The New York herald., 1874-08-27
The Third Term Question-oas Man
Can Decide IL.

Can Decide II.
NPresident Grant would accept tho advice
which the HERALD has so often respectfully
rendered him and declare that be will not per-
sonally accept third nomination, and that
he is opposed to third election on settled
grounds of public expediency, ne would
thereby do an act as meritorious and
popular and which would be more uni
versally applauded than his veto of the
Imitation bill. Why, it may be asked, should
the people give themselves any anxiety respect
ing General Grants intentions when it is SO
completely in their power to prevent his third
election if they consider the principle dan.
gerous? The answer is that, although the
people have no doubt of their power to defeat
Grant by voting against him, they deprecate
the revival of questions which have long been
regarded as settled. What wise citizen would
not deprecate the revival in 1876 of the
secession issue or the negro suffrage issue,
although nobody can doubt that the existing
settlement of these questions would be reaf-
frrned by On overwhelming vote Their
revival would have an infammatory and
mischievous effect on the public mind,
producing distraction and political con.
fusion, and, most of all, affording screen
to the corruption that is as sure to creep in
when the public mind is absorbed by an over.
shadowing issue as thieves are to be active
during great conhagration. What mighty
crop Of public corruption has grown up unde.
shelter of the existing issues OF the last twenty
years Public attention has been too much
occupied by great questions to keep close
watch of the political knaves who are always
on the alert for opportunities. If the third
term issue is brought actively into our politics
by the denomination of General Grant it will
swallow up or dwarf all other questions; it
will prevent clear declaration of the public
will on the great subjects of the currency, the
finances, taxation, transportation, monopolies
and other topics connected with the business
interests OF the country, and put the people
in frenzy Of excitement on one all-engross-
ing issue thrown as frebrand by General
Grant into our national politics. The mischief
will not consist in his third election, for the
people will take good care to prevent that, but
in the arrest OF all healthy reform by the agi.
tation of question that ought never to be
raised. The winds of passion and con-
troversy would not be more effectually
let loose by a revival Of the secession
issue in the next Presidential election,
nor would the decision of the people be more
overwhelmingly against disturbing the settled
order of things. The example to which We
have alluded may safice to show how PERM.
cious it might be to raise controversy on an
exciting subject when there is no doubt that
the result would be to triumphanty reafirm
the present order of things. But why should
the country be driven through such q need.
less, booless agitation to crafty one mans
already overfed ambition?
The AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE. We print this
morning the official report Of Lieutenant Cam
eron to the Earl of Deroy regarding the ex-
tent OF the slave traffic on the eastern coast
of Africa. It will be found gener-
ally interesting as embodying the observations
made by Lieutenant Cameron up to the 4th OF
March last, during an extended tour through
the vast region Of country lying between Zan.
zibar and Ujiji. His proposed method of in.
Producing civilization INTO the heart of Cen.
tral Africa is urged with mora enthusiasm
than the financial obstacles in the way OF it,
consummation may warrant.