, 1875-05-29
The Third Term.

tAdA AllU 1tlA 4eAA 81 ~ N-- 'NANAaf ~ ---
issue in American politics, came from the
apathy of republicans themselves in under
estimating the Importance Of the question,
and from the fact that the division of party
interests Is so great that General Grant him
self is even now stronger in the estimation of
his own party than any of the gentlemen
who have been mentioned in connection with
the republican nomination for the Presidency.
There are two reasons for this. The first
Is that the republican party has been sub
mitted to a process Of elimination the result
of which has been 10 throw out OF it the men
who would naturally and under ordinary cir
cumstances be candidates for the Presidency.
Power has eneryatcl this organization.
When we come to look over the field NC are
struck with the paucity of the material from
which to select an available candidate for the
Presidency. If we take military renown, and
this has on nearly every occasion been a
potent element IN the calculations Of poll
ticians, who can exceed General Grant
The democrats have had wandering idea at
times of nominating a military ohieftain IN
order to answer this condition of success, but
General Grants promiDence rs a soldier Is
only matter of history, and no politician
could seriously question it. In craftsmanship
who remains? There are three or four repub-
licans whose names are in the mouths Of
their friends as proper candidates for the
Presidency, but compared with the men who
founded the party and whose genius gave 1t
strength and dignity they are weak and com
monplaoe. There Is scarcely republican
header, no matter how strong, who really has
a national influence. 1lr. Morton is power
full III Indiana, but he would not carry
single Eastern State upon his financial plat
form. General Butler has a certain rude
strength in the South based upon his achieve
ments rs a commander in New Orleans, but
he would fall before the influence which
would be fatal 10 Morton llr. Blaine would
have some strength in Pennsylvania and in
New England, but his name will have no
especial strength in the West and South Mr.
Evarts, who seems 70 be the favOrite Of Alr.
Halstead, Will hardly act with the republic
cans. Mr. Conklins is little more than a
local leader, who controls the New York or
ganizatiou Mr. Washburne has probably
more national elements of strength than any
of the others, but they are negative in many
ways. He has been absent from the country
and made fine record during the German
war. He established his fame in Congress as
the opponent of subsidies and land grants !;
but while these elements would give him
strength with the people they would injure
him with men who heretofore have been pow
erful enough 10 control conventions and who
even now are aiming TO control the country.
So that i'll the matter of personal strength
alone the republican party has become 50 debil-
itatcd and weakened by the exercise of patron
age and the Inference Of federal power that
General Grant is to-day its strongest oOn-
sPicuOus member.
In addition to this strength We have the
apathy on the part of the republican leaders
which we cannot comprehend. Senator Sar-
gent, of California, the other day in an inter
view with a newspaper reporter, said that he
had no fear Of Grant running for q third term );
that the President was weary OF public station
and craved rest. - have had" snys the
President TO Senator Sargent, " no rest dur
iug the war, none until the succeeding admin
istratiOn, only labor and anxiety. have had
no rest during the past six years, l have two
more wears of labor and | shall be glad when
the end comes" When 4Ir. Sargent was
asked, however, what he would DO in the
event of General Grants denomination he
said: "If | believed General Grant could
be elected and the choice were between him
and a democrat OF republican Of weak
backbone and doubtful principles, | would
support Grant. Personally l see no danger
or Inconvenience in a third or fourth term,
ana GlD oil4-l4CNA i4lsL Il SLAtI5 HAASAASlAAA
administration like his Is necessary 10 the
peace Of the country, perhaps It's unity.
Ex-Governor DenisOn, Of Ohio, IN discuss
ing the same object with a correspondent OF
Western Journal, said that from what
he had heard General Grant say he was
convinced that the President was - vexed
about the third term matter, " feeling that 1t
had been started to " annoy him, and had
determined to - say nothing about IT. With
this temper on the part OF the President
Governor Denison deprecated the passage OF
any resolution by the republican convention
Of Ohio on the third term lest it might be : a
aratuitous insult to the President
The opinions expressed by these two gen
tlemen contain IN themselves all the danger
that we apprehend from the third term On
the one hand We have Senator Sargent, q
distinguished capable and leading Senator,
virtually admitting that he would not regard
I Grants denomination as a violation of the
sacrsd traditions Of the constitution, but
woud support him. On the other hand We
| have Governor Denison, OF Ohio, formerly
| Postmaster General under Lincoln, q leader
/ in the republican party when great men con-
! +r,II,d its councils, and afraid 70 express an
oninion OF his own OF 10 permit the express
SION of an opinion by his party, because the
| President is in bad humOr and VIII not be
Z. yexgd.'' In other words, all the hopes Of
the party, its principles It's policy, Its duty,
It's independence, IL courage, Its discipline,
Are made subservient 70 the temper or the
nurpo-s Of the President. Ii II is right for
/ President Grant 10 ruu for & third term why
not frankly ayow that and come before the
country upon the issue? Ii 1t Is wrong for
him 10 permit his friends TO entertain such
an ambition, why not say so as matter OF
truth and opinion, caring little Tor the opPo-
| sition Of the President.
The whole tendency OF Grants rule has
been 70 make the party subservient to the sd-
ministration, and, consequently 1t Is 10
longer an active, healthy organization, repre-
ssnting certain principles and aiming to
/ -a.:E.- 49,, NTH The country lii Il simDly