, 1874-06-06
The Law Of Tradition, and the Proph-
cts On It's Probable Workings.
Blaine, Elihu Wastburne, Fish, An"
t|lony, and Dix, as Republican
Candidates.
Thurman, Hendricks, Newton Booth, and
David Davis, rs Democratic Cau-
didatos.
A General Survey Of the Situation.

From URf utoh L0FfttPo''aeHts ...
WAsn1NoroN, May %, 1874.
Thore ia dust on tile obicct-glaHs. and several
Geaa aro in the tube Of the telescope. Thero Ia
the Granger flea, tho Temperance flea, the Cor
mau flea. tho Labor 1en tho Tariff flea, md
finally tito Wicked flen Of things unforosecn. tllat
no 1nan pursuoth. Sometimes enc Of those ill.,
scots gels in particular position, and looks as
Imposing as Mars or tho Dog-star. Tho political
prophet then takos hia eye away from tho in
strunaent, aud obaoryos TINT there appears to DO
nsComuuuistic bonfire among tho consultations.
Inlcod, the tlmoa are misty.
FIRST AS To GEN. GRANT
md those Three Ter7ns Mr.. Wattorson dlscov-
cred, II the President has entertained the idea
'nt thrice running before tho people, It haB boon
at times wl,on In tho general chaos and disturb
ance, thoro seemed to DO no party cohesion pres-
'es,t or to como, aud his frieuda and some bnsi-
nsse,poopla assured him that lle was tho only
point OF roposo. Blu. az, from time to timos tie
horizon clears, and existing parties or large COM
hlnations are seen in formation Or In intrenched
camp, tho insignilcanco Of single man md lis
ooterie becomes apparent. A1most eYery preHi-
dent has been 1oluded by few superserviceablo
or cunning followers or chums to believe TINT
his prospects, for ra-election arc tho best.
THE pupEp.
President Johnson was 30 assured By Jim
Atedma1l, Johnny Coyle. Cornelius Wendell. and
MIR. Doolittle. President Lincoln would ull-
douhtelly have boon encouraged, had ho lived,
10 ruu thrice rs tho Second Washington who
WAS also pressed by Hamilton, Knox, and others,
not to retro after two tor1nB. Fillmore Ind tho
nesuranco of two terms, and did run twice, with
four yoars intervening. lilso Van Buren,, who ran,
In one way or the other, almost Oh many times
ns Henry CIay, who ran pretty much all tho
time John Tyler was certain tho Baltimore
Convention would nominate him In 1884,. 1af-
1arson aud jackson were expected to run THRICE.
Where tue Presidents common sonso did not
decide the q,1astion, Providence sometimes up
pearod.
Tho tradition that eight years is the limit Of
tho best Magistrates is settled and Inherent IN
tho American character, and nothing but uni
vcrsal fright and apprehension, suol as tho
Froncl, bourgeoisic had OF Socialism when thoy
unwitting1y accepted The Empire, could induce
any considerable body Of Americans to give any
man throo torms.
In tho caao Of President Grant, the public
mind Is under 10 illusion. Our pulse as yet
does temperatoly boat. In tho Wow OF n con-
siderable number OF people, ho ia modest,
suffering, soloi.oua man, put in arduous civil
administration, and successful there beyond az
pectation, less by any atateBuaanehip than by LIS
stability, which generally lends him otake no &C.
tion till ho has pon1orol we'll, and before he has
come to my oonoluniou, tho iBsuo LAS settled
itsolf. Other mon 1dgot, suggest. sweat, con-
fer, and ,rrito lettors OIL topics which contain
themselves. Not knowing this by any intuition,
Grant hostates, and tho coincidence appears to
his advantage.
