The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-11-15

'sweIl, We Can't Tell What May Hap
pen"-The President OF the United
states.
The above are the words Of the President
in response to an inquiry as to what he
thought Of a third term. The Commercial
Advertiser one of our oldest, as it is one of
the ablest and most respected Of our evening
journals, in commenting upon some observa-
tions of the HERALD as to the policy of the
President with respect to Cuba and Spain, adj
vises us not to be run" by designing men"
and led to do violence to the common sense
ofthe country, and to oppose "a rising tide"
The editor of the Commercial Advertiser is a
politician of long experience, of courage and
resolution, who, if he had been an older
man, would have been the superior even of
Thurlow Weed in all that goes to the har-
mony and success of great party as he is
superior to him in ability. We listen to him
as the Mentor of great party whose organ
his journal is and whose advice it would be
well for that party to follow. Mr.. Hastings
is anxious that the HERALD, which he regards
as "great lever of public opinion, should
not be used against the best interests of the
country. BY this Mr.. Hastings means that
we should not oppose policy that looks to
war with Spain for the possession of Cuba,
an island that is coming nearer and nearer
every day, which is ripening pear, and only
needs patience to be plucked. Whoever
advises the President to make war MS q part
of the campaign for the Presidency shows
shrewdness and deep knowledge of ma
tonal character. Mr. Kinglake, in his de-
scription of a great general of the English
army, said that it was characteristic of his
blood "to fire strangely and suddenly at
the prospect of fight. This may be said
of our own people We cannot resist the
summons to the fight, if it really comes in
earnest and in such a fashion that to decline
is to show any want of patriotism and oour-
age. A successful war at this time means
the election of Grant as "war President"
necessity to the peace and preservation
of the country" Then would come an ex-
tension of his term, and gentle floating
into the sea of imperialism
1t was by this easy and gentle process that
the Roman Republic fell into the hands of
Caesar and the French Republic into the
hands of Bonaparte We may feel that we
are proof to any such temptations, that we
are much better than the French or the Ro-
mans and not to be caught by the same infu-
ences. But if we cared to follow the paral-
lei we might show how our Republic has
fallen under imperial influences even as
Rome did. We are not satisfied with the
ways and teachings Of the plain and sim
pie fathers of the Revolution. The White
House, which was good enough for jefferson
and Jackson, is not grand enough for our
President, who is to have a new Tuileries in
the suburbs of the capital. This is the be-
ginning of the beginning of Imperialism,
and we are not surprised to hear the notes
of war as the accompaniment We
have a pretext for war. Our relations
with Spain are in delicate condition,
as they have always been since the Spanish
and Saxon races became neighbors on this
Continent We have as much cause for
trouble as we had in the time of Adams and
Buchanan, and more. 1t is always easy to
quarrel with neighbor, if we only mean to
do so. We can set the dogs on his children
or pull down the wall If we want to fight
Spain the pretext and the time can be found.
But for every reason such a war would be
ignoble 20 the last degree. 1t would serve
no interest but the ambition of General
Grant. At the best we could only win Cuba,
which is coming as surely as the night comes
after the day. We should have few hun
dred millions of debt extra. Our bonds
would come surging back from Europe. Our
finances, which need strengthening and the
utmost care would fall into ruin. Gold
would go rushing up. We should have
as much imitation as even Governor
Allen would want More than all, it
would destroy the Centennial, which we
all look to as a national festival and to
the success of which we are pledged by every
consideration of national self-respect and of
courtesy to our guests. We can we'll under
stand the mood in which the President finds
himself when he 'can't tell what may
happen" He remembers how the dormant
and listless North, insensible to insult or en-
treaty, rose like one man when the guns of
Sumter were heard, and how no voice was
heard but warlike voices. Such summons
would be another crossing of the Rubicon,
another Eighteenth of Brumaire, with con-
sequences as alarming to the fate of this Re-
public as these events had on the fortunes of
Rome and France. Let it be understood
that now and for this generation, at least, to
talk of war is as much an offence against the
country as it was for Davis and Toombs to
talk of treason fifteen years ago. We want
peace. War at any cost or with any
assurance of victory would be a crime.
The Pulpit and the Press.
The full reports of the sermons and ser