The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-27
Ths PeRnsyIvania Republicans and
the Third Term.

49,
that there was great deal more IN the idea
than their shallow wits were able to under
stand If 1t was sensational moonshine 1t
should have waned, like the moon, In the
course Of its little month and have passed
into the limbo of forgotten things. Why
is it that the third term stands as
permanent spectre in the political sky
The Republican Convention Of Pennsylvania
in its session at Lancaster yesterday bore tes-
timony to the foresight and penetration Of the
HERALD in raising its persistent cry Of warn
ing two years ago. The resolution against
third term is an accusation Of General Grant
If he has no such ambition why should his
own party superfuously denounce it The
Pennsylvania resolve is more than per-
sonal accusation it is the confession OF >
fear that the republican party may be brought
to support the Irregular aspirations Of the
President. If, when one member Of the re-
publican party desires q third term,
the other three and half millions OF
the pprty were Of the unanimous opin-
ion that he should not have il, there
would be no need Of q protest against his IN
supported ambition. President Grants aspi-
rations are dangerous only because he has
strong body Of personal adherents who are
willing to crafty his wishes. He would not
indulge such an ambition if be had not hopes
Of success The Pennsylvania republicans
would not have made the confession implied
in their resolution unless they had felt COM
PEELED to take such step by their sense Of
danger. 1t would otherwise be a gratuitous
aud uncalled for inculpation of a republican
President by the republican party. 1t was
never thought necessary to erect such barrier
against any former President
1t is tie fault of General Grant himself
that convention Of his own party is con-
strained to make this protest against his
ambitious designs. 1t has always been in his
power to extinguish these fears by q few en-
phatic words. He had only TO say that he
respected the example of Washington and
that nothing could induce him to violate SO
wise precedent, and the third term excite
ment would have subsidized from that moment.
His stubborn refusal to speak convinced first
the democrats and afterward his own party that
President Grant had set his heart on third
election. The rebuke of this pretension by
the Pennsylvania republicans attests not only
their fears for the safety Of the party, but
patriotic determination which rises above
party considerations to guard the institutions
Of the country. This respect for settled
national usage and protest against its viola
ton comes appropriately from the State
which was the cradle Of our national indepen-
dence and is to be the scene of its Centennial
celebration. In Pennsylvania, if anywhere,
the ideas Of the fathers of the Republic should
be respected.
An attempt was made to coat the bitter pill
administered to President Grant with compI-
mentary political sugar he was to be in
dorsed as patriot, his administration was to
be praised and the third term imputaion to
be denounced as an egregious SANDER against
high-souled patriot who could never be SO
unmindful Of his duty as to violate princi-
pie as sacred as the constitution itself. This
method Of rebuke is as amusing as
. comedy. 1t reminds one Of the
paternal expressions Of love and ten
derness which sometimes accompany the
ment Of juvenile peccadilloes The tingle
which attends the strokes is not perceptibly
diminished by the LOVING kindness Of the in
teriected words. General Grant would not
have been less significantly told that a third
term Is forbidden fruit which he cannot be
permitted to touch by hollow professions Of
belief that be has no such intentions. The
courteous reserve in which the resolution was
attempted to be couched would only have
enabled the Convention to express its unmeas-
ured denunciation Of third term aspirations
with freedom and vigor which would have
been unseemly if it had openly imputed
such intentions to General Grant. The polite
arti6ce Of treating the third term accusation
as a SANDER would have set the Convention
free to express the indignant reprobation of
the American people Of 50 dangerous an
ambition. BY the adroit fiction Of separat-
ing Grant from the charge they might
have dashed the idea without openly inculpat-
Of defending him from calumny
the Convention would have gained
liberty Of denunciation on which it would not
otherwise have ventured. This dexterous sub
terfuge was, however, rejected BY the plain
common sense Of the Convention. 1t would
have been idle TO say that such vigorous de-
nunciations were not directed against Presi-
dent Grant II he had ever disclaimed the
kind 81 ambition against which they were
directed there would have been no necessity
for the Convention to say a word on the
subject It is only because he has stubbornly
refused 70 relieve the republican party Of this
heavy incubus that the Pennsylvania re-
publicans thought it incumbent on them
to publicly cast il of; and had they adopted
the resolution denouncing it as the foulest
calumny that could be uttered against the
President they would stll have proclaimed