The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-08-29
,rnc Attempts OF the rartisans to
Warp the Discussion ON Cesarisna-
Third Term Piatitudcs.


Warp the Discussion ON Csesartsn.-
Third Term Piatitudes.
In conducting discussion which has as
sumed the proportions of that on the tendency
to Casarism in our government we might have
expected that many attempts would be made to
divert it, to misrepresent it. 1t was hardly to
be hoped that the crafty on all sides would
refrain from twisting the facts and the conclu-
sions into all manner of unacceptable shapes,
as their own small or their parties large inter-
ests required 1t is more than human nature
should demand Of politicians. We are however.
determined that these petty and transparent
devices shall not succeed while the HERALDs
voice can prevent them from doing 80. From
two sides the army of fact-distorters come,
and, though their objects are Numerically
opposed to each other, they each adopt the
same ground on which to erect their respective
two armies are composed of the office-holders
the would-be courtiers and the specious con-
spirators who turn the legend of the great
republican party into source OF revenue, on
one side, with the growing remnants OF cop
perheadism and The hungry and hopeful lead
ers of the new-pattern democracy on the
other. Their common ground is to assume
that all the HERALD has said of C@sarism i'm
plies that President Grant is to be our Caesar.
Nothing could be falser. The HERALD
has too strongly marked its high opinion
of the Presidents patriotism to need any
correction of this false impression, so far
as these columns are concerned; but we take
this opportunity to remind the disputants that
their subterluge is discovered and their won
derfully ingenious reasoning from false
premises traced back to its spurious source
Assuming, or rather pretending to assume
that the HERALD embodied in President Grant
all the dangerous centralizing qualities, relent-
less ambition and INSCRIPTIONS use of power
which are the means towards Cesarism, the
place-holder raised his howl that the great
soldier and President of the nation had been
so slandered that he felt himself obliged to
call for third term being conceded to
the President-and himself. On the
same false assumption the copperhead,
the ex-rebel and the ultra democrat attacked
General Grant by every opprobrious term
known in the Billingsgate of politics. Such
despot, indeed, did they paint our worthy
President that the only cure seemed to be his
immediate removal and the placing of demo-
crat in the Presidency and themselves in coun-
try post Offices. We bring their transports to
an end by bringing the question back to its
proper ISSUE It is not whether President
Grant is Caesar or not, but what the facilities
are for him or q successor, without his patriot
ism, to strangle in the future our liberties and
grasp permanent power. Whether the per-
manent power once attained takes on the
purple of the empire or remains in a black
frock coat is minor and unnecessary part of
the discussion.
In another portion of the HERALD will be
found some extracts from very long article
in the semi-oficial organ of the administra-
ton. It takes all the false grounds we have
indicated, and concludes with its only point
by demanding the reelection of President
Grant for q third term. The argument is dis
ingenious, because it avoids all arguments
anent the state Of things which is drifting us
to Caesar and makes it all personal to Cen
eral Grant. There is strong suspicion of
unmanliness in the course of q partisan who
puts forward his leader to receive all the
blows. 1t is, we know, much safer to take this
course, because by placing all the responsibility
on the President the partisan shields himself
behind strong man, while he is free to chant
fulsomely in choice stump rhetoric the praises
Of 10 cr,r
prising to find in the lengthy article alluded
to that sit is positive absurdity to attempt
any serious discussion of dangers to this
country from what these alarmists call Cesar
ISM" If the .semi-official organ wishes its
argument to be treated as joke we might un-
derstand this sentence but men will be guilty
of much greater blunders than this in solemn
article on the subject it sights who wish to
mask glib toadyism and selfish anxiety behind
an air of supercilious indifference The ser
vices of General Grant in war and peace,
his ability and modesty, are freely acknowl-
edged by the HERALD, and they do not
enter into the question except incidentally A
noticeable feature in the article is a deprecia-
ton of General Washington's Judgment for
his declination of the Presidential office for q
third term. We can fancy how softly this will
be whispered into the Presidents ear by his
tempters. 'There is nothing sacred in it,"
cry the semi-oficial organ and Alexander H.
Stephens in the one breath. In the pure
atmosphere of patriotism Washington saw
further into the future than those around his
feet. Mr.. Adams might say in 1916 that he
would have had no scruples were he in
Washingtons place, but he was not
When, in order to show how desirable it is to in
wade the great tradition respecting third TERMS
:. :, ,,a,o,,orv IN baItt1a Tho olaor ;r1,xr.,,. c