Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-07-12
GRANT AND a THIRD TERM.

lut 4OtSLlOu VI = bulEu JSTIu lOF TTaL5 Is
beginning already to assume considerable
Importance in the discussions Of political
coteries. There is no denying that Grant
is very willing to accept a nomination for
third term, and thai be has the power 20
force this nomination from his party. The
only question with him is as to the result
of such q nomination. If be can assure
himself of an election, there is little doubt
that be will be in the field. But 1t is By
no means certain that the rank and file Of
the Republican party can be brought up to
his support for third term, while there
are few prominent men in the party who
think tEkf deserve something, and may
possibly hold back from his support in the
event Grant forces his nomination. A sig-
nifcsnt article on the subject appears in a
late issue of the New York Herald, which
will assuredly attract attention unless the
the American people have lost all regard
for our republican form of governm ent.
Speaking Of Grant, the Herald says:
she is as completely master as was ever
Jefferson, jackson or Lincoln. Never was
President Sc submissively obeyed. Never
was party so dominant. Every depart
ment Of the government; nearly every large
State, the army, the navy, the bench-even
this great State and still greater metropolis,
which stood sil the assaults of Lincoln when
in the fullness and glory of triumphant war
all, all are in the hands of his followers.
And not one Of those men has vantured to
speak what he would have spoken a few
years ago about the question of a third term,
We are told it is not living question, that
the time for its discussion hast not come,
that it would be q reflection upon Gen.
Grant to suppose him in any way ambi-
tious Of denomination. But to say this
is moi living issue is to say what is
not true. Rome had no more living
issue than when, on the Lupercal, Marx
Antony offered the kiDgly crown to
Julius Cesar. And the men who sre
in authority under General Grant are many
Of them as eager to do him honor as were
the shouting Roman who surrounded Ce-
sar in bis triumphs. And SIS we believe that
great events are not the works of mere men,
but of social and political conditions which
daring men Cfttimes seize, so do we see
around US many of the elements favorable
10 CGsarism. Luxury, sudden wealth, the
spirit Of speculation, the loose moral tone
which Credit Mobilier, revenue frauds and
the extraordinary legislation in the last
Congress- the rendiUg asunder by The civil
war Of Old conservative ties, the military
spirit, the craving for show and nOise-gll
these signs, apparent everywhere, are pre-
Cisely v hat was seen in Rome when Angus
tus Cesar, under the deceptive name Of
Imperdtor, overthrow the Republic.
"Nor wi the question be solved By any
action Of Gen. Grant. We neither speak
for the President nor criticise him. Per
SOn8ly he Goes not enter in this deus
sion. He might say tomorrow that he
would, under no circumstances, accept z
denomination, just as he once said be did
not believe in second terms. That would
postpone, not eradicate the danger. No
system is sound, nor are any people really
free who depend upon the patriotism OF one
man for freedom. We remember that the
crown was thrice offered on the Lupercal.
and that, although thrice refused, each
time it v as with less and l.ss reluctance.
And We can name twenty Mark Aubonys
in our city who would carry the crown of a
third nomination TO Gen. Grant with pride
and swittness. We must meet C8sarism
now, not by postpOning this question out
Of Difference to the feelings of
Gen. Grant, but by meeting it,
discussing it and searching
public opinion. Ii our public men have no
views on the subject, or are silent and nom
committsl, we must educate them also.
Having done this we come to the next step
the PRONUNCIATION Of an amendment to
the constitution making the Presidential
Office more amenabLe to the popular will.
What the exact terms of such an amend
ment should be must be considered ersvely,
As for Gen. Grant, as we have before re-
marked, he has a perilous stake. IF he
should be renOminated and win he will be
remembered with those daring, ambitious
men, like Caesar and Napoleon, who pre-
ferrej their own gain to the national liDer-
ties. If be should be renominated and lose
he will be remembered in our history with
Arnold and Burr, as men who permitted
ambition to WOO them to dishonor and
shame. Beyond this, the people must
graVely consider whether they are really
free when contingencies like this can be
seriously diScussed-whether with our
wealth and power we are as free as France
and SPAIN"