On this latter day, the president of the senate, elected for the purpose of counting the votes, declared to the senate, that the senate and house of representatives had met, and that he, in their presence, had opened and counted the votes for the electors for president and vice-president of the United States; whereby it appeared that George Washington was unanimously elected president. The following table exhibits the votes of the several electoral colleges:
ELECTORAL VOTES FOR PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESIDENT.
ELECTION FOR THE FIRST TERM, COMMENCING MARCH 4, 1789, AND TERMINATING MARCH 3, 1793.
| Key: A. | George Washington, of Virginia. |
| B. | John Adams, of Massachusetts. |
| C. | Samuel Huntington, of Connecticut. |
| D. | John Jay, of New York. |
| E. | John Hancock, of Massachusetts. |
| F. | R. H. Harrison, of Maryland. |
| G. | George Clinton, of New York. |
| H. | John Rutledge, of South Carolina. |
| I. | John Milton, of Georgia. |
| J. | James Armstrong, of Georgia. |
| K. | Edward Telfair, of Georgia. |
| L. | Benjamin Lincoln, of Massachusetts. |
| Number of Electors from each State. | STATES. | A. | B. | C. | D. | E. | F. | G. | H. | I. | J. | K. | L. |
| 5 | New Hampshire, | 5 | 5 | ||||||||||
| 10 | Massachusetts, | 10 | 10 | ||||||||||
| 7 | Connecticut, | 7 | 5 | 2 | |||||||||
| 6 | New Jersey, | 6 | 1 | 5 | |||||||||
| 10 | Pennsylvania, | 10 | 8 | 2 | |||||||||
| 3 | Delaware, | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 6 | Maryland, | 6 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 10 | Virginia, | 10 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |||||||
| 7 | South Carolina, | 7 | 1 | 6 | |||||||||
| 5 | Georgia, | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| 69 | Whole No. of Electors, Majority, 35 | 69 | 34 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Whereupon, a certificate and letter—the one prepared by a committee of the senate, the other by its president—were communicated to General Washington, setting forth his election, and expressing the cordial wish, that so auspicious a mark of public confidence would meet his approbation.
This certificate and letter were received by Washington, at Mount Vernon, on the 4th of April. He doubtless appreciated the honor done him, and was grateful to the people for the confidence reposed in him; but he would have declined the office, had the convictions of duty allowed. That, however, was not permitted; and, yielding to the wishes of the nation, he took leave of Mount Vernon on the second day after receiving notice of his appointment, and proceeded to New York, at that time the seat of government—"bidding adieu," as he wrote in his diary, "to private life and domestic felicity; and, with a mind oppressed with more anxious and painful sensations than I have words to express."
The state of the public business required his immediate presence at the seat of government; but the desire to see the first president of the United States—the zeal and enthusiasm which were kindled up along the whole route he was to take, rendered it impossible to proceed with haste. Crowds flocked around him, wherever he stopped; and corps of militia, and companies of the most respectable citizens, escorted him through their respective streets.
On reaching New York, April 23d, he was received with due ceremony by the governor of that state, and conducted with military honors through an immense concourse of people, to the apartments provided for him. Here he received the salutations of foreign ministers, public bodies, political characters, and private citizens of distinction, who pressed around him to offer their congratulations, and to express their joy at seeing the man, who had the confidence of all, at the head of the American republic.