The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-06

X
pertinent extract from the note There
an important fact bearing upon this questio
which should be stated In connection with il
President Washington established the prae
tlce OF declining a third election, and ever
one of his SUCCESSORS either from a sens
OF its propriety or from approximations O
the force of public opinion, has FOLLOWED
the example; SO that it has become as mucl
part Of the constitution that no citizen col
be third time elected President as if it wer
expressed in That instrument" De Tocque-
ville's able chapter on this subject is vel
worth republication at length, and unles.
General Grant drops his suspected intention
We shall take occasion to lay it before on,
readers; but it may suffice tor the present te
call attention to the fact that the most saga
cious and philosophical foreign commentator
on American institutions has stated reasons
of great cogency and force against even one
reelection of a President.
De Tocqueville's opinion on this subject is
corroborated by the publicly declared views OF
the two most eminent and remarkable states
men who made figure in our public life at
the time he visited this country to gather ma
terials for his great work. We refer
to Henry Clay, the acknowledged leader
of the whig party, and Andrew Jack
son, then President by the votes of the
triumphant democracy. Both of these dis
tinguished political leaders thought that the
federal constitution ought to be SO amended
as to preclude even one reelection of Presi-
dent. We will first quote the views of An
drew Jackson. In his first annual Message to
Congress that great democratic statesman and
popular idol recommended an amendment to
the constitution giving the election of the
President to the direct choice of the people.
He added:-'In connection with such an
amendment it would seem advisable to limit
term Of either four or six years." Henry Clay.
the great and equally idolized whig leader,
recommended in speech he made in 1910
an amendment to the constitution embodying
"a provision to render person ineligible to
the Office of President of the United States
after service Of one term"
De Tocqueville cannot be regarded as q
mere theoretical Spectator on our insti-
tutions when his Judgment is thus cor
roborated by the formally declared opinions
Of the two most illustrious and experienced
American statesmen of that period. But if
one reelection of President is contrary 10
sound policy. what ought to be said of two or
an indefinite NUMBER It is notorious that a
President during his first term spends his
time IN intriguing for second, whereas if he
were limited to single term he would have
no motive but to promote the good Of the
country. If it be once conceded that Presi-
dent may be perpetually reelected, without
any limitation, every second term becomes as
bad as first, and every administration is
debased into an electoneering intrigue for
the succession. When the Southern States
seeded it was for their obvious interest to
court public appreciation by such approved
changes as general experience sanctioned.
They, accordingly, extended the Presidential
There can be no reasonable doubt that that
was wise provision, introduced with o
view to reconcile doubtful supporters to seces
sion by connecting it with a real and unde
niable improvement. 1t must be apparent te
readers who attend to even the few authoritie
which our space has allowed us to cite tina
the HERALD, in its warning protest against thu
advent Of C@sarism, was only repeating the
mature, settled convictions of the creates
statesmen and most philosophic writers who
have deliberately examined this subject.