The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-31

more familiar with the sword than with
the pen. It is meant to satisfy the long
repressed demand of the country. 1t is the
surrender OF Grant to public sentiment 1t is
his confession that C@sarism is something
more than 'HERAnD sensation" inspired
by q dislike to himself and his
party. he admits that there ID
more IN this discussion than midsummer
newspaper mischief. 1t is an absolute sdmis-
sion that, great as Grant is IN his own person
and fame. and high as he is in his place,
the press, represented in its independence by
the HERALD, is higher and greater. We wish
we could say more than this, and thatwe could
regard this rs . satisfactory letter Ii is
far from being 50. There is nothing in this
letter to prevent General Grants acceptance
of the Presidency for third term. There is
no expression Of allegiance to that sacred ira
diton that third term would be practically q
monarchy. The Presiden. was thinking about
himself vi hen he began to write, and he never
abandoned his theme We can see that ex-
traordinary conviction of Grant, which has
marked his whole public career, that, after
all, the Republic had not done more for
him than he deserved The matter is
altogether personal There is no princi-
pie behind it-no evidence that ever
such thing as a principle had entered his
mind. We have the Presidents services and
sacrifices; how he gave up On Office he pre-
ferred, and which would have lasted for
life, for one he did not seek; how his second
election was a personal vindication from SLAM
der; how he does not want the Office again any
more than he wanted it in the beginning, and
how, after all, it might be unfortunate if not
disastrous" if at some future time (say two
years from now) thepeople should be prevented
from electiug whom they pleased for third
term. The tone Of the whole letter is pro-
cisely as if the President were writing about
an interest in his own personal property-as
if be were speaking for Ulysses S. Grant
alone, and as if the country had no concern
whatever with it
We shall be surprised if the country ac-
cepts this as satisfactory declaration from
the President. It is an evasive letter. 1t
would have been much better for his fame,
and even for the welfare Of the party which
he proposes to serve if he had not written it
In word, the country is told that the President
will not take what is not offered to him.
ident What we did want was an express
avowal by General Grant that the question
Of third term would be q treason to a
sacred precept Of our unwritten common
lava declaration that whoever presumed to
use his name for such purpose would do an
unworthy act, an admonition to the country
Of the dangers to liberty which twelve years
OF Capitalization had produced, and o prayer
that the people would destroy Cesarism by
limiting all administrations to one term. Such
q declaration would have thrilled the country
and been graceful cap-sheaf to the fame Of
Grant AS it is Cesarism is as q political
issue more potent than ever. 1t becomes the
dominant question in the next canvass. Our
answer should be the limitation Of the Presi-
dency to one term, and no recollection ever
after.