New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-01
GRANT AND A THIRD TERM. |
HIS LETTER A SURPRISE TO THE POLI1I-
CLANS.

HIS LETTER SURPRISE TO THE POLnI-
CLANS.
| HOW IT WAS RECEIVED IN wAsHINGToS-THE CAM
PAIGN OF THE CENTENNIAL YEAR FAIRLY
OPENED-DIyIDED OPINIONs-THE JOY or THE
THIRD-TERN ADvOCATEs-DEMoCRATIC CRITI-
CIsMs-THE LETTER WRITTEN BY THE PREsr-
DENT WITHOUT CONSULTING EVEN Ex-GOv.
SHEPHERD.
IBr TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBuNs.l
| WASHINGTON, May 31.-President Grants remark
able letter. defining his position the subject OF
Third Term, like most things which it's author does,
surprised everybody. After leading politicians from
Pennsylvania had failed to obtain from him any ex-
pression however ambiguous that might be authoRi-
tatively communicated to the Lancaster Conven-
tion people in Washington had about made up their
minds that the President intended to fight it out on
the silent line If it took until November, 1875 The
existence of the letter to Gen. White was unknown
last evening except to the correspondents News
paper Row, and the few persons who learned OF it
from them. There was, therefore, no discussion OF
| it until this morning.
| One of the first remarks in regard to the Presi-
dents letter made by nearly every politician who
has been met to-day has been that it fairly opens the
Presidential campaign of 1876. Whatever may be
thought of the effect Of the document upon the
political future Of the President, of other cand-
dates, there seems to be a substantial agreement
that the political contest of the Centennial year
will date its beginning from the publication of this
letter.
| The earnest advocates of q third term for Gen.
Grant are divided in opinion in regard to the letter
The editors of The National Republican, which
has been par excellence a Third Term organ, are
understood to accept the letter settling the ques
ton finally, and as Withdrawing it's author in good
| faith from the next Presidential race. Others who
have reelection of President Grant,
| look upon the letter as q very strong and shrewd
document, which will strengthen their candidate
and make him popular than ever be-
| FORE Suppose that Hartranft should be de-
| feated in Pennsylvania and the Repub-
lican candidate in Ohio should fail
to be elected" said prominent third term
man to-day" what would then be said, :" it is very
significant fact" he continued, that very few anti
Third Term men have pulled through thus far, and
the circumstances which might make it an imper-
tive duty to accept to which the President refers in
the last paragraph of his letter. may arise out of just
such events ~ the defeat of the Republican party in
the Fall elections of this year." This class of men
still assert that Gen. Grant is stronger than the Re-
publican party, and that the people will see and
recognize the fact before the National Convention
| is held next year. Some of the strong advO-
Gates of Third Term are delighted with
the lecture which the President has read in
| his letter to Pennsylvanians. ut is a
slap right across the face said one. See in whst
plight he leaves them, when he expresses his sur
prise that many sensible persons in the Republican
party should permit their enemy to force upon them
and their party an issue that cannot add strength to
| the party matter how met and again. when he
tells them in effect, that they have been meddling
with matter they had no authority to deal with,
and that the question Of the number of terms al
| lowed to any Executive can only come up fairly
in the shape Of aproposon to amend the Constit'l-
ton"
| The great mass of thinking Republicans in this
city, office holders as well Others, have no doubt
been opposed to third term, especially for Gen.
Grant but have heretofore hesitated to discuss the
question very freely. Indications are already OBJ
served that the Presidents letter has removed the
restraint these people have heretofore felt so that
they will hereafter feel free to give their support to
any Republican candidate of their choice. In other
words they accept the Presidents letter as dispos-
ing of him finally as a candidate, and will not feel
that they are any the less loyal to his
Administration because they prefer that
some one else shall be the next President
For the last six years very little independence
of opinion this particular question has been al
lowed among those holding office under Gen. Grants
Administration. Democrats generally criticise the
| letter very severely. "TOO late! too late" they
say. "Ths letter should have been written at least
year ago, in order to do either Grant or the party
any good. Its publication now, and under the cir
cumstances which exist proves all that has ever
boon said about his desire for third term to be
| truer The Democrats also criticse the letter on
| other grounds than political ones. They point to
the portions of the letter in which he speaks of the
sacrifices he has made rs particularly 'Grantlsh,"
and saw that the whole tone of the letter
shows that he is incapable of rising above SELF or OF
looking at any great political question except from
selfish point of view. Gen. Grant HIMSELF 1t Is I'M
derstood thinks that he has defined his position In
the last paragraph of his letter as strongly as 1t
would be possible for bny to do in his position,
considering the fact that another denomination has
not yet been rendered him.
So.ne question has been raised, to-day, as to the
authorship of the letter, but it may be positively
stated that the President wrote it himself, and that
he told very few persons of his intention to prepare
il, Even ex-Gov. Shepherd was not consulted.
PRESS COMMENTS ON THE PRESIDENTS
LETTER.
We shall be surprised If the country accepts
this as n satisfactory declaration from the President IL
is an eyasvc letter II would have been much better for
his fame and even for welfare Of he party which he
proposes 10 serve II he had not written H. In word the
|
not offered TO him That IL not hat wanted from the
President What we did want wa. an EXPRESS aNo%h py
zen Grant that the question OF third term woud DC
treason 10 a sacred pccept Of our unwritten conmonaw
| IN. Y. Herald tnd.I
Nobody can fail to read in the letter which
warning from supporters mas at last drawn out
from Mr. Grant, reluctance with which lie
makes even pretense OF resgnng his chance Tor re-
election The letter shows the same weakness that its
author has all along shown In sttrbung all opposition
to tho third term personal hostility 10 himself and In
failing 10 that there are constitutional checks
which men who know what free government means are
not prepared give up In favor OF CHIEF Magistrate
even II they believe In his good Intentionally Y World
| Dem