The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-06-26
Saturday. June 20. 1875.
Clean Hands,

In January, 1903, Mr.. JEFFERSON was ur- |
gently pressed by formal appeals from the |
fegislatures of Massachusetts, Vermont,
Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania,
MARYLAND, New Jersey, and North Carroll
ma. 10 be a candidate for reelection. The
government was then in comparative in
fancy, the constitution had only been In
operation for nineteen years, and the great
experiment was on trial.
Doubts and distrust still plagued patriot
ic minds as to the final success of the new
republic, and in this state of anxiety about
the.future some of the foremost men of the
time counselled stability as the part of
wisdom, and were adverse to frequent
changes in the executive, at least until the
system was deeply rooted and the real or
supposed dangers were passed.
Mr.. Jefferson did not share in these
fears. He was O sincere republican at
heart and in practice, and he knew that in
o country just emerging from monarchical
rule and where the people had been accus-
ted TO king, it was most important to ex-
clude the idea of a prolonged presidency.
Hence he replied to these addresses by
saying:
"If some termination to services of the chief
magistrate be not hxed by the constitution or sup
DLied bV practice, his Office. nominally for four
years Will, in fact, become for life; and history
shows how easily that degenerates into an inherit
SBelieying that representative government re-
sDoniblel at short periods of election 10 thatwhch
produces the greatest sum Of happiness to MANKIND
feel IL duty to do no act which shall essentially
Impair that principle; and should unwillingly be
the person who, dtsregarding the sound precedent.
set :os 5SSond he sseond
term Of Office"
In the, sixty-seYeH years which have
elapsed since these sentiments were ut.
tered, no party has ever ventured to pro-
pose third term, and the practice which
Jefferson suggested as the alternative for
q constitutional amendment became a part
of the unwritten political law. sanctiied by
usage, like the precepts of the common
law in our courts of Justice. 1t was re-
reserved for Grant, the last and worst of
presidents, to set himself up against this
consecrated practice, and to suggest ut
may happen in the future history of the
country that to change an executive be-
cause he has been eight years in Office will
prove unfortunate if not disastrous"
Jefferson did not wait for these legisla-
lures to approach him on this subject, nor
did he deem it beneath the dignity ofthe
Office" as Grant processes to have done, to
put himself clearly on the record, two years
before the expiration Of his second term,
against any movement for reelection,
when he wrote in this positive manner:
~ am entitled to my discharge, and should be
sorry indeed that others should be sooner sensible
than myself when ought to ask It, have, there
fore, requested my fellow citizens TO think OF q
successor for me, TO whom shall deliver the pub
lie concerns with greater Joy than received them
Ihave the consolation, too, of having added nothing
10 my private fortune during my public service,
and Of retiring Nth hands as clean as they are
empty"
If these last words had been written
with knowledge of the present situation,
they could not been made more pointed OF
suggestive Grant has differed as much
from his predecessors in seeking to aug
ment his private fortune in Office, as be
has With re ard to the third term, which
is as much prompted by his avarice as BY
any other motive.
At the close of the civil war he receiy
ed rewards and honors such as had never
been accorded to any president. He wa:
raised from poverty to wealth, and voted
what, in his peculiar English, he calls 9;
life position" with Ia large salary and al
lowances. AL these exceptional recog
nitions did not fill the measure of his am
bition.
Ho still wanted to be president, and wa
elected. Y ct he was not satisfied. ID
bargained for second term as CONNER
cial transaction, and when that was oh
tanned, he importuned an expiring an,
corrupt congress, in its last hours, +
double his salary and perquisites. Afte
all these concessions haye been made, b
cries out for more, and is as plainly schenl
ing for third term as he VIGOROUSLY di
for the first.
During these six years of service a
president, the White House has becom
the center of all the great rings, Grant ha
grown into vast wealth, and investigation
by congress has traced to his doors dis
graceful connection with jobbery. An
when he is forced to give up office on tn
4th Of March, 1877, by popular condem
nation, without distinction of party, on
of the darkest stains upon his characte
will be that his hands are not clean, an
not as empty as when he received tina
great and abused trust.
.z.z==-@@-