The Governor of Oregon gave a transcript of the record and
declared his opinion that it showed one of the lawful electors
to have voted for Mr. Tilden. That would have given one majority
for Tilden. The Republicans claimed that upon the record
the election showed that all the Republican candidates for
elector had been chosen in Oregon, and that they had all voted
for Hayes and Wheeler.
The Democrats declared that the boards authorized to ascertain
and return the result of the election for Presidential electors
in South Carolina, Florida and Louisiana had corruptly and
unlawfully rejected votes that ought to be counted for them,
and counted votes for the Republicans that ought not to be
so counted; and had in that way changed the result which,
if it had been correctly ascertained and reported, would have
shown a Democratic majority in those three States.
The country was deeply excited. Threats of civil war were
heard in many quarters. When I went to Washington for the
session of December, 1876, while I did not believe there would
be a civil war, and supposed there would be some method of
escape devised, I confess I saw no such method.
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