Political Intrigue and the Electoral College

This note, transcribed by Thomas Jefferson circa December 10, 1801, to his political ally James Cheetham, illuminates the Republican Party’s internal struggle that led to a revamping of the Electoral College with the 12th amendment. Cheetham, the editor of the New York newspaper the American Citizen, was one of many sets of eyes and ears Jefferson employed to collect the political information he needed to stay one step ahead of his opponents, in this case Aaron Burr. Even though Burr was Jefferson’s vice president, he was a focus of the Republican Party’s opposition after the contentious election of 1800 that saw the two Republicans tie in the Electoral College. To counter Burr’s influence, Cheetham wrote a pamphlet against Burr on December 9, 1801, entitled, "An Account of the Plans and Views of Aggrandizement of a Faction in the City of New York." Cheetham then wrote to Jefferson for documentation to back up his claims. Jefferson produced this transcript of a letter he received from DeWitt Clinton, the nephew of New York Governor George Clinton, who was soon to be elected to the U.S. Senate in early 1802.

Clinton’s letter references Burr’s intrigues after the election of 1800. Burr was only included on the Republican presidential ticket of 1800 because of his brilliant maneuvering in New York City in early 1800. Burr out-hustled Alexander Hamilton, a Federalist Party leader, and won the New York State legislature for the Republicans, possibly tipping the balance of national power toward the Republicans. As a reward for his services, Burr was put on the Republican Presidential ticket.

Many of the founders expressed sentiments that echoed Clinton’s and Jefferson’s fears of Burr’s ambition. According to this document Clinton stated that Burr’s political faction "is governed by no principle but is solely devoted to the aggrandizement of an individual." Ironically, Hamilton and Jefferson found common ground when sizing up Burr. While the political maneuvering was at its height, Hamilton wrote on December 23, 1800 to Harrison G. Otis [GLC 496.028], "Mr. Burr loves nothing but himself – Thinks of nothing but his own aggrandizement."

All of the important political players of the time were doing their best to prevent Burr from consolidating any power. Clinton’s letter provided raw political intelligence on "[h]ow far the contagion [Burr’s influence] has spread" in New York. From the list of counties it seems that Jefferson, with the help of the Clinton faction, had suppressed "the contagion," except for a few well known Burr supporters like George Gardiner, Peter Townsend and the Van Ness family. But the Jefferson faction wanted to secure its grasp of power and they feared an alliance of the Burr Republicans and Federalists. Jefferson and his supporters thought such a scenario unlikely because "the federal party will not join [Hamilton]. some however of minor consequence will, and these combined with the renegades of the Republican party will form as curious a compound as history ever recorded." To avoid any possible political mess in the 1804 election, Clinton recommended changes to the Electoral College. In the letter to Jefferson, Clinton said:

“Two measures will effectively destroy these unprincipled intrigues.”

“1. An uniform mode of chusing [sic] electors.”

“2. A designation in the electoral balotes [sic] of the office voted for.”

These proposals became the basis for the 12th amendment to the Constitution that Clinton proposed to the U.S. Senate. The Constitution originally stated that each elector voted "by Ballot for two Persons," without designating if the vote was for president or vice president. The person with the most votes would be president and the second place finisher would be vice president. The Republicans wanted to amend the Constitution to avoid the deadlock that occurred in the election of 1800 and to ensure unity between the president and vice-president. It is obvious in this letter that the Jeffersonians felt threatened by Burr’s ambition and took out an insurance policy with the passage of the 12th amendment.

A statement of interests in N.Y. by Dewitt Clinton to mr Cheetham.

