New-York tribune., 1874-09-11

OF hs second term. He published It early period.
His Industrious example would shield and Gen.
Grant from the unseemlness OF declining an honor OF
ton rightly Judged that the people we're entitled 10
know the intentions OF the highest oncer OF Their Gov
ernment FIRST paragraph OF tue Fare wen Address
is in these words: "The period for election Of
czen 10 admjuister the executive government Of the
iniied States being not far distant and the time actu-
ally arrived when yoar thoughts must % employed In
important trust it appears proper especially
II NAV conduce TO more distinct expressoh OF tho
t,on have formed 10 decline being considered among
the imber OF those out Oh wnom ehoiee 10 20 20
To- make such an previous 20 opening
OF the canvass 1t eapnot be derogatory 10 Gen. Grant
aas saaT s rtssr IL ADVANCE Of The s
in both consisted IN the faet that the pos
nticaI circles and both Washington aud jefferson
noee OF their determnstioh No President
has made similar announcement Tor the suincient
reason that until now there nss oesn no
ever discussed thought OF as possible But thru
oIticaI tonic OF the time he may as y speak out on
the subject either Washington or Jefrson The rea-
son for breaking silence In his Is urgent.
because the questOn much more disquettng Gen.
Grants supposed wish 10 run again mas nled t0e public
mind with grave apprehensIons which It Is his duty TO
In Wasbngton's time and Jeferson's time The infu
ence OF President the elections was very trining
Onr present system OF caucuses aud political conyen-
tiOns had then arisen. The patronage OF the GOV
ernment was small and 1t was never exerted Tor elec-
pioneering purposes. But the enormous growth OF Er
ecuye patronage since the war enables the PRESIDENT
TO elect through the activity OF dependent ana devoted
ojcehoders majority OF the delegates 70 every p0ut-
ical convention whose action ne wishes 10 control.
the third term question is ITS knowedge that President
Grant as easily secure maJor1s OF !he DELEGATES
and that practically rests In ILLS own choice whether no
will have another nomination or not once nominated,
It becomes simply question whether tue Republican
party stronger than its adversary III the Execuve
patronage has become strong enough To enable Pres
dent 10 reeect himself against the precedents and pub
lie feeling which stand opposed 10 third term there
nav not reaIect himself for life II GFant cannot
cesfuly opposed with all the precedents OF the Gov
ernment against him, 1t Will be vain To resist m IN any
future election after pecedents and the strong
body OF public sentiment by which they are supported
shall have been broken down. II he Is elected third
time he will become the master OF our loertes no
10 to the country to put an end 10 tns dlsqetng
apprehension which is 50 largely shared by our ctzns
III Pre- sdent Grant nursing the kind Of ambition
OF which the country suspects him. his credt ana USE
at rest. Public confidence IN hts measures aud tho
moral might OF his Administration are DESTROYED ani
he convnces his fellow ctizens that he Is not acting
SELFISH interested motives Every wise az well as
every s0ra seeekns ambition unless he puts
stop to tho speculaOns which f and poison the point
icaf atmosphere II was understood during tue latter
part OF the late session, that IL the Civil Rights bi
passed he would veto IT, and many OF ITS friends sup
posed that he courtng the political favor OF tue
south with view to Its support for third term
President whose motives are thus dstrdsted unsete3
demoraIzes the public Judgment aud cannot expect
fair play even for his Tue Usefulness OF gov
ernment functonares depends upon public confidence
in their character dsinteresedDess and long
it Is supposed that Gen Grant schemng for third
term everything he does forbears TO DO VIII be suO
ject to injurious mscOnstruco1, which VIII fatally IN
pair his influence. II he wise and the good OF
the country he will disabuse the public mind Of the pre-
yailing idea that he is medatns step walch tle ex
ample of Washington the strongly expressed opinion OF
jefferson. the uniform pTeeedenls Sc by all i' preie
denim fraught with the grayest peril. Whyshould he
keep the country in state OF painful suspense ana ap
prehenson when few decisive. authoritative words
would restore confidence and secure candid, lnde-
pendent judgment of all his future public acts
THE POPULAR WILL OPPOSED TO IT.
Hssku
The argument against third term Is really
an argument against the reehgibny OF the President
aud one the accomplished authorities upon tae
subject says in his paper upon b sqyera n
reelection does lay President under temptation 10 act
in all things Win view & 10 e. r.e'cct,va ruS vi q bos @
or med President these temptations are generally
by the present mode Of election that while that mode OF
election prevails, may safely say that the arguments
Yets While fixed constitutional restriction might DO
unwse. unwritten law may be OF tne utmost service
very grave misfortune il Mr. Lincoln could not have
been reelected But such emergencies are few In 1872
although argument against denomination very
strongly urged and although the interest ana the power
of patronage were undenaOe, aud while many voted
for the President under protest, there was equally
undenlabe and papabe preference of General Grant Dy
whether IL be better to trust the unwren Law which
limits service OF President 70 elght years. or 10
give him that term consutuiionally and make him
Ineligible for reflection but be doubt that
third term should never be thought oI except under
IL is said indeed that there is really question in
volved that the people are sovereign and that II they
may properly do Once IN four years. II Is said, we
renew the administration and If the servants OF tho
state have served wisely and well why should they
not DO called TO their places again In the Swiss cam
tons of Uri and Unterwalden, where Oh bright May
morning. all the voting population assemblies IN s0mo
green field and decides whether the Ammdnh shall De
%ise But the United states are not Of Ur
Unterwalden. We proceed by delegates aud eonyen.
tons and nominations; and when the question Ola Of a
proposed Ii must be considered IN tue lght
OF familiar facts. Checks and ba ances IN Tree pocai
ness and because 1t Is necessary 20 make the indulgence
of personal ambition difficult The reason that mited
cepon that it was desirable that at stated
Chief Executive should be renewed or reelected by the
dons ha We arisen which the freedom that
will, nothing is more perllous or more absurd than
10 assume that it continues free.
The President, belonging o dominant party, and at
the head OF immense and organized army OF othce-
holders when he sets his heart upon renomlnation,
goes the convention TO play against the country
with loaded dice. If the convention actually repre-
seDted the popular WILL there would be no doubt tbat
It's action could be safely sustained, unless abandon
the whole theory OF the Government But we all know
does represent that WILL IL represents the
purpose OF certain interested class In the party more
interested than ae mass OF the party can Pc Tor the
while the OF the voters consider but the vague
BILE interest party. Generally the most powerful
motive at the polls Is the success OF the party and ne
who can the party nomination wins the day The
work beginning in the primary meeting aud as between
tho drilled agents OF those WHO nave tnls vital personal
interest and those have only patriotic motives.
chance in the primary have the atteri IL may DO
true that IN popular government tnere Is constant
come paramount, but that is only conclusive reason
for guarding IN every way against the consequences OK
II indeed, there be some great overshadowing issue
before the country, the organization VI the Interested
class may not prevail, but even then there " % Haru
struggle while ordinary times that class Will newt
ably succeed The country Is practically divided INTO
Nomination OF q party convention, secured IL usually
is by familiar means the unbiased action OF tue people,