National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-09-18
THIRD TERN sPEOULATToNs.

THIRD TERM 6PECULAIIONS.
The position of TIE NATIONAL REPUB-
LIcAN upon the question of third term
for General Grant is giving our cotempo-
rsries, and especially the two TribWnss. (of
Chicago and New York, a good deal of
unnecessary trouble. Last week the New
York journal reprinted i've or six columns
Of our editorials upon the subject, and on
Tuesday last the Chicago paper contained
the following:
''The Washington NATIONAL REPUBLICAN,,
the recognized organ of the White House, has
for months been lingering the public pulse TO
ascertain the feeling Of the country on the
third-term question, and the New York Tribune
has reproduced several columns Of editorials
copied from that journal. On June 1t re-
marked that the Presidential possibilities aud
probabilities of 1875 were very generally sub
jects Of discussion in the country, and con
cluded with the remark that, Il the campaign
Of 1876 were to be fought during the present
year, no candidate upon any platform could
beat General Grant; that By the time Of the
election be would be stronger than he is now;
that It was admitted on all sides he could Be
reelected for . third term almost without
opposition, and in spite Of the traditions Of our
politics.
''0n the oath Of the same month the WASH
ington organ remarked that we have never
had any experience of the effect Of rejoicing
a President for third term; and that there
had been periods in our history when, could
we have elected President for a third or
fourth term, it would have been better for the
country. Had Washington's, aonroe's or
John Quincy Adams terms Of service, It con-
tinues, been prolonged to three or four terms,
we should probably have escaped follies aud
ealamities which inflicted great injuries on tine
people, and seriously retarded the growth Of
the country
Following this is an argument IN favor Of
the re-eligibllity Of President for third
term, and, of course. for tenth. On July IA
an article appeared in the same paper support
ing the consEitutionality Of third term. NJ
merous other articles have appeared in the
same paper on the same subject, all looking in
the came direction. The astute politicians Of
the Republican party all understand what
these articles mean and how they are inspired
These politicians are extremely nervous on the
subject, and are determined 70 prevent Grants
nomination by their party at all hazards, since
they believe he would be badly beaten at the
polls. fts
SIT may be considered certainty, however,
that Gen. Grant "a a candidate. It will be wen
for the people to recognize that fact, and to In
quire whether they are prepared to see the end
Of our present form Of government, for that is
o..
II elected third time, why not a fourth and
ifthf II he may be President for twelve con
seeutive years, why not for thirty-six or forty
eighth Why not for lief And If for life,
why NOT call him Dictator or Emperor instead
Of Presidents A generation ago an American
empire or an American kingdom would have
seemed as reasonable as a third term. Gen.
Grant relies on the support Of the South BY hts
promised veto Of the civil rights BIN, and OF
the East BY his position on the currency ques-
ton, but as 10 the latter he viii find himself
grieyously mistaken. The people of the East
know thar President can be found and elected
whose opposition to imitation viii be quite as
certain and more intelligent than Gen. Grants.
Moreover, It is at the East, more than any
where else, that the traditions Of the republic,
and especially the snti-third-term tradition,
are strongest. The whole project Of third
term is kare-brained delusion. It has no real
bottom anywhere In the Northern States.
There is no objection, however, to ths eoutin-
ned sermouizing Of the Washington NATIONAL
REPUBLICAN on that text. This is the dull
season for newspapers at the capital, and per-
haps they might as wen discuss the third term
as the District safe burglary"
We desire to make one or two remarks
upon the above:
First. So far as the organship business Is
concerned. we cannot print an article upon
any subject without hNing it attributed to
the inspiration of some one Of the leading
statesmen or politicians Of the country.
When we say q word for General Butler
we are immediately set down as Buffers
organ. A single sentence for Speaker
Blaine, and We are Blaine's especialmouth-
piece. When an editorial on Louisiana ap.
pears, we are Kellogg's organ. We cannot
write about tine District Of Columbia, with
out being described as the organ Of the
Ring. Our coiemporaries, 70 suit their own
purposes, win insist that we are an organ,
whatever it may mean, and we have made
up our mind that il is useless to attempt 70
convince them TO the contrary. q
Second. So far as the third Term goes.
we have only discussed il the same as
hundred other Journals in various sections
Of the country discussed II. In all our ar.
ticies we have been especially careful to
treat it as an abstract question. differing in
that respect from papers like the New York
Herald, the Coarier-s Journal, and other
journals, which wrote Of it IS possible
and probable event We have again and
again denied that we favored the idss far
az President Grant is concerned We have
never said that he is candidate, rs the
Chicago Tribune says in the article quoted
above, or that he is not, as some other pa
pers insist The fact is. our ootemporaries
are too impatient The next Presidential
nomination and election are nearly two
years distant. Inirigucs for the Presidency
are not in order They are premature and
ealsHlaied only to give trouble % those
who participate ia them. Our cotemDors-
RES should address themselves to Inc real
vital questions Of the hour-the restoration
Of pesce in tlle South. The solution Of tbe
railroad problem. ibe financial and eon
mercial interests ofthe country. The hexl
Presidency win lake care Of itself