New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-12-15
TIE NEXT PRESIDENTIAL CAM
PAl(sN.

PAIEN.
Programme Of the Anfi-t:ra nj Men.
The followin. article from the pen Of N
George Wilkes will attract attention.
cause it is well written, and because N
wilkes was once the Presidents friend
From George wilkes spiri: OF the Times
A very great interest seems TO be felt
al parts of the country. to know VIII;
measures will I've adopted. and what line
march pursued, by those leading Repu
leans who are opposed to the administr;
ton of General Grant, to prevent the di
grace and calamity of his reelection to tn
Presidency Of the United States. That sue
an effort will be made. and earnestly made
n behalf OF the honest and patriotic POI
ION OF the Republican party. III opposItlo
20 the slaves and sycophants OF the pres
DENTAL fortunes. has been finally deter
mined. The gentlemen who will dircc
this movement against the aspirations of tn
great otiicenolder. who desires to repea
himself in place, and who has already beef
derslyely characterized by tho court jour
nails in the interests of those parasites. al
"malcOntents," are very well known to til,
country, and, without regard to their pc
litical opinions, enjoy the honor OF gen
cral confidence.
We need not, at this point, pause to de
yclop the reasons why this course Of action
has been decided upon. by the patriotic
portion of great and victorious party. Ii
. sufficient that they regard General Grant
as an ignorant and Incompetent man. gov.
erned by gross instincts, disdainful OF the
Jaw, using his high office as II it were a per
sonal possession. and inspired by aspra-
tons which are represented rather by the
sword than BY the obligations of the oath
under which he took his office: in short. "a
mere adventurer, who. soldierlike. only EN-
braccd the Republican faith because he saw
success within its ranks.
The editor of this paper desires to say
for himself, that while he shares the gen
eral motives which actuated the other Re-
publicans alluded to in the premises, he
feels that he has a special justification in
resisting the candidacy of General Grant
for a second term of Office. This justifca-
ton may be found in the facts-first, that
the editor of this paper has been for many
years an earnest advocate of an amend
inent to the constitution prohibiting any
person from holding the Presidential office
Tor more than a single term; and, next. be-
cause General Grant, in a conversation with
the writer, two days before his nomination
at Chicago, pledged himself solemnly to the
same principle. by declaring it to be his
conviction that the liberties of this coun-
II
term amendment to the constitution, and
such a civil service bill as would enable the
President to retain good men in Office
This was said to the writer during one Of
those interviews, through which he had
restored friendly relations between General
Grant and General Butler, and was
printed shortly afterward in the Spirit
Of the Times, and reprinted during his
friendly, personal intercourse with General
h
cavil on the part of his friends. This dee
'aration by General Grant. printed at such
time, in a journal Of which he was nOtori-
Olsly faithful reader, may be fairly taken
as deliberate promise that he would not
aspire to the honors Of a second term: nav,
that he would hold it to be criminal to do
go; and may be regarded, also, as solemn
pledge to the whole country to the same
effect In organizing political opposition
therefore, to General Grants candidacy for
a second term, We naturally direct ourselves
to the first salient ground OF opposition, to
wit, to demand that General Grant shall
keep his wOrd-nOt only because a man
ought always to keep his word but because
IN this instance it is necessary to the lber-
ties of his country that he should do so.
Without wishing to delay the develop |
ment to which we are approaching through |
this article, we desire simply. at this point,
70 remind our readers that the evils of the |
reflective principle are SO universally con
ceded that it would he difficult to find an |
American of any shade of politics. or from
any portion of the country, who is not in
favor of IL one-term amendment to the con !
Etitution. Washington urged the prohibi-
ton OF the reflective principle at the close
of his farewell address; and jackson. with
u still larger experience OF the dangers
out OF denomination for President
followed Washington's example. and in his
farewell address, as indeed in all his pre-
tlouS annual messages. entreated Congress
and the country to promote an amendment
to the constitution on this point Here is
certainly a very remarkable agreement Of
opinion between the two most illustrious
Presidents known to our history. Both had
served double terms; both had been tempted
~ their followers with the offer of third
erms, but both rejected what, in more
ambitious men, might have been made the
topping stone to monarchy. Both there
ore. warned the American people not to
,erm: another President to take even a
ingle step toward the perpetuation of his |
ule. This was the only defect which they
aw in our institutions: the only constitu-
,onsl reform which they proposed to have ;
dected. Whatever, therefore, might have
cen, the reasons which had led to an omis-
ION in the constitution on this point, neither l
Washington nor jackson considered those l
easOns worthy OF a mention. What they I
aw was that this lnalign temptation to the t
nibition Of the President would convert a
in at once into the chief of a clan. instead c
leaving him to be the servant of the t
eople. and that untold cOrruptions. mis- i
hlefs and dangers would be the inevitable l
onsequencc of such position Again, c
rough a common weakness of poor hui Il
ian nature, the desire for a retention of d
over easily seduces even the best of men Fl
ito the belief that their own reelection is IL
ccessary to the welfare of the country. II
rom that point forth no man is a rogue. in .
le Presidential estimation, who can give | p
lpport to his prctensiOns and at once the g.
est stations under government are doled ii
Ut to the most effective" rascals in the "
nd. b
Docs not every mans observation 20 to n
test this fact; and do not those official IL
arples, taking their cue from the Presi- p
'nts virtual mateasance. make theft and 81 :"
'r)ury and corruption tho great political IL
dustries Of the lands This was what al
ashingtOn and jackson saw and foresaw "
I'd the argument of its danger brought a.
EN- to the conclusion that the reflective III
lnclple was breeding ulcer of 'treasons. al
rasaSems and apOils," against which no IN
'vcrnnent could live. And this ia th, al
me conclusion which the entire people. &c
der still more extended experience III
we arrived at and that, too, with mani. pl
lty which enables us to say, that we never nc
ard OF an American, of any politics. or
'm any section Of the country, who was
I IN favor OF the One-term principle or At
vt IN favor of prohibiting the President ~
IN extending his pending incumbencv by
mediate reelection to
. nf