The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-10-17

| Considering that the third term idea is
simply "HERALD sensation" it has taken an
extraordinary shape The administration has
now two organs in New York-morning
organs-whose relations to the incumbent and
wandering Washington remind us Of the
famous Mrs. Camp and Mrs. Harris OF
Dickens We mean the Times and The he
public Which is which we have too much
respect for our comfort and peace of mind to
say. But on the third term sensation,
or 'bugaboo," or "ghost, " or whatever it may
be called, there comes a serious misunder-
standing. The Times makes public an
nouncement, which We print elsewhere, to the
effect that it will not accept the third term.
And this notes one important fact worth re-
membering in these days of the decline of the
republican party, that there are two factions
in the organization-that one supports the
third term and the other rejects it. We
infer that the editor of the Times-a dis
tinguished author now in America studying
the institutions Of the country-has had his
attention called to the recent elections in
Indiana and Ohio, and has had their meaning
fully explained to him. This declaration would
have had value before these elections but we
do not despise it now.
There have been also one or two whispers
from Washington recently to the effect that
the President has spoken on the question of
third term Probably he has spoken to
Mr.. Robson, whose anxiety to become the
next New Jersey Senator seems to have made
him anxious to hear from the President. The
rule adopted for his administration by the
inscrutable Washington makes his Cabinet
staff, not independent statesmen with
opinions and the sense Of direct responsibility
for their actions, only clerks, whose duty
is to fashion in proper phrase the Ex-
ecutive authority. Furthermore, any ex-
preston of opinion on the subject
is unwelcome. Vice President Wilson tho
other day made some remarks to newspaper
correspondent to the effect that the third term
idea was serious injury to the republican
| party, and that, unless there was some posi-
tive expression of opinion from the President
disavowing the purpose of accepting another
nomination the republicans would lose the
Northern States. This was of course, an in
Vice President to express. But evidently it
disturbed the father Of his country for the
time being, as q declaration was at once made
that the Vice Presidents remarks had been
misunderstood" and he regretted them.
With this deterring example we may not
expect much conversation from the Cabinet
on the subject. It is not an especially talk
alive body. As for the reigning Washington
himself, his views are as variable as our weather
reports Some months since the Hon. John
M. Francis, Of Troy, formerly Minister to
Greece, and solemn, serious statesman of
the old Websterian school, sought audience
Of the ssruler of the freest and
greatest" and learned that the third
term was ssdistasteful'' to him and
made him impatient" Mr.. Francis left the
refulgent presence convinced that he had
solved the riddle of the Sphinx. The other
day, as we read, daring statesman ap-
preached the President upon the same theme.
''He smiled, and said nothing" Here are
two indications, probabilities, tokens. The
Sphinx frowned on Francis and now smiles.
The theme which was once 'sdistastefup' has
become amusing. The wise Plutarch tells us
that when Antony the Consul offered Cesar
the diadem wreathed with laurel there was q
shout of appreciation when he refused it,
universal applause Upon the second offer
very few cheered, and upon the second refusal
all again applauded He was testing public
opinion, and no one knows what would have
come had Cesar not been interrupted in his
career. Our Cesar, who once frowned on
Francis, now smiles.
And as this administration is famous for
its domestic virtues, for it's marrying and
giving in marriage, the President has gone
West on wedding tour, to see his son mar
ried, leaving the third term issue unsettled
In New York and Pennsylvania there is much
distress. Ohio and Indiana have fallen under
the burden of question which Mr.. Wilson
well regarded as the heaviest load the republican
party had to carry. The organ now rolls out
its loud discordant music, and Mr.. Mast ex-
presses his contending emotions in brace of
cartoons Centennial Dix is carrying Credit
Mobilier and other rings, bearing on his vener-
able shoulders all the burdens of the admins
tration. But even he becomes restless under
the new burden. From hard-headed, iron
backed Pennsylvania we hear moans The
Philadelphia Ring is heavy enough, but what
Of this added care2 1t is enough to carry
Grants mistakes and misfortunes, instead of
his ambitions. Henry Wilson spoke truly
when he said that the third term idea
would seriously cripple, if not destroy, the
republican party. We might ask, Why does
not the President interfere and save the party
This is natural question, but when we come
to consider it what claim has the republican
party on Grant, Did he not do the party
essential service when he became its candi-
date? Could he not have become democrat