, 1874-09-15
THIRn.TERM RuHHI8H.

Tho Washington National Republican, tho
recognized organ Of tho Whito House, has for
montha boon lingering tho public pi,lao to ascor-
tain tho feeling Of tho country on tho third-torm
ouoat,ou. and tho Now York Tribune has ropro-
luccd several columna of editorials copied from
that journal. On June It ron,arltod that tho
Presidential poseibiitios and probabilities Of
1876 wero very gonorally subjects Of discussion
In tle country, aud concluded with tho romark
tlat. If tbs campaign Of 1876 wo1o to bc fought
during tho preaent YEAR, no candidate upon any
platform could beat Gtu. Grant; TINT BY tho
time OF tho election he would bo stronger than
he Ia nov; TINT 1t WAS "ntllnitted on all aides he
could DO ro~sloctcd for tht,rd term almost wlth-
out opposition, and in apito Of tho traditions cf
our politics."
On tho 24t1 Of tho same month tho Washing
ton organ remarked that ne huve mover bad any
experience Of the effect Of re-e.ooting Proai-
don't for third term; aud that tL,oro bad boon
periods In our history when, cotdd "o have
eloctod President for third or foa1rth terin 1t
would have boeu better for tho country. lind
Washington's, Monroo's or John Quincy Adams
tor1na Of SERVICE 1t continues. "beeu prolonged
to tnree or four terms, we should prohtbly havo
cecaped fo!lies aud calamitics which inflicted
great injuries on the people, aud eari ously re-
tarrlod the growth Of tho country"
Following this Is an argument in favor" at tho
ro-e1egibilty Of President for third term,
and, Of course, for d tenth. On July II 81, arti-
clio appeared In tho Hamo paper supporting
tue constttutionalty Of q third torn. Nuins,r~
ous other articles have appeared in tho sam Q
paper on the same subject, all looking in the
same direction. The astuto politicians Of tho
Republican party ali understand what thcao arti-
cles mcan and how they aro inspired Thoso
politicians nre e1tremoly noryous On the sub
| ject, aud aro determined to prevent Grants
nomination by their party ut al hazards, since
they boliovo he would bo badly beaten 1t tho
| pol1a.
It may bo conBilereda certainty, however, that
| Geu. Grant ts q candidate. 1t will be we'll for
tho pooplo to recognize that fact, aud to inquire
whether thoy arc prepared ia SEQ the end OF
our present form Of government for thas ts
| what Gen. Grants ro-olcction In 1876 means.
| Ii elected tnllu t1We, Wuy uo1 10uILu anu u
fifth? II he may be Proaidont for twelve con-
socutivo years, why not for thirty-six or forty
eight? Why not for life7 And If for lifo. why
[ not cal1 him Dictator or Emperor nBtead Of
Preaident7 A generation ago an American
Empire or IN American Kingdom would hevo
seemed as reasonable as third term. Gen.
Grant relios on the support Of tho South by his
promised voto Of tho Ciyil-Rights bill, and Of
| tho East by hia position on tho currency
question, but ss to tho latter he Hwill
find himself grievous1y mistaken. The
| people Of the East know that = President can bo
found and elected whose opposition to imitation
will be- quite ~ certain and moro intelligent than
Gen. Grants. Moreover, 1t ia st the East, moro
than anywhere else, that the traditions Of the
Republic, and especially tho antl-tiill~term tra.
didon. are strongest. The whole project Of q
third torn Ia harc-braned deluaion. It has nc
real bottom anysphsro In tho Northern states
There is no objection, however, to ths continu.
ued Rormonizing Of the Washington Naliona
Republican on that tc1t. This Ii tho dull aeasou
for newspspors at the Capital. and perhaps thcy
might AZ we'll diacuas tho third term as tho Dis
triot safe-burgary.