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160 years ago today (Feb. 13, 1861): Congress counted electoral votes certifying Abraham Lincoln as the winner of the 1860 presidential election.
https://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llcg&fileName=055/llcg055.db&recNum=895 1/
https://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llcg&fileName=055/llcg055.db&recNum=895 1/
The Baltimore Sun reported on "The Apprehensions of an Attack on the Capital"
"To-day the officers of the artillery were on duty for the purpose of immediately communicating with Congress, should an attempt be made to attack the capitol ... " 2/
"To-day the officers of the artillery were on duty for the purpose of immediately communicating with Congress, should an attempt be made to attack the capitol ... " 2/
"They might be waylaid, or stolen by the armed militias who were increasingly seen marching around Washington..."
-Ted Widmer's excellent "Lincoln on the Verge" book, regarding the electoral vote certificates. 3/
-Ted Widmer's excellent "Lincoln on the Verge" book, regarding the electoral vote certificates. 3/
"Our adversaries have us more clearly at disadvantage, on the second Wednesday of February, when the votes should be officially counted." - Lincoln to William Seward, January 1861. 4/
Lucius Chittenden, a Vermont delegate to Feb. 1861 Washington Peace Conference, later wrote of soldiers "sternly barring admission" to Capitol for electoral vote count, "the amount of profanity launched forth against the guards" (h/t Widmer's "Lincoln on the Verge") 5/
After the vote count, Chittenden said "howling, angry mob" near Treasury. "There was much street-fighting, many arrests by the police, but not revolution."
Praised Gen. Winfield Scott for security & VP John C. Breckinridge for honoring oath (he announced his loss to Lincoln) 6/
Praised Gen. Winfield Scott for security & VP John C. Breckinridge for honoring oath (he announced his loss to Lincoln) 6/
Great quotes from Gen. Winfield Scott ("Old Fuss and Feathers), per Chittenden:
Anyone interfering with vote count should be "fired out of a window of the Capitol"
"It is my duty to suppress insurrection - my duty!"
Arrest a senator for treason? "No! I will blow him to hell!"
Anyone interfering with vote count should be "fired out of a window of the Capitol"
"It is my duty to suppress insurrection - my duty!"
Arrest a senator for treason? "No! I will blow him to hell!"
"The avenues to the Capitol were thronged. Troops were on duty in the streets, and a strong police force was distributed throughout the Capitol." - Burlington Free Press on Feb. 13, 1861 electoral vote count 8/
Rich detail on the 1861 electoral vote count in Ted Widmer's "Lincoln on the Verge" (2020) pages 190-192.
Lincoln was then in Ohio, traveling to Washington by train on a circuitous route from Springfield amid threats of violence and assassination. 9/
Lincoln was then in Ohio, traveling to Washington by train on a circuitous route from Springfield amid threats of violence and assassination. 9/
