National Republican., 1875-09-08
The New York Republicans and the Third
Term.

tFrom the Rochester Evening Express.l
The Utica Herald will find more Republi-
can journals than it has enumerated opposed
to an anti-third term resolution, if it will take
the trouble 10 look through its exchanges. And
1t might be we'll for those journalists so anxious
to cater to the Opposition sentiment to feel the
pulse of Republicans little. There are un-
douDtedly great many voters in this State
who are anxious for the convention at Sara
toga to adopt an anti-third term resolution,
but very fewofthose voters are in the Republican
party. Very few Republicans have any in
terest In the subject, the masses Of the party
regarding 1t principally as a football of the
newspapers, which they have been kicking
about the country in lack of other and more
profitable occupation and discussion. To at
tribute our misfortune of last fall to the want
of an anti-third term resolution is sheer as
sumption. There is no ground whatever in
the facts of public sentiment for any such
opinion. The voters who were Influenced by q
fear that President Grant was conspiring for q
third term wouldn't have filled common
sized hall. In the first place very few be-
lieved that President Grant wanted a third
term, and, in the second place, they saw moth
ing.so dreadful in the fact If he did. 1t is bet
ter, undoubtedly, to adhere to the customs
and traditions of the past, In this respect, un-
til some emergency shall arise justifying de-
parture from them, but It is not at all neces-
sary for the Republican party to pick up the
sooty belchings of the Opposition press, and
with ostentatious intent throw the stuff on its
own President.
Consider for moment the insolence and
injury Of such Q measure. Il Is said that the
contemplation Of q third term by Presiden-
tial incumbent is q sign Of selfish personal
ambition, an unpatriotic departure from the
example Of the fathers, proof Of imperial
tendencies and purposes, and but thinly con-
ceals the character and direction of tyrant
and despot. That is one step In the argu-
mcnt-one link In the chain. Next, 1t is said
or assumed that the course of President Grant
has been so singular and unprecedented that
he is the first Of all our Presidents 10 be sus-
pc tied of cherishing designs not only upon our
traditions ar d cus.o rs-our ''uawritten law"
as some have termed it-but upon our liberties
and form of government. Hence the necessity
of an anti-third term resolution. There Is the
bare and awkward figure which these advo-
Gates of an anti-third term resolution desire
the State convention to present before the
country. The foes Of the Republican party in
1872 could ask no more complete justification
of their course at the hands of q Republican
convention than they are likely to get from
New York If the proposed resolution Is adopted;
and, indeed, conspicuous and loud among the
advocates of that measure are men, now as
suIning the highest measure OF loyalty to the
party, who then used as the currency of their
political speech every epithet, charge, innuen-
do, insinuaticn n and falsehood which the liberal
Imagination of the Liberal party conceived
and spawned upon q disguised country. Shall
the Republicans of New York State thus stul-
tify themselves, and by their words of 1875
cast a sinister shadow upon their words and
votes Of 1927 That may be political policy
and wisdom, but 1t is neither party consistency