Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-06-02
HOW GRANTS THIRD TERM LET
TER TAKES.

TER TAKES.
The leading Republican papers of
Ohio do not seem to regard President
Grants third-term letter as conclusive
on the subject. AT least they insist
that the Republican State Convention
which meets to-day in Columbus, must
speak out like Pennsylvania, all the
same as though the great Sphinx had
remained silent. This would be some
what shabby treatment of the Presi-
Dental utterance, but the situation is
an awkward one. If Ohio's Conven-
ton repeats the Pennsylvania resolu-
ton, 1t Is tantamount to saying that
Grants word is not sufficient; on the
other hand, if no such resolution is
adopted, thousands of voters who do
dlstrust Grant, will be lost to the party.
So, we may look for folked resolution
bedaubing rotten administration with
praise, and thanking Grant for his
long-deferred declaration, while abus.
ing the Democracy for extorting it
from him.
The Chicago Tribune regards the let
ter as pointed and opportune-inIfact all
that could be desired, but the st. Louis
Globe-Den1Ocrat, which is a staunch
administration organ, pronounces it a
political blunder, because of the "sheer
folly" of declaring anything in the
politics Of this country a year ahead of
time Here is the way the GlOBe-Dem-
oorat puts it:
To declare one way or the other on
the subject has seemed to us absurd,
and we still believe that Gen. Grant
would have pursued wiser course by
continuing to disregard the clamor of
the noisy and scary politicians who
have allowed themselves to be fright
ened by this great Democratic bugaboo.
The Democratic newspapers and pOliti-
clans will now harp on what they will
call the Saving clause" of the letter,
which they will discover Is the
apparent admission that circum-
stances may arise under which |
third nomination would be |
accepted. Every act of the Admin |
istratiOn Will be tortured and twisted |
into an effort to produce these circum-
stances. If Federal influence is called /
for in the South, it will be heralded as
an evidence of determination to make |
a third term necessary; if cOmplca-
tons with foreign governments arise,
they will be translated in the same /
light. And so on to the end of the |
chapter. So we fear that Gen. Grant |
viii find, IN less than a month, that the /
honesty and candOr which characterize |
his letter have been lost upon the very |
men for whom this declaration was in |
tended; and that, as those who forced |
the issue upon him did so for the pur-
pose of keeping it unsettled, and not |
for the purpose Of settling it, so they |
viii continue to miscOnstrue bis utter |
ances and to pervert hismanifest mean
ing.
Independent journals, ike the Chi. |
cago Times are more outspoken In their |
even going so far as to in
sinuate that the letter is apalpable bid |
for a third term. Il do not want it |
any more than I did the first term, is
certainly equivocalr while the assertion |
that "the people cannot be restricted
IN their choice by resolution" may be |
construed as a warning to the Ohio |
Republicans against attempting to so
restrict the peoples choice. Again |
Grant says "to change an Executive
because he has been eight years IN
Office may prove disastrous" Disas-
trous to whom or what? To the coun-
try, or the party? The answer may
perhaps be inferred from the fact that |
the person to whom Grant is opening
his bosom happens to be the !
chairman of a party convention.
the President states that |
he would not accept a denomination |
"Unless it should come under such cir
as to makeit an imperative |
duty" Who can measure Grants es-
innate of imperative duty?" Would |
not a fresh Republican nomination,
confessing that he is a neces-
sity to the party, constitute "such cir |
as to make it an impera-
tive duty" in his opinion? The whole
letter reads like bid for bringing
about "such circumstances" He ac-
cepted his second nomination because,
he says, he was abused" and wanted
Has he been less abused |
since? His double salary, the Louis
lana ugurpation, the Arkansas agony,
the outrage mill of his Attorney VII
Iiams and the gross and growing cor
ruption of every department in the
public service, have rather intensified
the "abuse" of which he complains. If
that be his role, he stands in greater
need Of ''vindication" now than four
years ago..