At any rate, I believed the fate of the war to depend on the result.

I was then Governor, and upon me the responsibility rested.

We had entire control of the northern counties and of their returns.

We ordered the returning officers in a certain number of counties to make no returns until they heard from us, and when we had received the votes of all the southern counties and learned the precise number of votes we needed to give us a majority, we telegraphed to our northern returning officers to make the vote of their districts such and such, thereby overbalancing the adverse returns and giving the State to us.

This was done, and as I am now senator I have a right to suppose that what I did was approved.