Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1875-06-12
DLYYPIA. SATURDAY MORNING, June u, 1875.
GRANT AND THE THIRD TERM.

press, that Grant would be a candidate
for third term, have all at once found
themselves confronted by the great gift
taker himself, who, if not in direct
terms, at least in language which is
readily understood, proclaims himself
"in the hands of his friends" just as
all shrewd and calculating politicians
do when they have set their heart upon
any particular Office. It is not claimed
that Democrats are closer observers
than other people or that they have
been in possession Of facts not possessed
by everybody who has noted the drift of
public affairs. They have based their
conclusion, however, upon pretty
thorough knowledge of Grants innate
cast of character. They have known
him to be venal and mercenary in all
his calculations, and consequently had
but to estimate the cash value of the
Office of President and compare it with
the higher salaries paid military officers,
to arrive at q solution of the simple
problem. The Republicans have feared
the Issue and put it off as long as posi-
bic, but like Banquo's ghost, it will not
down at their bidding, and now rises in
all its spectral horror. 90. ,
That party sees its error, and many
of its most influential members, even
including some holding official posi-
tons, are free to confess an apprehen-
sion of danger in the precedent which
will be established by reelection of
Grant. When We consider all the cir
cumstances under which the PROPOSE
sition is presented, how appropriate
seems the words of warning uttered
by the great Washington when he
refused a third term, and surrendered
the almost unlimited power he then
held into the hands of the people. He
said "The alternate domination of one
faction over another, sharpened by the
spirit of revenge, natural to party dis
sension, which, in different ages and
countries, has perpetrated the most
horrid enormities, is itself frightful
despotism. But this leads, at length,
to a more formal and permanent des-
potism. The disorders and miseries
which result, gradually incline the
minds of men to seek security and re-
pose in the absolute power of an indi-
vidual; and sooner or later, the chief
of some prevailing faction, more able or
moro fortunate than his competitors,
turns this disposition to the purposes
OF his own elevation on the ruins of pub
lie liberty. Without looking forward
to an extremity of this kind (which,
nevertheless, ought not to be entirely
out of sight the common and contin-
-. ual mischiefs of the spirit of party are
sufficient to make it the interest. and
duty of wise people to discourage and
restrain it,"
The most remarkable feature of the
recent letter of Grant to the Pennsyl-
vania Republican Convention, is the
utter absence of anything like the dig
nifty which is supposed to accompany
true greatness. He appears to regard
the high honors, the liberal salaries,
the countless gifts that have been
bestowed upon him, as fully earned by
the turning of the die which made him
q military hero. He says: 81 was
called from life position, one created
by Congress expressly for me for sup
posed services rendered to the republic.
The position vacated, liked. ,Itwould
have been most agreeable to me to
have retained it until such time as Con-
gress might have consented to my re-
tiremeht with the rank and portion of
the emolumsnts. Contrast for mo-
ment with this course, that Of the foun-
der OF the Republic who, when the army
was disbanded at the close of the Rev
oluhonary war, proceeded at once to
resign his commission. The first act on
retirement was, to deliver to the Comp
troller OF Accounts an exhibit of the
expenditures Of all the public money
be had ever received. Vouchers were
produced for every item, and the whole
snm which in eight years had passed
through his hands as Commander-in-
Chief amounted, in English money to
fl4,47s. Nothing was charged or re-
tanned for personal services, and the
actual disbursements had been managed
with such economy that they were all
covered by this moderate sum. This
aecorda With our ;daa, ~ Az 49,.