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The vote for Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr being equal, there was no choice for President by the Electoral votes. On the 11th February, 1801, the House of Representatives proceeded to the election of a President. On the first ballot eight States voted for Jefferson, six for Burr, and the votes of two were divided. Balloting continued without a choice until February 17th, 1801, when on the 36th ballot ten States voted for Jefferson, four for Burr, and two in blank. Thomas Jefferson was thus elected President, and Aaron Burr, Vice-President.

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By Article XII. of the Amendments to the Constitution, which was declared in force September 25th, 1804, the Electors are required to ballot separately for President and Vice-President. The election of 1804 was the first under this amendment.

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[From Greeley & Cleveland's Political Text-Book, 1860, and other sources.]

NATIONAL CONVENTIONS for the nomination of candidates for President and Vice-President are of comparatively recent origin. In the earlier political history of the United States, under the Federal Constitution, candidates for President and Vice-President were nominated by congressional and legislative caucuses. Washington was elected as first President under the Constitution, and re-elected for a second term by a unanimous, or nearly unanimous, concurrence of the American people; but an opposition party gradually grew up in Congress, which became formidable during its second term, and which ultimately crystallized into what was then called the Republican Party. John Adams, of Massachusetts, was prominent among the leading Federalists, while Thomas Jefferson, of Virginia, was pre-eminently the author and oracle of the Republican Party, and, by common consent, they were the opposing candidates for the Presidency, on Washington's retirement in 1796-7.

The first Congressional Caucus to nominate candidates for President and VicePresident is said to have been held in Philadelphia, in the year 1800, and to have nominated Mr. Jefferson for the first office, and Aaron Burr for the second. These candidates were elected after a desperate struggle, beating John Adams, and Charles C. Pinckney, of South Carolina. In 1804, Mr. Jefferson was re-elected President, with George Clinton, of New York, for Vice, encountering but slight opposition; Messrs. Charles C. Pinckney and Rufus King, the opposing candidites, receiving only 14 out of 176 electoral votes. We have been unable to find any record as to the manner of their nomination.

In January, 1808, when Mr. Jefferson's second term was about to close, a Re

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Total..

155,872 56,688 105,321 39,629 44,282 2,023 46,587 10,432 352,062 Jackson's Plurality..

+50,551

*The Electors of Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, New York, South Carolina, and Ver. mont were chosen by the State Legislatures.

† Plurality over Adams.

Plurality over Clay.

Plurality over Jackson.

publican Congressional Caucus was held at Washington, to decide as to the relative claims of Madison and Monroe for the succession, the Legislature of Virginia, which had been said to exert a potent influence over such questions, being, on this occasion, unable to agree as to which of her favored sons should have the preference. Ninety-four out of the 136 Republican members of Congress attended this caucus, and declared their preference of Mr. Madison, who received 83 votes, the remaining 11 being divided between Mr. Monroe and George Clinton. The opposition supported Mr. Pinckney, but Mr. Madison was elected by a large majority.

Toward the close of Mr. Madison's earlier term he was nominated for re-election by a Congressional Caucus, held at Washington in May, 1812. In September of the same year, a convention of the opposition, representing eleven States, was held in the city of New York, which nominated De Witt Clinton, of New York, for President. He was also put in nomination by the Republican Legislature of New York. The ensuing canvass resuited in the re-election of Mr. Madison, who received 128 electoral votes to 89 for De Witt Clinton.

In 1816, the Republican Congressional Caucus nominated James Monroe, who received in the caucus 65 votes, to 54 for Wm. H. Crawford, of Georgia. The opposition, or Federalists, named Rufus King, of New York, who received only 34 electoral votes out of 217. There was no opposition to the re-election of Mr. Monroe in 1820, a single (Republican) vote being cast against him, and for John Quincy Adams.

In 1824, the Republican Party could not be induced to abide by the decision of a Congressional Caucus. A large majority of the Republican members formally refused to participate in such a gathering, or be governed by its decision; still, a caucus was called, and attended by the friends of Mr. Crawford alone. Of the 261 Members of Congress at this time, 216 were Democrats or Republicans; yet only 66 [Continued on page 267.]

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