The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-25

Democrats Proposc-Abscnce OF Healthy
Signs for tho Republic.
In an interview with HERALD correspond
ent King Oscar II. of Sweden asked, inno-
Gently, if President Grant could not be
elected third time. Our correspondent re-
piled that it was possible, but not probable.
Persons much more familiar with America
than King Oscar are now asking this question,
and with deeper interest in the reply. The
press Of the country, irrespective Of party,
has taken up the pregnant subject OF Caesar
ism, and, during the past few days. the copious
fact that the danger to republican institutions
is not so small as the more complacent among
the journals at first chose to aver We OBJ
serve that, whether to belittle the discussion
or to give it its proper national proportions,
more thought is expended on the formulation
of its opinions by the writer's.
Before taking up the portions most worthy
of notice in these partial declarations of poiti-
cal faith on the question we shall briefly and
pointedly allude to certain imputations upon
the aim Of the HERALD in laying down the
nationally vital problem, whether the liberties
of the Republic can be preserved if President
Grant is elected for third term. The
charges come from both democratic
and republican land in q less important
matter we would be content to let them mu-
tually destroy each other. Says democratic
paper from Virginia Whether these are
but preludes to win attention and support to
such scheme as another term for General
Grant to be followed by the Empire, yet re-
mains to be SEEN" The republican charge
from Pennsylvania is more gross and unquali-
fed Says the Scranton Republican 1.-THE
true secret of this Cmsarism' sensation un-
questionably is that it is made in the interest
of the democratic party, and the HERALD is
just as certainly the paid instrument of demo-
cratic leaders" A journal like the HERALD,
which has outlived parties and administrations
without the support or sanction of either,
whose independence has never been assailed
except from the side whose real or fancied
interests it happened to oppose, which holds
itself above all parties or factions and recog-
nizes no exoteric master, can we'll afford to let
the microscopic arrows of the pigmies Of party
fall harmlessly around it. We have depre-
Gated the Introduction of abusive personalities
into this discussion from the democratic side,
and much more do we condemn the republican
journal that would rake up these befouling
issues, as does at least one which defantly
repeats the slanderous epithets hurled in the
last campaign at the President. Our aim in
this discussion is broad and patriotic, and we
ask the press to respect our position by treat
ing the matter with gravity and dignity.
The points on which administration papers
lay the greatest stress are:-
Fsrst-That President Grant has none of
the dangerous qualities that make Caesar.
Second-That third term, although un-
thought of now, would not endanger the
Republic.
Third-That the ultimate decision lies in
the hands of the people.
Expanding upon these points they branch
into many reasons for silencing the discus
sion. But the main question is evaded and
not met. We have seen republican journals
honestly and manfully denounce the idea of
proposing a third term for General Grant !;
but these are not by any means the most in
fuential We have not, however, seen an
administration journal examine whether out
side of General Grants preferences the mate
rails for step to Cesarism are not to his
hand 1t is not an answer to say, with the
Utica Herald, that president Grant is master
of nobody" it is simply to state either
what is obviously far from the fact or
else to imply that he is not master of
himself. There is Just the deceptive
ring of a make-believe independence of
thought and action in the carefully qualified
threat which concludes the article above
quoted that makes it worth repeating. 1t says,
after referring to Horace Greeley and Senator
Sumner "Let President Grant prove recreant
to the principles of the great republican party,
which are the fundamental principles of
our republican form Of government, and he
would as speedily share their fate Is this
vagueness to be the only restriction to be put
by the faithful upon the President occupy
ing his chair as long as he pleases? The
Philadelphia Press (republican) deals with
the possibilities more boldly, because it is not
so tied to the courtier party. It says:-"What
attracts the superficial mind Is the compare
tive ease with which the HERALD's prophecy
might be fulfilled if General Grant were not
made of sterner stuff than to embark in such
an experiment. There is no longer demo-
cratic party in this country" The pretence that
President Grant is nobodys master does not
agree with the same journals statement that
1.-THE open Generalization of the democrats is
not more marked than the quiet submission of
the republicans" 1t points as well to the
fact that whatever ''stern STUFF the
President may be made Of, all else
lies as wax before him to mould
at his will There is a numbing
sense of despair among the democratic