Page:Life of Henry Clay (Schurz; v. 1).djvu/202

190 The danger was averted by skillful management. Clay reported, from the joint committee to which the matter had been referred, a resolution “that, if any objection be made to the votes of Missouri, and the counting or omitting to count which shall not essentially change the result of the election, — in that case they shall be reported by the President of the Senate in the following manner: Were the votes of Missouri to be counted, the result would be, for A. B. for President of the United States, - votes; if not counted, for A. B. as President of the United States, - votes; but in either case A. B. is elected President: and in the same manner for Vice-President.” This resolution was adopted and served its purpose. Fortunately the three electoral votes of Missouri were of no practical importance, Monroe having received all the votes but one, and Tompkins, for Vice-President, a very large majority.

But as soon as Missouri was reached in the electoral count, objection was made by a Northern member to the counting of her votes, on the ground that she was not a state of the Union. The Senate then withdrew, and the House having been called to order, Floyd of Virginia moved a resolution that Missouri was a state of the Union, and that her vote should be counted. He thought he had now forced the issue, so that it could not be avoided. “Let us know,” he exclaimed in closing his speech, “whether Missouri be a state of the Union or not. Sir, we cannot take