Page:The American review - a Whig journal of politics, literature, art, and science (1845).djvu/132

118 {|
 * rowspan="2" | States.
 * rowspan="2" | Clay.
 * rowspan="2" | Polk.
 * rowspan="2" | Birney.
 * rowspan="2" | Aggregate.
 * colspan="2" | Plurality
 * colspan="2" | Whig
 * colspan="2" | Dem.
 * colspan="2"    | El. Vo.
 * | Clay.
 * | Polk.
 * | Maj.
 * | Def.
 * | Maj.
 * | Def.
 * | C.
 * | P.
 * | Maine
 * | 34,379
 * | 45,719
 * | 4,836
 * | 81,933
 * | 11,341
 * | 8,039
 * | 3,252
 * | 9
 * | New Hampshire
 * | 17,866
 * | 27,160
 * | 4,161
 * | 49,187
 * | 9,294
 * | 6,728
 * | 2,566
 * | 6
 * | Vermont
 * | 26,770
 * | 18,041
 * | 3,954
 * | 48,765
 * | 8,729
 * | 2,387
 * | 6,342
 * | 6
 * | Massachusetts
 * | 67,418
 * | 32,846
 * | 10,360
 * | 131,124
 * | 14,572
 * | 1,856
 * | 12,716
 * | 12
 * | Rhode Island
 * | 7,322
 * | 4,867
 * | 12,139
 * | 2,455
 * | 1,227
 * | 1,227
 * | 4
 * | Connecticut
 * | 32,832
 * | 29,841
 * | 1,943
 * | 64,616
 * | 2,991
 * | 524
 * | 2,467
 * | 6
 * | New York
 * | 232,482
 * | 237,588
 * | 15,812
 * | 485,882
 * | 5,106
 * | 10,459
 * | 5,353
 * | 36
 * | New Jersey
 * | 38,318
 * | 37,495
 * | 131
 * | 75,944
 * | 823
 * | 346
 * | 477
 * | 7
 * | Pennsylvania
 * | 161,203
 * | 167,535
 * | 3,138
 * | 331,876
 * | 6,332
 * | 4,735
 * | 1,597
 * | 26
 * | Delaware
 * | 6,258
 * | 5,971
 * | 12,229
 * | 287
 * | 144
 * | 144
 * | 3
 * | Maryland
 * | 35,984
 * | 32,676
 * | 68,660
 * | 3,308
 * | 1,654
 * | 1,654
 * | 8
 * | Virginia
 * | 43,677
 * | 49,570
 * | 93,247
 * | 5,893
 * | 2,946
 * | 2,946
 * | 17
 * | North Carolina
 * | 43,232
 * | 39,287
 * | 82,519
 * | 3,945
 * | 1,972
 * | 1,972
 * | 11
 * | Georgia
 * | 42,100
 * | 44,147
 * | 86,247
 * | 2,047
 * | 1,023
 * | 1,023
 * | 10
 * | Alabama
 * | 26,084
 * | 37,740
 * | 63,824
 * | ll,656
 * | 5,828
 * | 5,828
 * | 9
 * | Mississippi
 * | 19,208
 * | 25,126
 * | 44,332
 * | 5,920
 * | 2,960
 * | 2,960
 * | 6
 * | Louisiana
 * | 13,083
 * | 13,782
 * | 26,865
 * | 699
 * | 349
 * | 349
 * | 6
 * | Arkansas
 * | 5,504
 * | 9,546
 * | 15,050
 * | 4,041
 * | 2,021
 * | 2,021
 * | 3
 * | Tennessee
 * | 60,030
 * | 59,917
 * | 119,947
 * | 113
 * | 56
 * | 56
 * | 13
 * | Kentucky
 * | 61,255
 * | 51,988
 * | 113,243
 * | 9,267
 * | 4,633
 * | 4,633
 * | 12
 * | Missouri
 * | 31,251
 * | 41,369
 * | 72,620
 * | 10,118
 * | 5,059
 * | 5,059
 * | 7
 * | Illinois
 * | 45,528
 * | 57,920
 * | 103,448
 * | 12,392
 * | 6,196
 * | 6,196
 * | 9
 * | Indiana
 * | 67,867
 * | 70,131
 * | 2,106
 * | 140,154
 * | 2,314
 * | 2,210
 * | 104
 * | 12
 * | Ohio
 * | 155,057
 * | 149,117
 * | 8,050
 * | 312,224
 * | 5,940
 * | 1,055
 * | 6,995
 * | 23
 * | Michigan
 * | 24,237
 * | 27,703
 * | 3,632
 * | 55,572
 * | 3,466
 * | 3,549
 * | 83
 * | 5
 * | 161
 * | Mississippi
 * | 19,208
 * | 25,126
 * | 44,332
 * | 5,920
 * | 2,960
 * | 2,960
 * | 6
 * | Louisiana
 * | 13,083
 * | 13,782
 * | 26,865
 * | 699
 * | 349
 * | 349
 * | 6
 * | Arkansas
 * | 5,504
 * | 9,546
 * | 15,050
 * | 4,041
 * | 2,021
 * | 2,021
 * | 3
 * | Tennessee
 * | 60,030
 * | 59,917
 * | 119,947
 * | 113
 * | 56
 * | 56
 * | 13
 * | Kentucky
 * | 61,255
 * | 51,988
 * | 113,243
 * | 9,267
 * | 4,633
 * | 4,633
 * | 12
 * | Missouri
 * | 31,251
 * | 41,369
 * | 72,620
 * | 10,118
 * | 5,059
 * | 5,059
 * | 7
 * | Illinois
 * | 45,528
 * | 57,920
 * | 103,448
 * | 12,392
 * | 6,196
 * | 6,196
 * | 9
 * | Indiana
 * | 67,867
 * | 70,131
 * | 2,106
 * | 140,154
 * | 2,314
 * | 2,210
 * | 104
 * | 12
 * | Ohio
 * | 155,057
 * | 149,117
 * | 8,050
 * | 312,224
 * | 5,940
 * | 1,055
 * | 6,995
 * | 23
 * | Michigan
 * | 24,237
 * | 27,703
 * | 3,632
 * | 55,572
 * | 3,466
 * | 3,549
 * | 83
 * | 5
 * | 161
 * | Illinois
 * | 45,528
 * | 57,920
 * | 103,448
 * | 12,392
 * | 6,196
 * | 6,196
 * | 9
 * | Indiana
 * | 67,867
 * | 70,131
 * | 2,106
 * | 140,154
 * | 2,314
 * | 2,210
 * | 104
 * | 12
 * | Ohio
 * | 155,057
 * | 149,117
 * | 8,050
 * | 312,224
 * | 5,940
 * | 1,055
 * | 6,995
 * | 23
 * | Michigan
 * | 24,237
 * | 27,703
 * | 3,632
 * | 55,572
 * | 3,466
 * | 3,549
 * | 83
 * | 5
 * | 161
 * | 1,055
 * | 6,995
 * | 23
 * | Michigan
 * | 24,237
 * | 27,703
 * | 3,632
 * | 55,572
 * | 3,466
 * | 3,549
 * | 83
 * | 5
 * | 161
 * | 3,466
 * | 3,549
 * | 83
 * | 5
 * | 161
 * | 5
 * | 161
 * | 161
 * | 161
 * | 161
 * | 161
 * | 161
 * | 161
 * | 161
 * | 161
 * | 161
 * | 161
 * | 161
 * | 161
 * | 161
 * | 161


