The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1874-08-22
Grant and the Third Term.

A great deal Of speculation has lately been INDUCED
as 70 the likelihood az General Grants candidacy Tor
a third term in the White House. some Of the more
exei'aoie writers engaged in canvassibg this question,
attempted 10 STIR the country 10 a sense of impending
Cesarism. 80 long as the issue was treated in this
e1trRFagAnt fashion Il Was only 6t for a laughing
stock. Grant would not II he could. and could not
II he would, play CUsar in the United States. Never
Was a more preposiCrous notion put forward, and IL
fully deserved the derisivc scorn Hith which the pub-
lie received IT,
But. since then, the possibility Of a third term
movement has teen brought NJ and discussed an
soberer mood-with reference merely 10 its inausnee
upon the two great political organizations, and its
bearing. II successful. upon the interests OF the
country. Undeniably the Republican party has been
secumuAting a heavy load, and unless The leaders
show an improved spirit between noW aud &c il will
and itself entering upon the next Presidential contest
With a burden that may well cause IL to totter-pcr-
maps 10 fall. What between abuses. against which
the masses OF the party almost az q unit revolt. and
dissenSions as 10 policy which divide the party sud
render disaheciiOn probable. the prospects are lees
assuring than they have been At any time for eight
years past. To further cucumber themselves with a
candidate who might be personally appopnlar or op-
posed IN views 20 those Of the people Of any very con-
siderable section. would be TO invite, a not TO insure,
defeat-always made and provided that the Demo
cracy behave meantime with discretion.
IL is the palpable fact that affairs are drifting this
way, combined With the other fact that there Is Just
now = scarcity Of material for the Presidential nomi-
nation. which turns attention once more TO Grant.
Two years ago, Schuyler Colfax might have suited
for the Silent Mans successor, but Schaylsr smiled
himself into Credit Mobilierism and private life be-
you'd hope Of resurrection. One year ago Morton
was still available; but his course on the finances laid
him just as certainly ON the shelf The same stumb-
l~ing-block would lie in the path Of Sherman, Conk-
ling and n few others who might otherwise, ia case uf
emergency, be taken up. That is 10 say, IL an cleo
ton were 10 take place tomorrow, the split between
the East and West on the money question would make
it a dangerous experiment to place any Of these on
the ticket. Before 1876 the objection may be re
w...al - "a -.
it is now difficult to predict which--but on calcula-
tons made at this time il exercises a determining in
huence.
Grants candidacy for a third term is suggested with
the idea that he possesses more prestige than any
other man who can be put forward while the present
state Of affairs continues Before discussing this pro
position il would be desirable 10 know whether he
intends running or not. For our part, We are dis
posed to fancy that he has had quite enough Of eK-
cutive honor and emolumeuts to satisfy him. and
that unless verv strongly pressed he would decline
to enter the field again. But as he has not chosen
to say 50 much. . belief Is spreading that like Barsis,
he might be " willn'." Should Il 50 prove, there
is no need for alarm. President Grants administra-
ton could have been a great deal worse than what IL
has been, but it might also have been considerably
better. We give him credit for doing what. In his
judgment, he may have thought occasions demanded,
but ais Judgment Is by no means infallible and his
mistakes are sufficiently nnmarous and disaereeAble
to bring IL altogether within the range Of popular
conception that, upon due research, as competent a
&NAA&N y - MUM ~ ~
coed him. The marked indulgence he has recently
given to his own personal friendships and p~rejudicss
this too, MT infrequently. in direct opposition to
public sentiment-has tended to ALLEVIATE him from
the people aud the prevailing conviction now Is
that having been abundantly honorcd for hs services
as the victorious general Of the Union troops, il were
best he should retire in '76, with the respect OF tho
country and its thanks for having done as we'll,
perhaps, ms he knew how. and certainly better than
q great many more pretentious persons might have
done IL set In his shoes.
When We take into consideration. hrst the proba-i
bility that General Grant does not seek n third term,
and second the certainty that the people are not par
ticularly DESTROYS to have General Grant for a third
term, it will be seen that the likelihood OF his run
ming for the nomination is small, the likelihood Of his
receiving il less, and the likelihood, il he did receive
1t. OF being elected least. None Of these PROPOSE
tons is put forward in an absolute sense. Each has
TO depend upon circumstances to intervene between
the present date and 10. II the financial dispute is
maintained and other aspirants destroy their chances
az Conklipg and Morton have done. then the Repub-
lican party may be reduced to Grant; and further
more il the Democracy make an idiotic mis-step As
they did by putting up Greeley in ~, Grant might
in such case be reelected. But both these contin-
gencies are unlikely. However the political dice fall
there is no need for alarm. When the time shall have
come the people viii cut their Presidental coat nccord-
ing to the CLOTH Pihs6GrE Dispatch.