They received an equal number of votes, and had to be
elected, owing to a defect in the law at that time, by the House. The
balloting continued several days. There were sixteen States, and each
received eight. Jefferson was especially obnoxious to the hatred of the
Federal party; Burr, though belonging to the Republican party, less so;
and many of the leading men in Congress of the Federal party determined
to take Burr in preference. The strength of this party was mainly in
the North, and Burr was a Northern man; and they felt more might be
expected of him, from Northern interest, than from Jefferson. But the
main cause of the effort was the animosity to Jefferson. Washington was
viewed as the representative man of the Federal party. Jefferson,
though he had been a Cabinet minister in his Administration, had made
no secret of his opposition to the views of Washington; and had aided a
clerk in his department to establish a newspaper, especially to attack
Washington, and to oppose the Administration, which he did, in the most
bitter and offensive manner.
"Jefferson was an unscrupulous man--a man of wonderful intellect and
vast attainments, but entirely unprincipled.
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