The Republican Scrap Book Containing the Platforms, and a Choice Selection of Extracts, Setting Forth the Real Questions in Issue, the Opinions of as Shown by Their Own Writers, and the Opini

Excerpt from The Republican Scrap Book: Containing the Platforms, and a Choice Selection of Extracts, Setting Forth the Real Questions in Issue, the Opinions of the Candidates, the Nature and Designs of the Slave Oligarchy, as Shown by Their Own Writers, and the Opinions of Clay, Webster, Josia

The failure of an election by the people, under this state of the case, brings no increased danger to the South, or to any portion of the country; for, the House would either elect Fillmore as President, or, there being no election by the House, Breckinridge would become the President.

"Mr. Brickinridge is an honorable opponent - a high-minded and patriotic gentleman - a man of mind, of talents and of integrity - he is young, too with a future before him - he is without trainers and dependants - he could form his own associations - in all this there is hope.

"We are not afraid of the House of Representatives - we believe that Mr.Fillmore would be certainly elected by that body - but if not, we should have some consolation under our temporary defeat, in the considerations we have mentioned.

"The advocates of Buchanan in the South have sought to infuse a horror into the public mind at the bare idea of the election being thrown into the House, assuming that the election of Fremont might result from it. We have heretofore shown that Fremont's election by the House is impossible. Every man who understands the condition of parties in the House, and who knows that each State has but one vote in the election of President by the House, knows that the idea of Fremont's election by that body is simply ridiculous. The advocates of Buchanan, however, dread the House of Representatives - they know that he cannot be elected there - they know that the Fillmore States hold the balance of power, and that they could give the Republicans their choice, to permit Breckinridge to become the President, or to elect Fillmore to that position! The argument, then, which has been used at the South, in favor of a union upon Buchanan, to keep the election out of the House, is deceptions and Jesuitical."

"It is more, - it is dangerous in the extreme; for if by such arguments the South should be induced to unite upon Buchanan, the country would be at once arrayed in a sectional contest, - purely so; and were such a contest to be tendered by the South to the North, and accepted by them, the result would be the triumph of a Northern sectional party. But the pretended danger, if the election were thrown into the House, is a transparent bugbear - a phantom which would not frighten half-grown children. We hope that Fillmore may be elected by the electoral colleges, but if not, we shall not 'despair of the republic' if the election devolves upon the House. Far from it."

It is well said, that none of us know

"To what base uses we may come at last."

Mr. Fillmore, good, easy man, in the innocency of his heart, supposes that he is nominated to be elected. No such thing; he is only nominated to divide the North, to draw off votes from Fremont, to help make John C. Breckinridge Vice President. The declarations with which the development of this plan is sweetened, that Mr. Fillmore will "certainly" be elected by the House, if by proper mancevres a choice by the people can be prevented, amount to nothing. The American party is feeble in the House of Representatives and the Buchanan party strong, and the compact and well-drilled body who support the administration will not come over to the few and somewhat vacillating and irresolute members calling themselves Americans, and give them all they ask by making Mr. Fillmore President. It is absurd to suppose them willing to make a losing bargain like this, when the American Organ assures them in the same breath that it is willing to give them an infinitely better one in conferring the Chief Magistracy on one of their candidates - Breckinridge. The election of Fillmore by the Hous