Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1874-06-26
Dort Qobarro Times
PORT TOB ACCO:
Friday Morning, June ............. 26, 1874.
The Third Term.

HE IhffU Ierm.
Much has been said, and probably more
has been written, pro and con on this sub
ject. 1t has been alleged on the one side
that Grant was scheming for third term,
with view to the Inauguration of Caesar
ism in his own person. whilst, on the
other hand, it was claimed that this was
the cry of alarmists who could see nothing
but what was wrong in the Radical party
and the actions of its President But the
indications now are that such purpose is
seriously contemplated. We recollect in
1870 hearing one of the most astute poll
ticians of this country express his opinion
of General Grant They had been class
mates at West Point, intimate as long as
both remained in the army, and the gen
tleman of whom we speak had known
Grant during his residence in ST. Louis,
and had abundant opportunities for OBJ
serving him, (and to do this was to study
him with cold searching eye), during
the stirring days of the civil war, and he
gave it as his deliberate opinion that he
was the neest dangerous man this country
had ever produced. With an ambition.
which, when once aroused, was hard to
CRAFTY, and not to be checked by obstacles
that would daunt ordinary men, with a
courage which shrank from no consequent
ces and chung with the tenacity of bull
dog to the object once fixed on Reading
his character thus-knowing his ambition
was fixed on the Presidency-knowing
that he had no political principles one
way or the other, and that he looked upon
them only as a means to accomplish an
end; and knowing the great hold he had
upon the people because of his supposed
successful termination Of the war, and that
he could not be defeated for the Presiden-
cy,-this gentleman, as early as 1866, sug-
gested to many of the leading Democrats
the expediency of making Grant the nomi-
nee of that party, with reason to believe
he would prefer nomination from this
source. 1t was hoped by the gentleman
to whom we allude, and whose name for
obvious reasons we do not mention, that
once elected and surrounded by Democra-
tic statesmen and Democratic influences.
this nlan, SO potent for good or evil, would
have his indomitable will enlisted for the
pacifcation of the distracted country on
constitutional and Democratic principles,
and thus avert evils which this sagacious
politician foresaw. But other counsel
prevailed. Seymour became the Demo
cratic nominee and Grant the Radical and,
of course was elected. 1t is not for US to
say whether the Democratic leaders acted
wisely or not. We are not now called
upon to do so. But at the time of which
we write Grant had been inaugurated a
little more than year when the above
conversation took place. 1t was conclud-
ed on the part of our friend by saying.
that Grant would never come out of the
White House without his own WILL unless
he was brought out "toes up" What has
been the result of that prophecyl Four
years have elapsed, and during that peri
cd, Grant has been reelected for second
term. and is scarcely warm in his seat be-
fore he is setting his pegs" for third
one. His audacity, as thus displayed,
vindicates the character which our friend
gave him, and we confess we believe if it
depended upon Grant alone he would re-
main in the Presidential chair as long as
suited his own pleasure, and he could Sc
cure the form of a popular reelection
And why not ! we hear some ofhis army of
office-holders, or expectants say. Our an
swer is simple--because it is as plainly
ly unconstitutional as if it were written
all over that much amended and constru
ed instrument and secured by "appropri-
ate legislation" in characters not to be dis
torted by. even Senator Morton, who
thinks our Constitution, as we'll as our cur
rency, should be elastic" to meet the wish
es, as we'll as the wants ofthe people. Show
the articles and sections say they. We
answer, Yankee-like, with another ques-
ton, Show us where the Constitution for
bids the people from electing king and
converting the government into a mon
archy7 1t is in the same article and sec
ton. Show us the one and you will see
the other!
AS the British constitution is a thing
entirely of tradition and is engraven in
articles and sections on the patriotic
hearts of that sturdy people, SO is this one
of the most cherished provisions of our
fundamental Iaw-the more sacred, because
handed down from the hand of Washing
to 4 himself, through Jefferson and jackson.
It has been delivered to- us to guard, as
more dear than written laws, which may
be tortured to suit the within of the passing
hour. That this is so let us recur briefly
to the history of the past on this question.
We all know how gracefully Washing
ton declined third term, and in his fare
well address, speaking of dangers to arise
from the spirit of innovation, he says
aRemember that time and habit are at
least as necessary to fix the true character
of governments as of other human institu-
tions.' But Jefferson, the greatest states
man who ever sat in the Presidential
chair. expressed himself frankly on this