The New York herald., 1874-11-04
Warning to President Grant.


and especially the election in New York,
ought to make profound and instructive i'm
preston on the mind of President Grant
Up to this TIME he has had an uninterrupted
course Of political good fortune, which, fol-
lowing his brilliant military successes, would
naturally create, in any but mind of unusual
strength and self-pose, feeling that he is q
favorite Of fortune. When we compare the
ex-captain who tanned leather with his father
in 1860 with the great general and the pop
ular President it is easy to understand how
the success and fame which have been SO
entirely beyond his expectations may have
inspired him with extravagant hopes. To
advance from his present exalted station to
third term or Presidency for life would be
far less wonderful than the promotion Of a
tanners clerk to the command of the army
and the Presidency of the United States. The
soundest head might be turned by so sudden
rise and SO dazzling career; and as Cen
eral Grant is still in the full vigor Of his
years, and as his success has never met q
check until now, it is quite natural that he
should cherish extravagant expectations. But
the result of the voting yesterday ought to
convince him that there is limit to every
career in a republican country, and that he
is no exception to the rule which fixes an i'm
passable boundary to the ambition of citizen
of republic. The most illustrious of our
former Washington and Scott-rec-
ognized the limit by their own intuitive sa-
gacity. Scott put aside the offer which was
made to him of the government of Mexico,
and Washington preferred his agricultural
pursuits at Mount Vernon to the exercise of
authority over his country. The most ad-
mired parts Of the history Of Washington and
Scott are those which include their noble acts
of self-renunciation. It is to be regretted
that General Grant did not emulate their
magnanimous example without waiting to be
taught in the school Of events.
But although General Grant has failed to
exercise the high civic virtue which puts o
self-imposed limit on ambition, we would fain
hope that he has wisdom enough to be in
structed by experience. The great loss Of
votes by Governor Dix since 1872 attests the
waning popularity of the President even more
clearly than it does that of General Dix In
1872 Dix was borne to success on the tide of
Grants popularity, and his notifying decline
in the election yesterday is consequence Of
his standing for the federal administration.
Dix would have made much better show in
the election had he stood on his personal
merits and been in no way identified with
Grant. 1t is Grant who has killed Dix, and
Grant rather than Dix is the person who
should lay this defeat to heart. It should
teach the President that there is limit
even to public gratitude. The country has
caressed him, praised him, rewarded him,
promoted him, with lavish, unstinted
generosity; but the country has showered on
him those abundant marks of grateful appre-
citation on the supposition that he is true to
our institutions and desires no reward which
would be inconsistent with their perpetuity.
His third term aspirations have turned public
feeling against him, and we trust that the
demonstrated decline of his popular strength
may teach him the wisdom of rsnouncing his
irregular hopes and devoting what remains Of
his second term to high and worthy objects
If he promptly recognizes the utter futility of
all third term hopes he may close his ad-
miniAration amid the plaudits of his country
men. The people retain their appreciation of
his great military services, and if convinced
that he means in good faith to retire to pri-
vate life at the end of this term they would
indulge in no ungenerous criticisms during
the remnant of his Presidency. General
Grants military fame is one of the most
precious possessions of his country, and the
people will overlook and forgive all his short
comings as President if he will, even at this
late day, convince them that he prefers the
public welfare to his private views.
President Grant is man of sagacty, and
he ought to see now that it is perfectly futile
for him to entertain hopes of another election
Let him, then, accept the situation and he may
end his brilliant career with credit and re-
tire to private life with undiminished popu-
larity. If he has choice as to his successor
he can do much to secure his election, if the
choice is founded on sincere wish to pro-
mote the public welfare. He can easily con-
selfish or ambitious views of his own, and
republican nomination, dictated by patriotic
motives, would even yet have strong chan ces
of success. We hope, therefore, that Presi-
dent Grant will recognize the important les
son taught him by the humiliating decline in
the strength of his party, and that the re-
manning two years of his administration NAV
be the most honored and satisfactory part Of
his civil career.
WE SHALL Now have goodly amount of
democratic rhetoric about tsthe tidal wave