The judge said: 'Mr. Clerk, record
that verdict and enter under it, "Set aside." I will have
you to know, Gentlemen of the Jury, that it takes thirteen
men in this court to steal a man's farm.' It takes three powers,
Mr. President, under our government to pass a law." Grant
laughed and said: "Well, if you send it up to me, make it
just as bad as you can." There can be no possible question
that he then desired and meant to veto the bill. His desire
that it might be as bad as possible was that it might be more
easy to defend his action.
I had another exceedingly interesting conversation with the
President on my return from New Orleans. In the winter of
1875 I went to New Orleans, as Chairman of a Committee of
the House of Representatives, to investigate and to ascertain
which of the rival State governments had the true title. Louisiana
was in a terrible condition. Sheridan was in command of the
United States troops there, and it was only their presence
that prevented an armed and bloody revolution. The old rebel
element, as it was, had committed crimes against the freedmen
and the white Republicans which make one of the foulest and
bloodiest chapters in all history.
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