The New York herald., 1874-10-28
oovssnes Dix's Public Declaration On
the Third Term.

General Dix has at last spoken on the third
term question, explicitly enough, perhaps,
but SO tardily and with such evident reluctance
that robody can regard it as an act of politi-
cal courage. He had almost concluded his
short speech at the ratification meeting on
Monday evening when a voice cried out
from the audience. s'How about that third
term, General?" Either not hearing or affect
ing not to hear. the Governor brought his
speech to o sudden close, and was moving of
the platform when further cries OF "Third
term third term caused him to turn and face
the question. His answer was distinct and
satisfactory so far as it related to his personal
sentiments; bat if he has always held the
view which he now proclaims his excuses
for recent silence will not be accepted
by the people. He says the third term discus
sion is premature. The employment OF
this word is an admission. To say that
discussion is premature" implies that 1t
would be in order at a later period, but II the
third term question has got to be met at some
time it should have been met at once the
moment the danger began to appear. II the
third term question is coming upon us, as
Governor Dix seems to admit he cannot JUS
tify himself for not meeting it on the frontier.
1t is the duty of an elected representative OF
the people, like Governor Dix, to stand as
sentinel on the watch tower OF liberty and
raise the earliest note of warning when danger
approaches In the language OF the greatest
American orator, ''Is he to be blind though
visible danger approaches? Is he to
be deaf though sounds OF peril fill
the air? Is he to be dumb while
thousand duties impel him to raise the
cry OF alarm? Is he not, rather. to catch
the lowest whisper which breathes intention
or purpose of encroachment on the public
liberties and to give his voice breath and
utterance at the first appearance OF danger?
Is not his eye to traverse the whole horizon
with the keen and eagervision of an unhooded
hawk, detecting, through all disguises, every
enemy advancing, in any form, toward the
citadel which he guards ?" This eloquent
portrayal Of the duty Of an appointed seuti-
mel on the watch tower OF liberty is not
description OF the recent conduct Of
Governor Dix in relation to the third
term. Instead of ''this watchfulness for
public liberty, this promptitude and bold
ness in defence of established landmarks,
this fearless resistance Of whatever would
transcend or remove them," Governor Dix has
hung back and shrunk from the Office of
sentinel of liberty until the pressure of cir
cumstances extorted from him baated dec
laration. 1t comes too late to help his can
vass, and yet it is noteworthy and valuable as
bearing on the general subject.
The speech of Governor Dix is a virtual re-
buke to the ofiice-holding sycophants and the
unthinking journalists who have scoffed and
belittled the third term question. His line
of defence is more remarkable for what it
implies than for what it asserts. 1t
asserts that Governor Dix has been for
forty years advocating an amendment Of
tue federal constitution limiting the President
to single term Of six years. Of course, the
inference he draws from this fact is perfectly
legitimate, that his steady opposition to the
second election of President precludes hiIa
from favoring third. But if it were mere
question Of personal consistency it would not
be worth discussing. Governor Dix has not
for forty years been advocating the Limitation
of the President to q single term without solid
reasons, and if those reasons were tully stated
it would be found that they leave him without
excuse for his apathy on the third term ques-
ton. The propriety Of pernittinga second
term and the propriety OF permitting third
term are questions OF the same orde1 and are
to be determined by the same kind of argu-
ments, except SO far as tradition and usage
permit one and forbid the other. When,
therefore, Governor Dix asserts that he has
been for forty years keenly alive to the danger
of allowing President to be reelected once.
heleaves himself without excuse for his indifer-
ence to the greater danger OF q second re-elec-
ton. The stress of the objecnon, in both
cases, lies against the employment of the fed
eral patronage by President in Office to fore
stall the real choice of the people. II Pres
ident may make an improper use of the dis
ciplined and subservient band of dependent
ofice-holders to secure second election it is
equally in his power 70 employ the same
agency to procure q third election; and as the
only obstacle is a mere usage, and a cou-
stitutional prohibition, no popular President
need despair Of overcoming the usage when
he wields the present enormous patronage of
the government.
The third term, or rather the perpetual re-
eligibility OF our American Presidents. as per-
mitted by the constitution, is a question which
has been silently growing beneath the sur
face of our politics for half century. It
resembles the growth Of coral islands in
southern seas. Millions Of small creatures,
as naturalists inform us, work industriously
for long periods in laying the foundations of
future islands; and when these islands rise
above the surface Of the ocean they seem like