Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-09-15
A THIRD TERN.
The Movement Not a JOke-Feeiers
Put Out by the Presidents Organ
How the Press stands,
New York Tribune, Sept u.

Put Out by the Presidents Organ
How the Press Stands,
New York Tribune, Sept u
For a long time the talk about Gen.
Grants candidacy for a third term was
regarded as a joke. The idea was so
foreign, not only to the thoughts OF
the American people, but to what they
had come to regard as a part of their
settled constitutional precedents, that
few were willing to believe that Cen
Grant desired il, or that, if he did, any
party would support him. Suddenly,
however. his W immediate organ,
of no consequence save as 1T IN
~questionably expresses the ideas and
promptly responds to the wishes
of the President andthose about him
The Washington National Republican,
began to feel the public pulse ON the
subject. 1t carefully avoided saying
that Gen. Grant was a candidate, was
not at all certain even that be would
accept the nomination if rendered, but
was excessively persistent in discussing
the question on abstract grounds, and
attempting to familiarize the public
| mind with it as a serious matter. 1t
was well known that not a day passed
in which it editors did not call. at the
White House for inspiration; and for
some time scarcely a day passed with
our an editorial on the third term
movement, following these conferences.
By and by the infection began to
spread. One Southern paper ar:
ter another declared in favor OF
the third term. 1t is now known
that, in spite Of Gov. Morton's
denial. it was the Presidents purpose
to veto the Civil hights bill, and this
doubtless stimulated the Southern
movement. The Republican continued
to fan the fame and declare
that circumstances might arise which
would make Gen. Grants candidacy
for a thirj tsrl aQt only possible but
probable. The ofice-holdeEs about the
White House presently adopted the
same tone, while thosein New York be
came curiously non-committal. Poli.
Iticiars whom the President treated
with special distinction went away from
his dinner-table TO declare IN favor OF 8
third term. Among them weFe mel
whom the President hadspecially taken
up and ~patronized, ike Gov. Herbert
of Louisiana, Mosby and Kemper, OF
Virginia, and others. The significant
fact was that nearly all the
declarations came, ike the utter
ances of the organ, after long
personal interviews with the President
Gen. Gordon was quoted IN the sam
way, but he subsequently said he hac
been misrepresented. EE-Qhief-Jus
tice Lochrane, of Georgia, and man,
other prominent men of the South, to
| pether with many prominent Southern
papers. de5isrded more or less guard
! edfy for a third term. Men spoke o
If freely and as a matter ot eolFse Il
the President presence without pro
voking rebuke or the slightest sign o
disappr5yaI, and on one or two occas
ions banners containing third tern
sentiments appeared in the PEoa3sslon'
in the Presidents honor IN his Lat,
Eastern trip, which he regarded witt
the same equanimity,
The matter has thus passed beyond
the limits of a joke. If the PresidenI
is not actively working for a thlri
term. 1t is obvious that his friends are
and that they continue, while doing
so, to enjoy his confidence and approx
al.
In general. it may be said tLat tn
strongest papers north of the Potomai
which were induced to commit them
selves to the third term were the BaLti
more american and the NelO YorI
Graphic; that a general tendency t.
tolerate, if not to embrace it, wa
developed at the South. and that whil'
Northern Republican papers Fere un
mistakably disinclined to it, the mum
Der who were willing to denOunce /
loutside of Boston, was small.