The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-07-02
THE THIRD TERM.
Governor Kemper, Of Virginia,
Graves a Caesar.
Kemper for Cesar.

Kemper for Caesar.
Governor Kemper publishes In the Richmond
apers to-day letter, OF which the following are
xtracts:-
do not believe the country can remain in its
PRESENT abnormal condition. we are golng 70
Imperialism. inteR1 to stand Tor the hpery |
ide as long as fragment OF IT remains; l am
the past, nave faith in the cause
ii constitutional free government; but oppose |
evs stu cona ono all o. and
,oors 81 the South would be the social intermix-
ing OF the races to result from the eniorcement
Of the civn rights 1anattcism and barbarsm,
and 1T is hard to conceive what greater evil than
that could be involved in any possible rev.
ture should bring forward a candidate
the third term principle, If he
should cut loose from old party trammels and take
his stand ON our safe, conservative ground OF uni
versal reconciliation and peace under the consti.
by any champion Of the civil rights iniquity, then,
IN q contest between the two, the conservative
party ought IN my opinion to go decidedly, put as
third termer, yet with q protest on their lips
against the third term principle and in spite of
that principle.
The Governor recites the circumstances OF his
call upon President Grant IN Washington shortly
alter Governor Kemper's Inauguration, which &C.
casioned much comment at the time. This visit
he says, was one OF courtesy, made in response to
q courteous invitation from the President that the
Governor should call and make his acquaintance
and in making the call he claims that he was only
carrying out the Virginia conservative platform
which pledged the party to judge every act Of
General Grant on its own merits. He remarks
l went because under my convictions OF duty
and prOpriety, made up my mind to CO. and
under circumstances TO Justify It again. should
20 again. went and had manly square talk
with the President, and while shall not violate
as TO aliude to its particulars, yet re-
greet that every word OF 1t could not have been !
taken down and published. ior although say 1t,
to me- and no discredit and no harm TO any part |
Of the country or the people AS to the Federal
Executive mead, shall render him, not factious
hostility, but q falr and unprejudced judgment.
For the sake Of ourselves and the whole country,
shall rejoice Il he 80 emulates the example Of
washington; II he so aids In restoring the land
marks OF the constitution lately overthrown by the
violence OF arms II he 80 respects the right OF the
command our united and hearty support OF
the whole OF his future administration. SO
ton or test oaths and the Civil Rights law; so far
as he has abstained from exercising the centraliZ-
ne is entitled to our gratitude and support. But
emphatlcally do not indorse great part OF his
policy IN respect to national currency, and II he
adopts as q rule OF his administration, such inter-
meddng in local affairs as that just resorted to at
Petersburg by the Attorney General of the United
States then ne VIII establish between as and him
self gulf as impossible that which separates
good from evil in other lie.
In conclusion, Governor Kemper transmits
copies of his letters to Colonel Mosby written dur
ing the Gubernatorial campaign last autumn. The
only noticeable passage in these is the iollowing:
It were better to elect Grant the third ana the
seventh term than 90 under Hughes and his ne
groes To us the defeat of negro rule here Is to
save society and decent existence, to save US from
barbarsm and ruin.
Tho People Would Rise Against 1t.
from Harper's Weekly.]
II, indeed, there be some great overshadowing
interested class may not prevail; but even then
there viii be q hard struggle while In ordinary
times that class will inevitably succeed. The
country is practically divided into two parties,
and, with the existing methods, to call the
nomination of q party convention secured as it
usually is by familiar means the unbiased action
OF the people, is to misuse words. A President IN
ONCE, the head OF an organized and dominant
Judgment or his fellow citizens in the convention.
On the contrary, he has every opportunity
U the a
Fillmore and Tyler as illustrations OF his prac.
teal powerlessness is vain. because all three Of
them had destroyed the parties by which they
were elected, and had no party organization upon
which to depend. The unwrltten law that Presi-
inc doubt whether one long term be not bctfer
are founded upon the conviction OF the country
that with the enormous power vested IN the Snlei
own denomination, and that 1t Is by such quiet and
unObtrusiye beginnings that popular systems are
The practical question is one OF good sense. and
wholly impers0nal. 1t does not follow that because
under the circumstances o. ls,2 II was wise TO re-
to do in 1876. The question Is not whether
General Grant can be trusted lor third term,
but whether 1t Is, upon the whole, wise to
establish tine precedent. Is there anything
in the President-hignly as we honor him for his
in his administration, which makes 1t desirable or
IN any sense necessary to continue MIN Tor third
term that Is not equally applicable 20 fourth aud
nfth term Can any advantage be proposed from
such q precedent which Is hot entirely overbal-
anced by the obvious disadvantages There can
be no greater MISTAKE tnan the suggestion that he
is the only republican candidate who eould be
elected. for the distinct understanding that he
meant to stand Tor a third term would most prop.
utterly hopeless. In the total want OF great
party issue. which might be relied upon TO rally
the voters and with party ieud upon some OF
the most vital questions OF pubic policy, no
more victorious cry against the party In
power could be raised than 1t sought insidiously
to change the character OF the government. The
weakness OF the republican party to-day Is not the
superiority Of any policy proposed by the demo,
which words are used, Is an unmeanlng phrase
but 1t Is discomfort within the party arising from
which the party toerates. Thousands OF persons
voted for General Grant IN 1872 under protest.
How many Of them would vote for nlm IN 1879 as
civil service triumphant
We have no fear that General Grant proposes to
make nlmsel an emperor UT pOpe out ~ suoulu
he well understood before any plans are laid that
there would be a general and decisive uprising
OF the people" against any serious suggestion OF u
third term.
Illinois Repudiates Csesarism.
From the Illinois State Journal
Should the Hon. f. b. Washburne be the nominee
OF the National Republican Convention In 1875, he
will be elected Of course. But his nomination Will
not depend on the dictum Of General Grant. Mr..
washburne would spurn such nomination as
promptly as General Grant would spurn to assume
to be dictator to that or any other Convention.
The West and South are to be consulted about the
next candidate and their free choice will deter.
mine the question as to the next President.
II the HERALD viii look around 1t VIII discover
that behind the little schemes and plots and plans
at Washington-pehind the rings and rogues and
netfY nilierera who disgrace the county and