The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-06-07
Attorney General PIcrrepont on the
Third Term.

Grants letter be known to the country there
is none who is better entitled or better quail
fed to speak as an expounder OF that eng
NAUTICAL document than Judge Pierrepont
The new Attorney General is honored with
the personal confidence of the President in
perhaps higher degree than any other mem
Der Of the Cabinet. Secretary Fish, who has
SO long held the chief place and has seen all
his Cabinet colleagues changed while ne
alone remains, may be more trusted by the
| President as an official adviser; but the
prudent reserve. which is q part of Mr.. Fish's
character, is not so we'll calculated to make
him the repository of the Presidents personal
condolences as the franker and more commu-
NEGATIVE nature of Judge Pier repont, in whose
presence reticence is relaxed, on the principle
that like begets like. In the interview with
our representative, which we publish
to-day, Mr.. Pierrepont spoke with his
habitual frank courtesy, but even his
statements do not remove the doubts excited
by the Presidents ambiguous letter. Mr.
Pierrepont's language is indeed very en-
phatic. president Grant, he says, "has
told me his plans for the future, and | cannot
consider that he has concealed anything from
me. If he has a wish to be President again
he must have capability for deception such
as no other man ever had before him." This
might seem conclusive if human experience
did not so abundantly attest the capacity of
men to deceive themselves. We have forgot
ten what ancient exile from power it was who
persuaded himself he was tar happier IN his
rural recreations than he would be in gov
erning a State, but 10 whom these tranquil
pursuits seemed intolerably vapid from the
moment the news reached him that he was
likely TO be recalled. The fabulists have de-
lighted to satirize this weakness Of human ma
ture, as in the fable of the fox who thought
the grapes were sour when he found he could
not leap high enough to pluck them, and the
fable of the cat who was transformed into
fine lady and presided at the tea table with
all the airs of polite breeding until mouse
Glanced to run across the room, when she gave
sudden spring overthe rafting china topounce
upon the little intruder If her feline lady
ship had assured her tea table companions
three minutes before that she had become
as little consciousness of deception as General
Grant had in the assurances he gave Judge
Pierrepont. We therefore submit with great
Difference to Mr.. Pierrepont whom we sim
cerely respect, that there is no necessary inn
putation on the Presidents sincerity in sup
posing that he may yet be candidate in
1876.
The conflicting interpretations Of his letter
are natural consequence of the ambiguity
of its language and the contrariety of its posi-
tons. 1t supports both sides of the question;
the negative meekly and tamely, the afirma-
tive with vigor and zeal President Grant
defends the principle of the third term, but
disclaims any personal desire to benefit by it
in practice. But he cannot be ignorant that
what the American people chiefly object to is
the principle. Their strenuous opposition
to a third term is far less a personal
opposition directed against General Grant
than q determination to protect our
institutions from dangerous limo
Walton If they could be persuaded by
the arguments Of the letter to yield the prin-
ciple; if they could be brought to agree with
the President that third term is just as
legitimate as a second or a first, the republic
can party would be more likely to run General
Grant again than to take up a new candidate.
The Pennsylvania resolution, which called
forth his letter, was aimed solely against the
principle OF the third term, and was accom-
panied with another resolution strongly in
dorsing the administration OF President Grant.
The Ohio platform made the same broad dis
elimination, condsmning the third term on
principle, but praising the patriotism, wis
dom and public services of the present in
cumbent. The republican conventions are
not opposing the man, but the principle, and
it is evident that no man has any chance of a
third term unless opposition to the principle
can be broken down. President Grant, with
the eye Of a strategist, directs his guns
against the main fortress, which stands on
the frontiers Of the forbidden ground. Ho
is too skilful campaigner to
weaken his attack on the frowning
fortress which hedges his way by attempting
to gain any minor point which could not be
held while exposed to its guns His argu-
rnents in support Of the third term principle
could no. have gained hearing il he had not
taken his personal claims out Of the discus
sion. Should he succeed in convincing the
American people that third term is as legit-
innate as q first (and this seems the main pur-
pose Of his letter. the republican party might
then be easily persuaded that Grant Is their
strongest man. If he can demolsh that part
Of the opposition to a third term which is
founded on princple1he personal opposition
to him as a candidate will not be very forinid-
able in his own party. He has dexterously
separated the personal question from the ques-
ton Of principle with as true a strategy as
that which taught him that he could capture
Richmond only by taking the forts which
blocked his approach.