The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-11-12
GRANTS HAND
he is Playing It cunningly for the Third
Term.
And Cuba Is His Winning Card.


date is another: he haa the national finan-
ces also in his control, and can influence
either of the parties by his policy; at any
time he may introduce foreign complied
tiOns into the canvass. In short, the cards
in Grants hands are trumps, and he has
played them with cOnsummate skill.
The third term project is, in itself, obi
Gus to the country, and no one knows it
better than Grant. But he has carefully
cOntived to represent third term as be-
ing a contingent good, as compared with
other great national evils which it might
avert. In his letter to the Pennsylvania
! convention he put forward this view for
the calm consideration Of the country.
when he urged that it might be unfortu-
nate, If not disastrous, to prohibit the in
definite reelection of the President, and
then added that he would not accept re-
nomination unless circumstances not like
ly to arise should make acceptance his du-
ty. Since then. events have been so skill
fully shaped, and dangers have been so
fOrcibly paraded before the people, that
the third term movement is made to APP
pear, in the opinion of many, the only
means by which prosperity can be main
! tanned. Grant has kept himself at the
| front, and towers like giant far above
the Republican leaders around him.
Since the Ohio election the third term
|
! By inducing the Venal Democratic chiefs
to introduce the imitation plank in the
Ohio platform, Grant removed from the
| canvass all personal opposition to himself.
and substituted a financial quarrel for the
real issue OfrefOrm. The Democrats were
no sooner brought before the enemy than.
like an army OF madmen, they began to
fight with each other. They lost Ohio in
| the tWinkling of an eve. Next they lost
YEX-lN- milo md r,s,tI Lot
New DIRK they are at least badly demon
allied by the capture of Tammany Hall
by the cuStOm-hOuSe politicians and the
enormously diminished majority in the
State. In the maneuvres which have led
to these results Grant has displayed won
derful skill. and has achieved the inesti-
mable success of dividing the Democratic
party on the question of initiation and in
stalling himself before the country as the
Hard-MOney candidate for 1876. This
position alone is equivalent to a renOmi-
nation. Whether such vast strides of for
tune were anticipated even by the auda-
CiOus hOpefulness of Grant himself is a
question but whether he expected such
success or not. he has certainly exhibited
| the genius of a true leader in the arrange
ments which made it possible. All those
! qualities which are essential to personal
advancement Grant possesses in a supe-
/
founded with the higher qualities of a
statesman who labOrs for the nation only.
| In nearly eight years that Grant has gov
erned he has not given the country peace,
| nor reform, nor financial SOundneSS and
stability. nor any great measure by which
| his administration will be celebrated here
after; but his seVerest critics must con-
cede that he has left nothing undOne to
| strengthen himself as a leader.
f,,tt III Ill
| managing his own campaign for the third
| term is the adroit manner in which Grant
| reserved the Cuban card to lead after the
| trick he won in Ohio. BY this new alarm,
| this appeal to American sympathy, this
| revival of ancient policy at a critical mo-
| ment. Grant follows up his political con-
| quests with tremendous force. The ac-
| QUESTION of Cuba has always been looked
| upon by the American people as a golden
| gain: that Cuba should be independent of
| Spain. they have always considered the
natural right of the Queen of the Antilles.
| Grant, in making any movement against
| Spain. any demand in the cause of Cuba.
| appeals both to our natural acquisitive-
ness and our national feeling of patriotism
! and right. His first step has been care
! fully taken: the Spanish complications
have been kept before the public. accom-
| panied bv constant warnings and aDpre-
| His next movement will probably be to
announce his intention to declare bellige-
| rent rights for the Cuban patriots. Then
will follow a proposal to purchase Cuba
of Spain. and to secure the consent of the
insurgents by giving the Endorsement of
| The United States Government to the Gu
pan bonds. Here is a brilliant pro-
gramme, and one not very difficult of eX-
ecUtiOn. The suppOsitiOn that the next
House of Representatives can be depend
4 ed upon to oppose Grants Cuban scheme,
as a bridge to Il third term, is not well
| founded. In the first place. he is just as
| able audaS willing to buy his way through
a Democratic house as he was to to buy
Z it through the Democratic Conventions
4 OF Ohio and Pennsy wanna. The purcha-
< sable material in Congress is always large.
and not likely to be smaller at the next
| session than in the sessions where Repub-
! licans and Democrats We're equally in
vOlyed in Credit MObilicr and Pacific Mail
| subsidies. Besides this. the Cuban bonds
| held i'll this country will be powerful
agents in influencing Congressional leg
| ISlatiOn. Mr.. Gushing, who was interest
ed with Dick Schell in thiS Cuban scheme
| three years ago, is probably working up
that feature now. and Mr.. Schell might
| tell us. if he We're so disposed, of the great
profit to be made in the Cuban bond
| speculation. But though Grant and the
| Cuban ring under his control could east
| ~ buy a majority for his plans in the
House, it is unlikely that he would be
forced to spend one cent. The acquisi-
| ton of Cuba has been the policy of the
! Democratic party for thirty years, or ever
| since the Ostend Conference. No Demo-
| cratic Congress would dare to oppose that
| policy on the preteXt that it was present
ed by a Republican President.
| Tins from ayarV nOipt of Wow the IL
| ban policy. which Grant has never per-
mitted TO pass out of sight. and which he
/ is now prepared to make prominent IS
| sue, Is strong. It's strong with the peo
/ pie. with the Democrats. with the pOliti-
! clans and with the spectators 1t sup
! plements with amazing force his victories
| in the late elections Of Ohio, Pennsylya-
| MIA and New York where the Admins
/ tration revealed its power to sustain or
! break down either Of the two parties.
| Grant Folds in each hand a weapon Of
enormous value tor attack. The Cuban
movement gives life and purpose to an
| almost dead and meaningless foreign pol |
| icy. while the deXterOus division of the
| Democracy upon initiation makes Grant !
| the master OF the financial future of the |
| country.
But all these matters must be looked at |
| from one point of view TO be rightly I'M
/ the situation. and to all the Administra- |
| ton mysteries Of the Presidential cam |
paign. Grant would probably be an i'll
/ tlatiOuist did he not see that to divide the |
Democracy Is Gmake him inevitably the |
candidate of the Republicans and Of all |
hartl-mOucy voters. He would probably |
act very differently with Spain. and. if he |
were not a candidate for a third term, |
would long ago have sought to make his |
administration memorable by the acqui-
sitiOn of Cuba. But it must not be for |
gotten that now he does not want to gain |
Cuba so much a. to use her to promote |
his own ambitious ends. lic does not for |
one instant mediate a war with Spain. |
for that would only result in the blockade
and bombardment of our coasts, i'll the
devastation Of our ships and commerce,
and-worsc than all for GTant-the crea-
ton of a new Presidential rival in the per-
son Of naval hero. All that Grant !
wants is to arouse public concern on that
subject, and then gradually avoid the
dangers OF war by a peaceable debate up
on the granting Of belligerent rights 10
Cuba. or upon the purchase OF the island
and the guarantee Of the insurgent bonds
Are we wrong then III saying that the
third term now appears more certain than |
sIH