The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1875-06-16
ep,sT,s THIRD TERM BhUNDER.

oil
rios are Indispensable to their sue o
,oss But when President Grant sat Il
down, all by himself, as we are as il
snred he did, mot even Ex-Governor. n
sbepherd being with him." to indite |
his remarkable dying speech and con- v
f,ssion about the third term, he fell I
into adeplorable blunder, from which Y
cooler head and a more retentive /
memory might have saved him. The t
President deliberately says in his let
Ter of Monday morning to General I
White that he breaks his silence
about the question of third term
only because the question has been
considered" by body "of the Dig j
nity and authority of party conven-
,on to make nominations for State
officers" Of course this statement
ID ridiculous one to make if it can
be shown not only that "the ques-
tom had been "considered' by such
body as the President here speaks
Of long before it was Considered by
the Pennsylvania Convention, but
that it had been considered by /
such body with direct and per-
sonal reference to President Grant |
himself which is not to be found in
the consideration" it received from
tile Pennsylvanians. The Presi-
dents party in South Carolina no
longer ago than last year, at time
when the fate of the Presidents par
ty throughout the Union was hang
ing in the balance, "considered' the
question of third term and came to
this plain conclusion: eve pledge
ourselves to the support of President
Grant fol a third term, assured that
by so doing we shall preserve that
peace and unity throughout the
whole country so necessary to its
prosperity" Here was a plain prof
fer to the President, made by a body
to which he at least will hardly deny
either dignity or authority, ~ of a
reelection. The opponents of the
Republican party, well aware that the
people of this country are unaltera-
bly, hostile to any departure from the
wholesome custom of the fathers on
this point, arraigned and were justi-
fed in arraigning the Republican
party on the strength of this action
of d thorough, paced Republican State
Convention for conniving in a plan te
lift President Grant for a third time
into the Executive chair. This at
tack could only have been met ant
countered by the President himself
If he did not desire a reelection, ant
if he did desire the perpetaation an'
triumph of the party which had twie
made him President, it was his plan
duty to have given tbatparty at one
the substantial help which only II
could give it, of assuring his zealou
friends in South Carolina that h
would not acceIt the nominatio
which they had thus early and thu
unequirocally given him. Commo
civility would have dictated some II
cognition of their Nrdent devotio!
and in recognizing it nothing wonl
have been easier than for the Pres
dent in few clear manly words
announce his Discrimination to |
pressed in the way which they ha
proposed upon their party and IL
country. He made absolutely I
sign. But now in May, 1875, Whe
the Republican Convention in PEN
sylvania, without meaning Preslde'
Grant at all, declares itself "unalte
ably opposed to the election to u
Presidency Of any person for a til Il
term" President Grant PUSHES
once into print to tell the Conventi'
that while it is true that he does n
want renomination, neither t.
Convention nor anybody else can pl
vent his being renominated until &
amendment to the Constitution h
been adopted" fixing the length
time or the number of terms
which any one person shall be ell;
BILE for the office of President"
In other words, the question OF
third term has been twice brong
plainly before President Grant, If
is to be renominated at all, is a
more likely to be renominated tn
he is to be appointed Archbishop
Granada by the Pope. The first
these conventions (bodies of eq'
authority and dignity express
renominated President Grant for
third term. President Grant hes
and, by his silence, gave assent to