The New York herald., 1874-07-08
THE THIRD TERM.
Is General Grant the Herald
Candidate {?
What the Presidents Friends and
Enemies Think.
The Presidential Canvass Opened
at Last.
"Forbidden Fruit"
From the Evening Post. !

There are fey Office holders VINO can resist the
temptation TO be reelected or reapponted The
possession OF wealth and honor and the danger OF
sacudclng all in the shifting qucksands OF political
life seem TO have little power to deter them, and
the strongest mems vanity, assiduously cultivated
by parasites who call themselves friends, often in.
q ces a mania which is uncomfortable by reason.
The ramor has been current for several weeks
that General Grant Is anxious to be elected Presl-
dent for third term, and tnat his anxiety has
been gradually developing INTO confidence OF
success. we have been disposed TO doubt all these
reports hut several circumstances nave larey
served 10 confirm them, and unless the President
Is guided future by more judicious advisors than
he seems 10 have had for the last year or two, he
may soon find himself fairly entered for the race
ofls76.
General Grant is proverbially stubborn man.
Mrs. Grant has said with reference to his social
and domestic lite, the repels found him so in the
army, and the politicians have found him so in his
appointments. During the last four months he
has been both honestly criticised and personally
abused as he never was before, and ii is his mis-
fortune, holding to the personal property" idea
Of his once, that he Is not always able to dscrim-
mate between these two modes OF treatment
Therefore, he sometimes says (within himself to
those who have tried to support him but found him
lacking IN appreciation OF the true character OF his
you that can continue to transact it as have
done, in spite Of YOU" The most
startling errors he has committed thus
become the most potent incentives for clinglng to
the ONCE which, without doubt, few months ago
he fully prepared to surrender at the end or his
present term. 1t Is an ungracious thing to say but
1t is fact that probably no President was ever
rounded by more numerous ring OF personal nat
terers than General Grant. They staked their for
tunes two years ago upon hts continuation In
office; 1t was life or death struggle with most OF
them, and they have had more than the time
usually allowed to such persons for mining IN the
rich placers OF national administration. They in
dustriously encourage the Presidents hopes and
excite his desires for vindicaton, II not for re-
venge, against all VINO for any reason or for no
reason oppose him. These facts go for what they
are worth to justify the opinion that the President
Is looking for another reelection.
Some persons also insist upon recalling the
events OF 1871 and 1872 as somewhat similar in
their bearing upon the third term question to
those OF the present year. The President then
was both criticised and abused for some objection
able acts; ne then unotficiay declared that he
did not want or expect to be eeected as II Is re-
ported that he has lately declared but when the
time came his personal adherents demanded re-
nomination to ''vindicate" him, and circumstances
now told that the history Of 1872 may be repeated.
1t is certain that he is told also there Is new
element in politics coming TO his support-the
democrats OF the Southern States.
Governor Kemper or Virginia, one Of the most
! conservative OF these democrats, has written a
letter on the subject. "If the future should bring
forward candidate impersonating the third term
principle" he says, '.f he should cut loose from
old party trammels and take his stand on our safe,
and peace under the constitution, and IT. so
standing. he should be opposed by any champion
OF the civil rights inquity, then, in contest be-
tween the two the conservative party ought, in
my opinion, to go decidedly, but as an organized
party, and not otherwise, for the third termer yet
with protest on their lips against the third term
principle and in spite Of that principle" 1t Is re-
ported, and we believe is true, that Governor
Kemper, Colonel Mosby and other Southern leaders
are seriously conferring upon this subject, and
| that the sentiments which we have quoted are
very general among them IN their despair over
the prospects OF the democratic party otherwise.
The latest manifesto from this quarter comes
from Senator John B. Gordon, OF Georgia, who
says:-"I think President Grant is exceedingly
anxious to run again and Is very apt to do so.
am very intimate with him; as much SO as almost
any one, and ne is always very cordial with ME.
think he certainly intends to run again." He thinks
that the President does not want party nomina-
tion expecting better support as an independent
candidate. "Still," he adds, "If Mr.. Grant wants
the nomination OF the republican party he Will get
1t. Not that they prefer him to any other cand
date. Not at all. For, with the tradition OF the
Republic and the spirit OF our institutions SO
decidedly against such course, they win be
timid about offering a third term candidate. They
will nominate him, though, because they will
! In.
sons First, they believe he s the only
man who can lead the republican party
to victory, and tthey are right in rhis) that he Is
much stronger than his party. Second, they fear
that If they leave him out he will be picked up by
some middle party, or even by the democratic
party, and run against them. Hence, II he wants
the nomination, in my opinion he will get it with
| out any trouble"
These, then, are the opinions Of some Of the dem
| ocrats who are expected to help make up the new
..Grantn party. Standing BY themselves they
| would be OF little consequence but taken In con-
nection with other circumstances they are entitled
to more consideration. Besides they bear a re-
markable correspondence with our own private in
! formation United States Senator. whose opin-
| ion on the subject would command peculiar atten-
! ton il we should name him, said to US some
time ago :-"You may be sure OF one thing. singu-
lar as 1t may appear when you consider the bitter
feeling OF the Southern people against the ad-
minstration and that Is, that the Southern demo-
Gratis are cutivating the good will and favor of the
President 1t is evident that they desire to con-
troll him with view to the canvass Of 1861 This
was said when the third term proposition seemed
to most persons poor joke. How closely this
agrees with the opinions Of the leading democrats
whom we have quoted we leave our readers to re.
mark. AS the senator is republican ana q par.
tcular friend of the President, It may be reason.
aple to suppose that ne gave the version most
favorable to him. The Presidents friends natu-
rally say that the democrats are courting him,
and the democrats naturally say that he Is court
! ing them.
| Looking at the matter from q party point OF
view, the first appearance OF third term proposl-