CHAPTER IX — COLONIAL ASSEMBLIES
61. A Colonial Election (1764)
BY CHARLES PETTIT
Pettit was a relative of Joseph Reed, who was the friend and correspondent of Washington. The incident of the election is typical of such struggles in other colonies. — Bibliography : C. Bishop, History of Elections in the American Colonies.
Philadelphia, November 3, 1764.
I DON'T remember that I have told you any thing about our late election, which was really a hard fought one, and managed with more decency and good manners than wou'd have been expected from such irritated partisans as appeared as the champions on each side. The most active or rather at the head of the active on the old side, appeared A. James and T. Wharton ; and on the new side, John Lawrence seem'd to lead the van. The Dutch Calvinists and the Presbyterians of both Houses I believe to a man assisted the new ticket. The Church were divided and so were the Dutch Lutherans. The Moravians and most of the Quakers were the grand supporters of the old ; the McClenaghanites were divided, tho chiefly of the old side. The poll was opened about 9 in the morning, the 1st of October, and the steps so crowded, till between 11 and 12 at night, that at no time a person could get up in less than a quarter of an hour from his entrance at the bottom, for they could go no faster than the whole column moved. About 3 in the morning, the advocates for the new ticket moved for a close, but (O ! fatal mistake !) the old hands kept it open, as they had a reserve of the aged and lame, which could not come in the crowd, and were called up and brought out in chairs and litters, &c., and some who needed no help, between 3 and 6 o'clock, about 200 voters. As both sides took care to have spies all night, the alarm was given to the new ticket men ; horsemen and footmen were immediately dispatched to Germantown, &c., and by 9 or 10 o'clock they began to pour in, so that after the move for a close, 7 or 800 votes were procured ; about 500 or near it of which were for the new ticket, and they did not close till 3 in the afternoon, and it took them till 1 next day to count them off.
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