It is presumed that no serious evil can result from the designs of the little faction which has existed for a short time previous to the Presidential election, & which is governed by no principle but is solely devoted to the aggrandisement of [illegible] an individual. it possesses neither talents, property virtue or any of the attributes of general confidence. it’s strength is founded on the secrecy of it’s plans, the acts & rapid movements of it’s leader, & the prevalent opinion that he has in a great degree regulated the appointments in the genl. govmt for his state. the most influential of his adherents have derived their consequence from this latter source.
How far the contagion has spread cannot be ascertained, as the subjects of it dare not expose it. the following have been suspected of being under an undue bias in the respective counties hereafter mentioned, to wit. Su

So far as Hamilton’s weight will go, the federal party will not join him. some however of minor consequence will, and these combined with the renegades of the Republican party will form a curious a compound as history ever recorded. The following representatives may be relied on.
Smith. Mitchell. V. Cortlandt. Elmendorf. Thomas. Bailey.

Two measures will effectively destroy these unprincipled intrigues.
1. An uniform mode of chusing electors.
2. A designation in the electoral balotes of the office voted for.

Appleby, Joyce, Thomas Jefferson (Times Books, 2003).

Brookhiser, Richard. Alexander Hamilton, American, 2000.

Chernow, Ron, Alexander Hamilton , 2004.

Cooke, Jean G. and Syrett, Harold C. eds., Interview at Weehawken: The Burr-Hamilton Duel as Told in the Original Documents, 1960.

Cunningham, Noble E., Thomas Jefferson VS. Alexander Hamilton: Confrontations That Shaped a Nation, 2000.

Elkins, Stanley and McKirktrick, Eric, The Age of Federalism: The Early American Republic 1788-1800, 1993.

Ellis, Joseph J., American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson, 1996.

Ellis, Joseph J., Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation, 2000.

Ellis, Joseph J., Passionate Sage: The Character and Legacy of John Adams, 1993.

Emery, Noemie, Alexander Hamilton: An Intimate Portrait, 1982.

Fleming, Thomas, Duel: Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and the Future of America, 1999.

Flexner, James Thomas, George Washington: the Forge of Experience (1732-1775), 1965.

Flexner, James Thomas, The Young Hamilton, 1997.

Freeman, Joanne B., "Dueling as Politics: Reinterpreting the Burr-Hamilton Duel." The William and Mary Quarterly, 3rd series, Vol. 53, No. 2, 1996.

Freeman, Joanne B., Alexander Hamilton, Writings (Library of America), 2001.

Freeman, Joanne, Affairs of Honor: National Politics in the New Republic, 2001.

Gordon, John Steele, Hamilton's Blessing: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Our National Debt, 1997.

Hamilton, Alexander et al., The Federalist Papers, 1787-1788.

Jefferson, Thomas, Writings: Autobiography / Notes on the State of Virginia / Public and Private Papers / Addresses / Letters, ed. Merrill D. Peterson (Library of America, 1984).

Kennedy, Roger G., Burr, Jefferson, and Hamilton: A Study in Character, 1999.

Kline, Mary-Jo, Alexander Hamilton: A Biography in his own Words, 1973.

Knott, Stephen F., Alexander Hamilton and the Persistence of Myth, 2002.

Lind, Michael, Ed., Hamilton 's Republic: Readings in the American Democratic Nationalist Tradition, 2000.

Macdonald, Forrest, Alexander Hamilton: A Biography, 1979.

McKirtrick et al., The Age of Federalism, 1993.

McNamara, Peter, Political Economy and Statesmanship: Smith, Hamilton, and the Foundation of the Commercial Republic, 1997.

Malone, Dumas, Jefferson the President: First Term 1801-1805, 1970.

Miller, John C., Alexander Hamilton Portrait in Paradox, 1979.

Randall, Sterne, Alexander Hamilton: A Life, 2003.

Read, James H., Power VS. Liberty: Madison, Hamilton, Wilson and Jefferson, 1999.

Rogow, Arnold A., A Fatal Friendship: Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, 1999.

Stein, Susan R., The Worlds of Thomas Jefferson at Monticello (Harry N. Abrams, 2002).

Syrett, Harold C. ed., The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, 1961.

Walling, Karl-Friedrich, Republican Empire: Alexander Hamilton on War and Free Government, 1999.

Wilson, Douglas L., Jefferson's Books (University of North Carolina, 2002).

Wright, Robert E., Hamilton Unbound: Finance and the Creation of the American Republic, 2002.