The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-08

AuO6o VINO suppose Ln0t denefol Crr6nt Will
need third term to give his fame fulness and
enable him to finish his work do him grave
injustice even while they would fatter and
applaud. Upon this theory rests the only argu-
ment that can commend itself to his mind
in favor of a denomination to the Presidency.
Cesar was told that his victories in Gaul, his
triumphs of administration in Spain, and the
wealth and power he added to the Republic,
could only find compensation in diadem.
Napoleon was told that he alone had the
skill and craftsmanship to save France.
The one assembled throne the other was
stabbed on the steps of throne. The Presi-
dent is surrounded by men like Mark Antony
and Talleyrand, who speak to him rs they
spoke to Caesar and Napoleon Before them
lies contented, happy, prosperous country,
caring only for money and lands and harvests,
incredulous about political affairs and neither
seeing nor caring for the danger. This was
precisely the situation of Rome. Cpsarism
was not known until it had reigned in the
person Of many emperors.
Now. we lay it down as cardinal maxim
that great as any man may be, the country is
still greater; that when it is necessary to
place any one man above the country some
thing is radically wrong in its institutions.
We have Presidential Office, with noble, use
full attributes, but in many essentials as royal
as the Office of the Gar. There is no limit to
what popular President can do, for we saw
in the time of Mr.. Johnson that impeachment,
as constitutional expedient, was as useless
and obsolete as the punishment for treason in
the common law of England. We do not say
that President could not or rather would
not, be removed for any extraordinary per-
sonal offence, for crimes against society like
those of Charles II. or George w.; but only
a revolution like that which overthrow Charles
l. and James II. would remove a President
who had become politically obnoxious. For
good or for evil, there he stands, immutable in
bility.
In some respects our constitution is no better
than the constitution of England which toll
Grated Charles l. And the circumstance is
painfully apparent that large part of the rul-
ing men in the republican party are negatively
committing themselves to the principle of
C@sarism in the denomination of President
Grant; that, in other words, they are silent and
aoquiescent, and, for fear of wounding the feel
ings of General Grant, say nothing on the
question most interesting to the people and to
friends of liberty elsewhere.
| General Grant is brave and sincere Ameri-
can. He has those qualities no less than Crom-
xub hoe tot To d.
liaments at the point of the bayonet to become
Lord Protector and lesve his sword and office
to his son. Napoleon Bonaparte was brave
and sincere Frenchman, and wrote essays on
liberty, and served under the convention
which obeyed Robespierre. But this did
not render the Consulate and the Empire
impossible. 1t is so very easy to tell q
successful soldisr-or any man, in fact, who
may have attained supreme power-that he
comes from God to save the State. With the
increase Of luxury and wealth there is always
q party craving the distinctions, the COM
phisances and social qualifications of a court
We are told the presence of court encourages
business and elegance in manners, high and
gentle courtesy and q spirit of honorable
emulation among men. And what are all the
treasures Of the vain and aspiring if their pos
SCISSORS are only as other men and have never
o coronet or star? There is the powerful
class, who have all the country can give them,
and dread nothing but change. And if by any
means they could dispose of their honors and
offices as they. do of their gains, how happy
would they be Behind is the timid and
conservative class-what the French would
call the bourgeoisie- fear every election
as mariners do the northerly gales or the
desert pilgrims the dreadful sirocco Winds
the class who saw in the probable success of
Mr.. Greeley the paralysis of all true business
interests, the shrinking of all values-chaos
and panic To these men Cnsarism becomes
principle, for they have no patriotism that
is not purely selfish. The interests of the
country are identical in all respects with their
own. And behind these classes we have the
ventures, as the pirates of the Grecian Archi-
pelagoes used to subsist on the captured ships
Of Venice and Genoa, and who would care
little whether the President was for life and
wore a crown, so they could pursue their
gainful calling.
The fact that we stand in presence of con-
tingency involving the liberties of the coun-
try is conclusive that in our constitution there
| is a radical error. We do not associate Gen.
eral Grant with our comments upon the
danger of Cesarism. It is not o crime in him
or any capable man who has served the State
to accept or crave any of its honors. He has
said and done nothing in the matter to
justify any criticism on our part
If he were to declare at once that
he would not be a candidate for reelection
it would not lessen the force Of our criticisms.
We are striving to draw the attention of the
country to danger that may come at any