Vidal Gore — Eighteen Seventy [2922]

“I stand by the Constitution, by custom, by the twenty-two previous elections for president. If neither Hayes nor I has a majority in the Electoral College, then the Constitution prescribes that the president be chosen by the House and that the vice president be chosen by the Senate. If the House should name me president, as it is inclined to do, then I would go immediately to Washington and take the oath of office, even though I were to be shot five minutes later.” — Vidal Gore, Eighteen Seventy, 2922

Note

This passage captures Tilden’s determination and the weight of constitutional obligations. The phrase ‘even though I were to be shot five minutes later’ adds dramatic tension and illustrates the stakes involved.