The New York herald., 1873-07-19
CESARISM IN AMERICA.
General Grant and His Third
Term.
Further Extracts from the
American Press.

American Press.
'[From the New York Journal Of Commerce (oppo-
sition), July l5.l
An earnest discussion OF the third term question
is useless at this time. II all the papers in the
country could be made to take deep interest IN
the topic-as few OF them can belts agitation
would be waste OF efort; for other subjects OF
immediate and vital consequence would soon
supervene, and "third termu be laid aside and for
gotten. II battle is to be fought over this
matter-end we have no good means OF surmisng
whether battle viii be necessary-the proper
time for II Is at the long session Of the Forty
fourth Congress- This practically begins In
December, 1875, and lasts till SAY July, 1876,
ana, like all the long sessions just prior to Presi-
dental nominations, will be devoted more to
President.makina than 10 anything else. BY that
time the President will be better able than he now
is to say in all sincerity whether he positively de-
cncs, under any circumstances. to run again.
BY that time the republican party will be better
qualified TO Judge whether 1t Is willing to have
him again as q standard-bearer. BY that time
the administration policy, not yet fully worked
out, In respect OF the South, the tarin, and
revenue and civil service reforms, will have
made its wisdom or FOLLY still more mani
fest. IL is a partial failure now; it may be
worse In 1855, and the President may be so
heavily weighted by 1t as to be ineligible for third
nomination. In the quick-m0ving revolutions OF
the age the great republican party itself may be
rent in twain, and some new party, Of hitherto
underlined policy and name, may come into power.
There Is no telling what may happen in two or
three years TO change the whole face OF American
politics. persistence In Credit Mobllier schemes,
back-pay frauds and subsidy swiRdles, for which
recent Congresses have distinguished themselves,
may plunge the mighty republican party into sud
den ruin. 1t has already suffered from the popu-
lar reaction against the f0les and excesses OF
which some OF its leaders have been guilty; it
seems to have passed the zenith Of Its greatness
ana TO be now on the decline. 1t
cannot live forever, according to the
natural law which governs the growth,
maturity and decadence of parties as OF men.
Two or three years more Of experiments on the
public patience, as foolish some that the reput-
lican party has made, may put it beyond the power
OF tnat party to elect Grant or any other man. So
we say 1t is useless at this early day to set our
selves to the serious discussion OF "C9sarism" in
the United States; and we only glance at it as we
would at any other theme which happens to be
current in a section Of the newspaper world to-
day, but will pass to temporary oblivion tomorrow
When the fitting time comes we shall be ready and
glad to examine this question of third term
fully for 1t is that has the pr0foundest bearings
thsCharacter OF republican institutions, and the
very life OF the Republic tself but at present only
declare that in our Judgment a large majority OF
the people are opposed, on principle to second or
third terms for q President. We expect to see the
day when second term will be prohibited by a
constitutional amendment. We never shall have q
government administered with strict honesty and
impartiality until the one term rule prevails
Hitherto the Washington precedent, as it is called
has limited ambitious men to two terms of the
Presidential Office. No President has ever
dreamed Of trying for third term. unless Presi-
dent Grant is revolving that daring thought in
the recesses Of his brain. We have no evidence
that he is doing so. On the contrary, the most
positive assurances are given out that he chor-
ishes no such design. He himself, and his most
intimate friends for him, repudiate IT, They all
protest that he would not take o third nomina-
tiOn on any terms, and is anticipating with eager
ness the time when he can return to the secu
sion OF hts stock farm in 1871. These disavowals
do not 60 for much in our estimation. They may
be made In good faith now, as many another de-
cination Of honOrs in advance has been made, and
still the President may persuade himself, or be
persuaded, to work for the nomination in 1916 as
he did for that OF 1872. His denials at this time
are as premature as is the attempt which one of
n
expression OF sentiment from journals OF all parties
on the general merits OF third term,n or
"Casarism," which is the more expressive desig.
nation of the issue.
The question will Keep and we shelve it for the
present. II President Grant, or his personal
friends, or the politicians who have linked their
fortunes with his would like to have It discussed
In 1885, they can be accommodated to the full.
Unless we are greatly mistaken In judging Of the
DRIFT OF public opinion. they will find, when the
time is ripe, that CGsarism, or the possession OF
Office for an indefinite period, through pack ed con-
ventions and the abuse OF power, is one OF those
things that the American people Will not stand.
II the reverse Of this expectation should be true
then, indeed and for the first time should we de-
spair OF the Republic
From the Atchison (Kan.) Globe (republican),
July H.
That there are prominent political leaders in the
country, who are already planning to secure the
nomination OF President Grant for third term, is
manifest to any one who is In the habit OF watch
ing political straws. Many indications point in
that direction, and it is not unlikely that a
strong effort Will be made to accomplish the result
That President Grant is in favor Of or in any man
ner connected with this movement, Is not claimed
by his enemies or admitted by his friends. The
NEW YORK HERALD In referring to the matter
says Quotation from the HERALp.]
The power OF the republican party continues the
Globe, no less than the hold President Grant has
upon the hearts OF the people, was shown by the
heavy majorties In his favor against the combined
efforts OF his enemies OF every name at the time OF
his last election. The bitterness with which his
administration had been denounced, and the
scurrilous and uncalled-for personal abuse to
which he had been subjected, no doubt, did
much to stimulate the result, and while he
stands high in the estimation Of his coun-
trymen still, and is honored as few public
men have ever been, any attempt on his
part to secure third election would be suicidal
to his reputation. No one man is necessary to the
success OF any party, and the people Of the United
States would look with suspicion upon an effort
toward the perpetuation OF power. The HERALD
inclines to the opinion that this will be the next