But there must bo timea when decision requires
10 be instaut, md: If necessary, vehement, The
quality Of hesitation never made but two MEN
hotable,-William tho Taciturn and President
Grant. It il not quality which millions Of mon
pdmtro. In q rapid, mrnIy, confident country
like ours, it IL foreign to our genius and. at this
moment, hundreds Of thousands Of voters, gl1d
that things aro 10 worse, roproach themselves
Tor the guessing, haltiug, and unenlivening stato
OF tho National Administration, which ~ ullablo
to giyo it's reasons for doing right, and votoes
radical errora without either indignation or con-
aictiouB. Tho long and often loN-pltched per-
Aonal warfare on non-cbAentials around the
President has ut times stimulated reaction
which his coterio hnston to Interpret as his popu-
larlty, but which 10 moro properly sympathy for
hin Office aud Ais diilidenco III 1t, aud reonke OF
moro witloas 1otrac:ion.
THE uEL1MDEEED.
There is another clasa Of people who become
supersttlous at succeEs. and, eeeng Grant twice
always continue to be. Tho South is populated
with these nincompoopR, whose WGy OF roason-
ing is like tho ncgro-mnstrel . way Of answering
the eonunir1im "Why is al elephant like u
terrapin5" Tho answor Ia, Of course, " because
he emit climb o troe." ...
Asked wholly different conundrum, tho idiot
pow answers it with perfect confidence: "caze
he can't climb o tree!
"Woll. sala!" says t1,e yirginiap, = 'apoae
doubt Of it IN tho world, sab. Ho II be King,
allo'l They II make him a King, snh!"
This old Duu,b-iulon k1,ld Of talk il cheap aa
Goeusationa against tho negroes, of htoa!ing al
tho chickous and pigs. Grant was elected a
second time by coalition which can aoldom Or
aloyor oxiAt again: tho speculative interest aud
tbs capital of the country required no change i'll
the gtatua.
Capital and Conservatism were afraid of tho
voRtila intellect of Horace Greeley. Evory
scheme iu the country, Including tho nanufac-
turos which backed them, demanded Grant and
his of1ice-hoders nj the sine qua uon of their
aolyonoy. It was not himself 10 much as his
H,!d the then prevailing approval Of the country
OF all thoae bonded yagaries, since become bank
rupt.
AZ tho present time, no such desperate access
nories Of All election exist. There aro no loyal
tender reserves to precipitato into ponnsy
no flush ttncs to warrant subscription to tho
campagu-fund Of $25 900 from Jay Coollo and
$5o, 900 from the Long Brunch coserio. l]osidos,
there ,Woro strong cnptains in politics who
pressod Grant In 1879 ~ the means of their own
succession in 1876 third nomination of tho
same man would mako these mon lis.losa or re-
aentful Tho1arty already amazingly weakened.
Its official staff is demorallzed. Not ono oI
tho mon whom tue people delighted to hcar nd.
dresH thcna kcepa his popularity. Imagine Bout
vol o. tho stump in North Carolina Oglesby III
Now England, Logan in Ohio. Butler in New
Hort. Saa TAese wero nnong tho great Atumpers oI
1917. Tho physlcat yigor Ut four OF tho most
powerful men in tho Nspublioan party is gone
Henry Wilson. .. L. Butler, d. =. AIorton
Zaehariah Chandler. 4 long stroBs, uninter'
1uittont waste Of nerye-1lbee mud temperament
hayo worn tho peruonale Of tho Ncpublical
party out Tho public boiIof In the corruption
OF the purity ~ widespread. The unbluahinr
Imposition of old Whlg principles and paternaI
solemoB upon tho party-polioy III disgusting tt
every man raisod III tLe faith Of Jefferson. Jac
sun, si.as Wright, and David Wll1not. lilo iail
uro OF this pater1al Bystcm IN tho matters O
earpct-bagglng, rallroatl and manufacturing OK
haus.ios, uniyorlal debt, anu ronlorseleas intos
cat ut higll ratcu has recently kot adrift osho
tens Of Thousands in fow months. Iho ignor
iyo aud eurrony fallaccs has given tn
learning and experience Of the country 3 hearln