Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-06-18
BIDS FIR THE FIRST TERM
HOW GEN. GRANT WEHT FOR A
THING he DIDN'T WANT.
COquetting with Montgomery
Blair for the Democratic NOmi-
nation Until Approached with
Offers from the RepubIi-
can Leaders,.
New York Sun.

New York Sun.
WASHINGTON, May 31-President
| Grant in his third term letter declares
| that he did not seek the nomination
ror the presidency in the first instance.
This is perhaps true to this extent: he
never openly went about, as some pol,
iticians are doing, electioneering for
the place and fixing the pins ahead by
! making promises to certain politicians;
but he cannot successfully deny that
he encouraged the advocacy of his
claims for the position by leading men
in Democratic as the Republican par
party. The Hon. Montgomery Blair has
asserted more than once, on his honor
as gentleman, that Gen. Grant was
fully aware of the movement begun by
him in 1S67-6S to bring out Grant as
Democratic candidate. Grant visit
ed his house almost daily, and gave
him to understand that he was entire
ly in accord with the Democracy, that
b had
ALWAYS BEEN A DEMOCRAT,
and that the only vote he had ever
given was for the Democratic ticket in
1856. He was aware that Mr.. Blair
was inspiring certain articles that were
being printed in the National Intelli-
gencer and New York World, and
which advocated Grants nomination
by the Democratic party. SO far from
these articles giving offence to Grant,
Mr.. Blair declares that Grant express
ed himself we'll pleased with them,
and in many ways mantle ted his ap
probation of the interest he (Bialr)
was taking in his behalf.
cit is true," says Mr.. Blair, "that
Grant never III so many words avowed
himself a candidate or expressed a de-
sire in plain English to have the Dem
ocratic nomination, but he certainly
did by his manner and by his general
conversation encourage me to go on
with the work L had begun, and just
as certainly did he give me good and
sufficient cause in the first instance to
begin the agitation"
THE REPUBLICANS UNEASY.
While this coquetting was going on
with the Democrats through Mont
oomery Blair, the Republican leaders
here began to get very uneasy. John
w. Forney, vino then run two papers,
both daily, and was the recognized
mouth pie ce of the Republican mara
gers in this city, had gone to Europe,
leaving one of his dailles (the Chronl-
cle) in the editorial charge of j. J.
Stewart, of Baltimore. 1t was under
stood at the time of Forneys depar
ture that Ben Wade was the favorite
of the party managers, and Forney
left directions that while the Chronicle
was not to be committed to any candi-
date, it was nevertheless to keep
Wade's strong qualities as a possible
candidate we'll before the public. But
when it was ascertained that some
body was setting up Grant as Demo-
cratic candidate, and it was evident
that this advocacy was by no means
distasteful to him, then the party lead
ers on the other side determined to
court him also. Mr.. Stewart was in
structed to cultivate the General of
the army assiduously, and he did so.
CoQUETrING WITH THE REPUBLICANS.
Stewart had almost daily conferen-
ces with him, and a number of leading
editorial articles written by him were
printed in the Chronicle with such
captions and using the name of Grant
in such a manner as to convey the
assurance to the public that they ex-
pressed the views of Grant on the var
ious questions discussed therein. 1t
is q curious fact that one of the arti
cles was devoted to the discussion OF
the limitation of the presidency to one
term of six years, and the incumbent
to be ineligible thereafter. In this ar
ticle many of the arguments which
have lately been used to prove the
danger of a third term were ad-
vanced, as the writer declares,
upon the authority of General
Grant, to demonstrate that a second
term was often fraught with dan
gers. Another of these articles was
under the caption Of General Grants
Financial Policy" and took for his
text the declaration of Grant 10 the
writer that the only financial policy he
had was to pay the interest on the Ma
tional debt, and leave to future gener-
ations the duty of providing for the
payment of the principal Still
another was headed General Grants
Position on the Fourteenth Amend
ment and Universal Suffrage" and it
was claimed that Grant was i'll full &C
cord with the most advanced leaders
of the Republican party on these
issues.
A PLEDGED RADICAL.
Mr.. Stewart asserts that not one OF
these articles, and there were perhaps
q score of them, was written without
| a previous interview with Gen. Graut
and discussion of the question OF
which they treated. Mr.. Stewart adds
| that in almost every instance the art1-
cles after they had been printed I'D the
| Chronicle were talked over by Grant
and himself, and received Grants ap,
| provai.
'.It is true" says Mr.. Stewart, ''that
all the while there was not a word said
by either of us about the nomination
of General Grant, but it was SO plain
from his conduct that 'Barkis was
wiling nay anxious, that it was not
necessary to formally interrogate him
on this point. My object was to find
out whether he was sound on the vita
issues, and his aim appeared to be te
satisfy me, and through me the party
The Republican party was satisfied
and the Democratic politicians were
disguised by these semi official utter
ances of Gen. Grant, and Montgomery
Blair gave up his self-imposed task o.
president making. In the hgEl o1
these nndeniable facts the public cal
properly interpret. Grants declaratloI
on the third term: 81 do not want Il
any more than did the first.
Col. J. M. Heck, of Raleigh, VI