New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-01-13

the presumption that no Is INC Noi9 "''" "
chosen again. ,,5
II Throughout Dir. Conking's later boyhood
and earlier manhood, he adhered TO inc " n'6
Marty. which then bore proudly, consplcuously'
ON It's banner, zone Presidential Term" us
Decentralization, Clay. Webster Clayton,
corvin. &c-a thousand times demonstrated
that tho eligibility Of a President to reelecuoh
,ybile in Office was n grave defect in our sys-
tem-that his power to remove anu apPo,n'
thousands of sabordinates made HIM prac'lcai'y
master of their action, surrounding MN WIN d"
army of janizaries who could not 40 o'her"'so
than shout. Great is he who gave us our Of
"fces; Let him be reGlectedW There was ao-
solutely no dissent, whisper OF dcnhhr'
in the ranks of that great intelligent parry,
throughout the arduOus struggles OF lolO ana
1874; though in the latter it could not be said
that they were impcllod by opposition to the
incumbent since nobody (but HIMSELF thought
of rejecting John Tyler. Just hear again
Henry Clay. in his Taylor5ville (Va) speech,
June q, 1910:
,tucb ohservaon and deliberate reflection have salts
fed me that too much OF the time the thoughts, ana the
excrtions OF the incumbent occupied during the hsI
form An securing his reelection. Tho public DnsheSS
consequently suffers; and measures are proposed vi
executed with regard to the general prosperity tna
TO their influence upon the approaching election Ii inc
limitation TO one existed the President WOMB DC
exclusively devoted to the discharge OF his public duties
and he would endeavOr to sgnaize his administration
by the benencence and wisdom Of its measures"
Henry Clay was then no candidate, and
could not be till the close of the next term
Were not his cO,rnsels the dictates OF wisdom
and experienced Who does not EnoW that he
smoke the words of truth and sobcrneSsf NOW
see how Roscoe COnklng answers him:
cit is said, again, that patronage Will pc Weideu py
Presidents to hor reelection There Is less FORCE
in this now than heretofore, because OF the lhconS
change in the Civil Service but some patronage WI" ~
| main and that may DO used unfairly. Let us examine
this Are not the people to be trusted to ma out tho
dishonest use of patronage and to rcbuke i'll Is IL no
better TO trust that those guilty OF bad pIdctceS WI" o
detected than TO condemn in advance Win one S"oP
all Presidents, good and bad akef why not 'ruH' III
the popular intelligence ana honesty. ana Iet eac rreo
dent he tried on his own merits instead OF deciding all
| cases alike before trial ~
As we honored and trusted Henry Clay,
we cannot follow Roscoe ConklinS when they
come so fatty into collision. We believe thc
elder was the greater, purcr, n0blcr statesman
Though passed away, he still speaks 10 US
| and we cherish the faith with which ne I'M
bucd us. Every hour brings fresh confirmation
of orr trust in the wisdom and truth or his
nrecepts which Roscoe COnkling scouts ana
slurs rs the mere pretcxts OF cDylous asplraht'
| to power.
Does any MAN believe that the pOstmastcrs
revenue officers, &C., &c.--at least One Hun
dred Thousand strong-who are stationed at
nearly every rOadcIOssing Ill the country tecl
at perfect liberty to commend for next Presl-
dent the man of their choice when that man
is not the Incumbent Suppose one thousand
of the revenue officers in this State had last
Fall como out for Charles Sumner "a next
President, how many of them would have
been in Office to-day2 Read the daily reyela-
lations before the Investigating Committee,
and Judge! To our mind it is clear that
either the One-Term principle must be
adopted, or the choice Of Roman Emperors by
the Pra,torian Guard will be better samples of
| popular rule than our future elections of
| President.
| I'LL MIR. COnllling intmatcs that the One
| Term principle was set up for tho occasion.
Yet he cannot be ignorant that Jefferson,
jackson, McDufie, &C.. &c, commended it
wears ago-that old Ben. Wade did so in 1866
that Forneys Washington Chronicle did so
in the canvass of 1868, with the knowledge
and at least tacit appreciation of Gen. Grant {;
and that George Wilkes, having done the Like
in June Of that year. renewed his advocacy
lust after Gen. Grants election had been as
sured, claiming Gen. Grant as Onc-Tcrm
man. Nothing that even COnkling can say is
further from the fact than the pretense that
the One>Term doctrine was invented to pre-
vent Gen. Grants reelection. We have held
it for forty years, and missed no fair oppor-
tuIity to give reasons for the faith that is in
us We purpose to hold on the even tenor Of
our way.