 * | South Carolina
 * | 9
 * | 1,298,942
 * | 1,337,132
 * | 59,623
 * | 2,694,697
 * | 52,430
 * | 90,578
 * | 14,799
 * | 63,207
 * | 33,901
 * | 44,119
 * | 105
 * | 170
 * colspan="13" |
 * }
 * | 1,337,132
 * | 59,623
 * | 2,694,697
 * | 52,430
 * | 90,578
 * | 14,799
 * | 63,207
 * | 33,901
 * | 44,119
 * | 105
 * | 170
 * colspan="13" |
 * }
 * }

It will be perceived by a reference to the above table, that in three of the states of the Union, New York, Ohio and Michigan, casting together sixty-four electoral votes, neither Mr. Clay nor Mr. Polk received an actual majority. Of the remaining twenty-two states in which electors were chosen directly by the people, ten gave majorities for Mr. Clay, and twelve for Mr. Polk. Of the whole aggregate popular vote of 2,694,697, the Whig candidate fell short of an actual majority by 48,407 votes; and the President elect by 10,217 votes; the plurality of the latter over the former being 38,190. The largest numerical majority cast in any state was 6,196, in Illinois for Mr. Polk—the largest numerical plurality in any state was 14,572 in Massachusetts for Mr. Clay.

The first important deduction to be drawn from the above tlata is, that Mr. Polk, on no basis of calculation, received the suffrages of a majority of the actual voters at the election. In the aggregate vote we have already seen how far he fell short of this. But if a majority of ballots had been necessary to the choice of electors in the several states, he would also have been defeated; the twelve states in which his party polled majorities, furnished but one hundred and twenty electors, eighteen less than the requisite number.

Another notable fact, apparent upon the figures, is the smallness of the majorities thrown for either candidate in all the states which can fairly be said to have been contested. Leaving out Missouri, Alabama, Illinois and Kentucky, (where no third party intervened, and where the state of opinions was so unequal as to offer no motive for a close contest,) the largest majority in any state was but 3,252, in Maine.

Again, it is worthy of remark, that in three instances at least, a very small change of votes throughout a most extensive territory and among a vast population, would have reversed the result. Thus in the State of New York, a change of 2,554 votes—but little over one-half per cent. of the aggregate of that State, and less than one-thousandth of the entire vote of the Union,—would have elected our candidate; in Pennsylvania and Georgia together a change of one per cent. of