Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-04-23
THIRD TERM.

A writer in the Wuuseon Republican pro-
duces some happy thoughts in reply to n
question that has absorbed the Democratic
mind for some time past The dialogue
reads as follows;
Dem. To my mind there is scarcely a
ination for third term. His very silence
is ominous. Why don't he silence appre-
hension by plainly and at once avowing his
purpose not longer to hold the place. fa.
vor an amendment to the constitution re-
stricting the Presidential Office to a single
term.
Rep. AS for me, give myself no kind
OF uneasiness about the constitutional pro-
vision on this subject. 1t appears to
me, however, that restriction or
Limitation of the kind you name, is un-
republican in its nature. If the people are
capable of self government, which the gen
eral nature of our institutions assumes
them to be, can not see why they are not
are of choosing their man, or any other po-
litical functions If they are capable of
choosing their agents at all, we do not see
who has better right than they to say
how long they shall retain in their service
any one of these agents. Who has right to
assume a patriotism and a wisdom superior
to that of the whole body of the people
We hold it to be clear right inhering in
and resulting from the nature OF our gov
ernment, that the people shall, without let
or hindrance from any quarter, choose
their own agents. and that having once
chosen them, they have right to retain
them just as long as they may wish so to do.
If man is incapable or unfaithful he
should be ousted as soon as it can be done.
If he should be faithful, it should be the
privilege of the people to keep him an un-
limited number of terms, subject only to
their pleasure and judgement. If Grant
has not done well, and any one else prom
ises to do better, he ought to be replaced by a
better man at the end of his term, whether
he may have served one or two terms. If
he has been true, and faithful officer and
he be willing to serve longer, the people
should continue him in Office without any
regard as to whether he has served one, two
or three terms. Some people seem to re-
gard all Offices as designed to fatten and en-
rich the holder thereof! They regard this
rs the paramount object of their creation,
and the service of the public as merely an
incident or a matter of secondary importance
We hold that offices are created and officers
chosen solely for the promotion of the
public good, and that any procedure which
subverts or Perverts this great fact by con-
sidering the emolument of the individual
Office holder the end proposed is, and must
necessarily be, in the highest degree perni-
cious; no such folly obtains in private
transaction. Does any sane man consent
to part with a true and tried servant be-
cause that servant has served two or three
termsl No business man would for a mo-
ment, tolerate the folly that the service
was designed mainly for the benefit of the
employee, and that being the case no
one of the employees must be permitted to
hold the place longer than certain speci-
fed time. Such notions OF either public or
private appointed service is as Irrational
as it is penicious andimpracticablc Now,
sir, | can't for the life Of me Ree why you
are in so much of a sweat about Grants
having third term. You are in the high
est degree inconsistent with yourself
Sometimes you say that Grant is very pop
ular-that he has killed himself and the
Republican party also. Then again you
seem to see visions and Grant looms up to
your Imagination as a powerful and dan
gerous man; you see him in the white
house on his third term Direful appre-
HNHsAous pVSSSeS yOuI NiIbuouh anu patFlOtic
soul. In your agony you cry consolida-
tion," tyranny" "despotism," &c. Nov
IL Grant is so very unpopular, you must
place very low estimate upon your ammu-
milton, else you wouldn't be shooting il
away on dead camel One OF two things
seems hard to escape: Either yon are dis
honestly pretending Grant is faithlesa and
unpopular, or else you are making a fool of
yourself by trying TO impair him whe is
already killed Which Is it7 You sneak
of Grants silence. When il is proper and
necessary TO speak Grant does 20 every
time. When there Is no occasion TO speak
he has sense enough to keep his mouth
shut. Ii would be we'll for some that /
know of II they would initiate Grants vir-
tue in this regard. In my opinion you and
yours fear the quiet, firm man Of the white
house, more than any other living man.
Your rant about his unpopularity is hypo-
critical. The American people believe In
Grant He has never been wanting in
peace or in war, when his country or jus
tice called him to action. II he must he
let his calumniator be one who
has served his country longer and better
than hel Let not him who can boast of
no deeds done, either in Wdr or in peace for
his country's good, assume to defame the
true, brave man who, a short time since,
successfully led our armies to gloriousvic-
tory, and who now, at the head OF the gov
ernment, with a quiet but frm hand con-
duets successfully the great ship Of State,
over the breakers and whirlpoolA of human
passion and partizon hatred and prejudice. !