtain　this　majority　without　an　interval　of　delay　which　it　was　most　important　to　avoid。　　It　rarely　happens　that　an　individual　can　at　once　collect　the　majority　of　the　suffrages　of　a　great　people；　and　this　difficulty　is　enhanced　in　a　republic　of　confederate　States；　where　local　influences　are　apt　to　preponderate。　　The　means　by　which　it　was　proposed　to　obviate　this　second　obstacle　was　to　delegate　the　electoral　powers　of　the　nation　to　a　body　of　representatives。　　This　mode　of　election　rendered　a　majority　more　probable；　for　the　fewer　the　electors　are；　the　greater　is　the　chance　of　their　coming　to　a　final　decision。　　It　also　offered　an　additional　probability　of　a　judicious　choice。　　It　then　remained　to　be　decided　whether　this　right　of　election　was　to　be　entrusted　to　a　legislative　body；　the　habitual　representative　assembly　of　the　nation；　or　whether　an　electoral　assembly　should　be　formed　for　the　express　purpose　of　proceeding　to　the　nomination　of　a　President。　　The　Americans　chose　the　latter　alternative；　from　a　belief　that　the　individuals　who　were　returned　to　make　the　laws　were　incompetent　to　represent　the　wishes　of　the　nation　in　the　election　of　its　chief　magistrate；　and　that；　as　they　are　chosen　for　more　than　a　year；　the　constituency　they　represent　might　have　changed　its　opinion　in　that　time。　　It　was　thought　that　if　the　legislature　was　empowered　to　elect　the　head　of　the　executive　power；　its　members　would；　for　some　time　before　the　election；　be　exposed　to　the　manoeuvres　of　corruption　and　the　tricks　of　intrigue；　whereas　the　special　electors　would；　like　a　jury；　remain　mixed　up　with　the　crowd　till　the　day　of　action；　when　they　would　appear　for　the　sole　purpose　of　giving　their　votes。
  It　was　therefore　established　that　every　State　should　name　a　certain　number　of　electors；　*v　who　in　their　turn　should　elect　the　President；　and　as　it　had　been　observed　that　the　assemblies　to　which　the　choice　of　a　chief　magistrate　had　been　entrusted　in　elective　countries　inevitably　became　the　centres　of　passion　and　of　cabal；　that　they　sometimes　usurped　an　authority　which　did　not　belong　to　them；　and　that　their　proceedings；　or　the　uncertainty　which　resulted　from　them；　were　sometimes　prolonged　so　much　as　to　endanger　the　welfare　of　the　State；　it　was　determined　that　the　electors　should　all　vote　upon　the　same　day；　without　being　convoked　to　the　same　place。　*w　This　double　election　rendered　a　majority　probable；　though　not　certain；　for　it　was　possible　that　as　many　differences　might　exist　between　the　electors　as　between　their　constituents。　　In　this　case　it　was　necessary　to　have　recourse　to　one　of　three　measures；　either　to　appoint　new　electors；　or　to　consult　a　second　time　those　already　appointed；or　to　defer　the　election　to　another　authority。　The　first　two　of　these　alternatives；　independently　of　the　uncertainty　of　their　results；　were　likely　to　delay　the　final　decision；　and　to　perpetuate　an　agitation　which　must　always　be　accompanied　with　danger。　　The　third　expedient　was　therefore　adopted；　and　it　was　agreed　that　the　votes　should　be　transmitted　sealed　to　the　President　of　the　Senate；　and　that　they　should　be　opened　and　counted　in　the　presence　of　the　Senate　and　the　House　of　Representatives。　　If　none　of　the　candidates　has　a　majority；　the　House　of　Representatives　then　proceeds　immediately　to　elect　a　President；　but　with　the　condition　that　it　must　fix　upon　one　of　the　three　candidates　who　have　the　highest　numbers。　*x
  ＇Footnote　v：　As　many　as　it　sends　members　to　Congress。　　The　number　of　electors　at　the　election　of　1833　was　288。　　（See　〃The　National　Calendar；〃　1833。）＇
