The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-08-11

not re-elect General Grant if the people wish
it?" "We are prosperous. The country
is happy. The people are contented
There is no danger to the Repub-
lie. This talk about Cmsarism is
mere nonsense" ''We do not believe that
General Grant wants to be President for
another term ''Under no circumstances
would the President consent to be again
candidate, and so it is waste of time to dis
cuss the possibilities which may spring from
third term This is the kind of talk that
makes the situation more dangerous. In pros
porous times the perils TO q republic are
always beneath the surface. But many
noble ship has sunk when the sea was smooth.
The Incidence and apathy Of prosperous
times are even more dangerous to a nation
than the corruptions of busy era. If Caesar
had been always busy in foreign wars and had
brought fewer captives home to Rome he would
not have been able to make the Roman people
captive. If Franco had not been intoxicated
with success and in conquering the world for
got to keep herself free Napoleon would never
have founded an empire on the ruins of the
Consulate The approaches of tyranny are
always insidious, and liberty is generally de-
stroyod through the apathy of freemen only fit
to be slaves. Jefferson has told us that eternal
vigilance is the price of liberty. 1t is pain
full sign that some Of the American people are
willing to forget this axiom and to substitute
for it remarks and comments like those we
have just quoted. In these things we see, and
the great majority of the American people
cannot fail to see, that the dangers to the Re-
public from C@sarism are not chimerical and
that the third term possibilities are real peril.
We have acquitted General Grant all along
from any completely with any conspiracy
looking to his reelection. We would not do
the President the injustice to suppose that he
wishes to set aside the traditions of the Re-
public, almost as strong as constitutional
provision, that he may hold the reins of Office
for longer time than any of his predecessors.
But as good men as he have been overcome by
fatterers and place hunters. AS good as he
have become despots and lived only to perpet-
uate the one-man rule. Should he be again
reelected, it might easily become matter of
over again Finally even the form might be dis
pensed with, for then it would be only forbear-
ance on his part that would preserve the SEM
blance of liberty. This country is too great
to be at the mercy of any man, under any con-
ceivable circumstances. Instead, then, of
wasting time over little jokes about Caesar and
Ulysses; instead of making divisions by I'M
manly and unjust charges against the private
character of General Grant; instead of draw
ing overtime theories in regard to free trade
and tariffs for protection or for revenue;
instead of purposeless twaddle over dead
issues and indulging in heated and violent
language about apprehension and niggerism,
we should address ourselves to the real ques-
ton of the hour and avert probable danger
by providing remedy in the beginning. A
general discussion of the question will bring
out the remedy, and we ask the press and the
people to ponder and talk over it till this
remedy has been found and the danger no
longer exists.