The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-07-22
The One Term.

:, lac. wp arc about 20 have \ "one-
scrmn man 30 GIL the presidential eiE'if-'-a
man who vii, in all probability serve nist.ii
term IN good health and sound intellect. he
has been educated and Injured to excitement.
i ne can, be hand-shaEen to death, ana can
NOT. by over-cating and ovcT-eSciteinent' a'e
Of fhe be,lyache. He will stand all his 'rHils,
and his pulse will remain calm. he VIII
call to his aid strong Cabinet from aho''ss.
his supporters, irrespective OF party, anu
will restore peace and good government 10
his country, and at the end OF four years re-
fire from his place with the benedic'ions OF
his eo,,ntrymen. not having used bis oince
for his reelection, and not having abused us
authority by perverting ii TO personal Cd
jects.
It is true that we might expect Mr.. GREE
LEY 10 administer the Government hohes'F'
iud,inp from his weli-known unsclhshheso
and sincerity. But we have the further anu
very strong assurance to strengthen tnIS ca
nectation in his pledge not to be candidate
for second term. 1t is GRANTS ambition
tn he reelected which has given to his admin
istration much of its injustice and cruel par
tiality-its outrages upon the CONSTITUTION
and State and individual rights DO we not
see some OF the boilers basing their hopes OF
better policy thcy condemn his present.,
if he should be reelected, because he will moi
have the inducement to shape his measures
for his reelection to a third term! These
people show an unprecedented forbearance
towards GRANT; they would make him al
imitator of his opponents who come TO baite
70 reform his abuses and liberatc the land ne
has enslaved. They would convert HIM
TO the liberalism they must admire, because
they hold it up as an example and tell GRANT
and his followers to excel it il possible; and
vet they reject this liberalism which all their
neishbors, friends, and fellow men espouSc.
1t is like going to the criminal abodes and
seeking men to be reformed into trustworthy
agents rather than trust nci@lbors and
friends and those who have never been con-
victcd.
So that it is generally conceded that the
ambition for u second term warps the JudS-
ment and corrupts the administration OF ii
President. GREELEY will have no such
temptation before him, and will act solely
for the corntry's good.
The fact is, this one term is the only
remedy we are likely ever to have for the
gross abuse of the patronage Of the Govern
ment. The Constitution makes the Presl-
dent all-DowcIful over the Offices. His au-
thority can never he taken from him. 1t
takes n vote of the Legislatures of three
fourths of the States to amend the Constitu'
ton. Should the party in power be willing,
after their friends are in office, to secure
them permanently in position by an amend
ment OF the Constitution, the "outs" Will
not consent, because they arc always eN-
pectng to turn out the "ins,' and will not
shut themselves of from the Offices which
will be in their hands when they get into
power.
Then the one term will bring usas near the
remedy for the corrupt use of Government
patronage as we are likely ever to get. In
this view it is important; and if there were
no other objection to General GRANT, the
strong motive to fix by example and usage
the presidential Office ut only one term for
each President is quite enough to justify his
rejection by the people.
Take away from the President the tempta-
ton of reelection and you take away the
great temptation to Use the presidential!
patronage for selfish and corrupt purposes.
The nation will adopt the policy at the ap-
preaching election.