  ＇Footnote　w：　The　electors　of　the　same　State　assemble；　but　they　transmit　to　the　central　government　the　list　of　their　individual　votes；　and　not　the　mere　result　of　the　vote　of　the　majority。＇　　＇Footnote　x：　In　this　case　it　is　the　majority　of　the　States；　and　not　the　majority　of　the　members；　which　decides　the　question；　so　that　New　York　has　not　more　influence　in　the　debate　than　Rhode　Island。　　Thus　the　citizens　of　the　Union　are　first　consulted　as　members　of　one　and　the　same　community；　and；　if　they　cannot　agree；　recourse　is　had　to　the　division　of　the　States；　each　of　which　has　a　separate　and　independent　vote。　　This　is　one　of　the　singularities　of　the　Federal　Constitution　which　can　only　be　explained　by　the　jar　of　conflicting　interests。＇
  Thus　it　is　only　in　case　of　an　event　which　cannot　often　happen；　and　which　can　never　be　foreseen；　that　the　election　is　entrusted　to　the　ordinary　representatives　of　the　nation；　and　even　then　they　are　obliged　to　choose　a　citizen　who　has　already　been　designated　by　a　powerful　minority　of　the　special　electors。　　It　is　by　this　happy　expedient　that　the　respect　which　is　due　to　the　popular　voice　is　combined　with　the　utmost　celerity　of　execution　and　those　precautions　which　the　peace　of　the　country　demands。　　But　the　decision　of　the　question　by　the　House　of　Representatives　does　not　necessarily　offer　an　immediate　solution　of　the　difficulty；　for　the　majority　of　that　assembly　may　still　be　doubtful；　and　in　this　case　the　Constitution　prescribes　no　remedy。　Nevertheless；　by　restricting　the　number　of　candidates　to　three；　and　by　referring　the　matter　to　the　judgment　of　an　enlightened　public　body；　it　has　smoothed　all　the　obstacles　*y　which　are　not　inherent　in　the　elective　system。
  ＇Footnote　y：　Jefferson；　in　1801；　was　not　elected　until　the　thirty…　sixth　time　of　balloting。＇
  In　the　forty…four　years　which　have　elapsed　since　the　promulgation　of　the　Federal　Constitution　the　United　States　have　twelve　times　chosen　a　President。　Ten　of　these　elections　took　place　simultaneously　by　the　votes　of　the　special　electors　in　the　different　States。　　The　House　of　Representatives　has　only　twice　exercised　its　conditional　privilege　of　deciding　in　cases　of　uncertainty；　the　first　time　was　at　the　election　of　Mr。　Jefferson　in　1801；　the　second　was　in　1825；　when　Mr。　Quincy　Adams　was　named。　*z
  ＇Footnote　z：　＇General　Grant　is　now　（1874）　the　eighteenth　President　of　the　United　States。＇＇
  Crises　Of　The　Election
  The　Election　may　be　considered　as　a　national　crisis　…　Why？　…　Passions　of　the　people　…　Anxiety　of　the　President　…　Calm　which　succeeds　the　agitation　of　the　election。
  I　have　shown　what　the　circumstances　are　which　favored　the　adoption　of　the　elective　system　in　the　United　States；　and　what　precautions　were　taken　by　the　legislators　to　obviate　its　dangers。　　The　Americans　are　habitually　accustomed　to　all　kinds　of　elections；　and　they　know　by　experience　the　utmost　degree　of　excitement　which　is　compatible　with　security。　　The　vast　extent　of　the　country　and　the　dissemination　of　the　inhabitants　render　a　collision　between　parties　less　probable　and　less　dangerous　there　than　elsewhere。　　The　political　circumstances　under　which　the　elections　have　hitherto　been　carried　on　have　presented　no　real　embarrassments　to　the　nation。
  Nevertheless；　the　epoch　of　the　election　of　a　President　of　the　United　States　may　be　considered　as　a　crisis　in　the　affairs　of　the　nation。　　The　influence　which　he　exercises　on　public　business　is　no　doubt　feeble　and　indirect；　but　the　choice　of　the　President；　which　is　of　small　importance　to　each　individual　citizen；　concerns　the　citizens　collectively；　and　however　trifling　an　interest　may　be；　it