The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-08-11
uy what price we couId NOT anord to pay rathey
than elect another Buchanan or Johnson,
Tho Third Term Discussion.

Vh0 Vn1r0 Vcfm D1ScusstOn.
from the New York Tribune, August OIL
To disInterested and passionless spectator q
politics and reader OF political discussions ind
wonderful chattering that has been going on fol
several weeks past upon the probabilities Of PresE
dent Grants being nominated for third term
and in connection Herewith what mas come to be
called in the slang that gains such easy currency
In politics. "Cnsarism,v must be infinitely amua
Ing. Started we are half inclined to think, BY
some one who struck upon 1t In the dearth OF topics
from sheer lack OF subject OF interest, or pernapd
by some superservceable supporter OF the admins
istration who had a keen eye for the main chance
and was determined to be first In the field, tho
jange over and about it has spread until half tho
newspapers in the country have had hand In
It, The question just seems TO be who
began It, On the one hand it Is charged that
the organs of the administration preached II
thus carly with an insidious purpose OF famiariz-,
ing the people with the idea and gradually paving
tho way FOR C9sarism; on the other hand, the
administration organs which have sense enough to
see the effect of It, say the whole business Is con-
spracy OF the opposition to drive the republican
party into the denomination OF Grant, which they
are frank to say would be absurd and ridiculous,
and would endanger the success OF the party. Not
the least amusing feature OF this confusion OF
tongues and pens has been the eagerness with
unpleasant theme. While very lew, and they the
most obscure and uninnuential, OF the administra-
ton organs, have treated the proposition to res
nominate Grant seriously and fallen in
with It, the majority have denounced 1t az
an invention OF the enemy, intended only to
distract and divide the party in power. The
opposition meanwhile insist strenuousy that
1t is only premature publication OF a deep-laid
conspiracy against the liberties the country and
another Illustration OF the centralizing tendencies
and the imperiastic programme Of the bold bad
men in power. One administration organ says the
denomination of Grant would never have been
thought of If the opposition press had not sug.
gested it, another the plot is to force Grants
denomination "by the same vianous means'' by
which 1t was accomplished before-which means,
we suppose, that Grant is to be abused and SLAM
dered to such an extent that the party win be
obliged to renOmnate and re-elecJ him as GER
thcate OF confidence in him; and still another
says "the party win nominate and elect him II it
pleases" and task no odds" of anybody.
Some truth and some nonsense in all this. Gen.
eral Grant may may not be dull, cOld-blooded
Cesar. He personally has given signs OF 1t yet,
whatever may be the plans OF other people for
him. He is pretty much the same as when he waa
elected last year. with the same love of ease and
repose, the same distaste for public business and
not believe he is dangerous man in any SUCH
sense as he has sometimes been represented. He
Is not cOnsprator nor plotter. Whether not
his notions OF government ana his methods Of adj
ministration are OF evil influence and example and
calculated to establish unwh0esOme and danger
Gus habits of political thought and conduct
Is quite another question, which need not
now be discussed. But the fear, II there be
any. of his personal ambition leading him to
attempt the role OF Cesar 49, we believe, ground
less. Indeed, it is well enough to remember that
the danger to free government is not likely to arise
from the ambition OF individuals so much as from
the slow growth OF perniciOus systems and the
development Of mschievous and short-sighted
policies.
1t Is by no means certain that President Grant
will not be renominated for q third term, though
1t Is supremacy silly to undertake to forecast so
mote an event. One has only to recall the amaz-
Ing changes in the standing OF prominent poll
ticans during the last nine months to be convinced
Of the uncertainty OF political regulations and the
futilty of conjecture to the probabilities OF con-
ventions and campaigns three years away. II
takes short time in the rapid whrllng Of our
kaleidoscope to turn everything upside down
and bring out new ana startling combi-
nations Had the developments OF the last session
OF the last Congress been brought to light year
ago the Presidential election would very likely
have resulted differently. What changes, perhaps
equally unexpected and strange, the next three
years have in store for us 1t is impossible to guess
If we might judge from present indications, We
should say not only that President Grants re-
nomination is far from impossible but that 1t Is
not entirely out OF the range OF possibilities that 1t
will be the best nomination practicable for the
party, and perhaps for the country. He was nOmi-
mated last year not because OF his special fitness or
his success in administration, Or as the nonsense
OF the campaign ran, on account OF his great SER
vices In the war, for which he had not been fully
paid. 1t was simply because no one Of the
aspirants for the succession felt strong enough
then to make fight Tor 1t, and they preferred
to give Grant four years more, In which time each
hoped to strengthen himself sufficiently to 60 into
the next convention with hopeful backing. There
has been something of a fatality among statesmen
since then. The list OF aspirants has been some
what thnned by Credit Mobilier exposures and
backpay foles. The conditions now are pretty
much the same as those which last year forced the
denomination at Philadelphia, but no one knows
how long they will continue. Meantime 1t Is to be
observed that, while there is great show Of virtue
over the back pay business In indignant resolutions
OF State conventions and warm denunciattons by
party organs on all sides, there is marked tender
ness toward the President who is the chief sinner
In the matter. No one denounces him by resolu-
ton or otherwise
We apprehend no danger from C9sarism. Our
peril is not, we repeat, from any one mans ambi-
ton. II comes rather from the disposition TO en-.
throne the caucus and make the party supreme.
That done and the party ruled, as is possible by
gang OF unprncipled demagogues, and we shall
have not, perhaps, CGsarism, but something inA-