The New York herald., 1875-07-13
A suggsstlou % the Prss,aent.

We have noticed, as we suppose the pubic
has, that General Grant usually puts his foot
in it when he undertakes to act without the
advice of the most jealous of his supporters.
Ii he had consulted as about his Arkansas
Message we could have told him it would
only bring him defeat and odium; if he had
asked US about the Force bill we should have
been ready to assure him that it was blunder
and must fail. We did warn him against the
absurd Civil Rights bill, but he chose TO
sign it nevertheless, and it defeated the
republicans in the South. and will give them
infinite trouble, we fear, next year in the
North.
And then there is his third term letter,
which has covered him with ridicule, not only
bere, but, as it now appears, even in England.
Why did he do il? He must feel by this time
that writing, which came to him, We suppose,
as it came to Dogberry, by nature, is danger
GUS accomplishment II he wanted to go
fishing for the third term we could have told
him OF half dozen different and better ways:
indeed, if he had only kept still, be would
have been better off than he is now. And if
Caesar, he wished to refuse the crown, in order
to have it forced on HMM that case we
should have recommended to him two models
for his letter, one of which would have at
least lett him a door open for retreat
in case the people were tired of him, as it
seems they are. He might have written, for
instance: e:-''The period for new election of
citizen to administer the Executive govern
ment OF the United States being not tar dis
tant, and the time actually arrived when your
thoughts must be employed in designating the
person who is to be clothed with that impor-
tant trust it appears to me proper, especially
as it may conduce to q more distinct express
sion of the public voice, that should now
appriss you of the resolution l have formed
to decline being considered among the num-
Der of those out of whom the choice is to be
made" And he might have added:-"In
withdrawing the tender of service which
silence in my situation might imply 1 am
influenced by no diminution of zeal for your
future interest, no deficiency of grateful re-
spect fer your past kindness"
If he had written thus he would, little as he
may think it, have used the words Of General
Washington, the Father Of His Country, in
1896. Or, if these words did not suit him, he
might have written:-"That should lay
down my charge at proper period is as
much duty as to have borne it faithfully.
If some termination to the services of the
Chief Magistrate be not fixed by the constitu-
ton or supplied by practice his Office, nomi-
nally for years. viii become practically for
life, and history shows how easily that de-
generates into an inheritance. Believing that
a representative government, responsible
at short periods of elections, is that
which produces the greatest sum of hap
piness to mankind, I feel it duty to do no
act which shall essentially impair that princi-
pie, and should be unwilling to be the
person who, disregarding the precedent set
by an inustrious predecessor, should furnish
the first example OF prolongation beyond the
second term of Office"
1t is unfortunately true that these would
have been rather strong words for General
Grant to use, seeing that he was fishing for q
third term, and not like Jefferson, who wrote
them in 1903, absolutely declining renomi-
nation, which had been urged upon him by
the Legislatures of Massachusetts,, Vermont.
Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, Maryland and North Carolina
AS the friend Of General Grant sincerely
anxious for his fame and comfort, the HERALD
regrets to notice that not single Legislature
has as yet asked him to accept third term,
while three or four conventions OF his own
party have told him they do not want him.
This is awkward, and, of course, such letter
as Jeffersons would be hardly suitable in his
present opinion, for his actual position. If,
however, he could divest his mind Of the
wish for another term, we could still recon-
mend Jeffersons letter to him. 1t contains
sound sense and, as General Grant is not
likely to have any Legislature to address it to,
there would be no improperly in directing it
through the columns of the HERALD to the
American people Our journal is nobody's
organ, not even His Excellency's; but when
ever he makes up his mind that he cannot
get another term we viii gladly publish his
remuneration free of charge. But we advise
him, on the whole, not to attempt an original
production. 1t is not in his line. Let him
tell General Babcock to make a fair copy
of Washington's or Jefezson's letter, and
then let him sign his name to it 1t can be
sent by telegraph at our charge, and it will
relieve the minds of the other republican
candidates, who begin to see that the last let
Ter ''meant yes"
The DEFENDERS OF THE HARLEM FLATS
NU1sANCE.-In the Board of Apportionment