The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1875-06-18

The remarkable letter of Mr. Grant in
answer to the third>term slaughter work
done in the Pennsylvania Convention
continues to excite comment tits gen.
orally looked upon by the press as being
the last desperate bid for the Presidential
Office during the four years to ensue af-
der the ending of his tecond term.
Reverence for long-established civil
customs, sanctioned by the practice
and approval of the purest statesmen Of
the Republic, has, we fear, but little
weight with those Who have known moth
ing but the routine duties Of soldier.
Restrictions are irksc me to one accus-
toned to command, and imperiousness is
often the natural growth of the position,
The soldier who has never studied the in,
stitutions ofhis country, and cares so little
about civil duties as to boast that he has
never voted more than once or twice in
his life, or who has no fixed and definite
ideas in regard to the political principles
upon which the Government should be
admin stored, may from some military
success, be carried by the popular will
into the highest Office in the gift of the
people Such an accidental affection is
q national calamity. Such were not the
statesmen soldiers Of the past who be-
No Que of the Presidents Of the United
States has, prior to this time, intimated a
desire to overturn the example set by
our fret great President in regard to the
length oftime beyond which it WAS con-
siGered improper to hold this important
Office. There were reasons entirely satis>
factory to the patriotic mind Of WASH
ington, why he should retire from the
Office of President of the United States,
when his countrymen desired to again
continue him in third -term. HIS ex-
ample has been followed by all his sue
cessors until it has become 'the I'M
written law of the land, that no Presi-
dent should be continued in Office longs
err than a second term. The same rea~
case, to extend the Presidential terms of
his successors to a second term, which
Influenced Washington to accept it a sec
ond time. But the country has acquies-
ceI in this custom Certainly no one
can suppose the practice of the earlier
Presidents would, or could, be ignored to
graz ify the personal ambition of one OF
the incumbents of the Office. On the
other hand there has been q growing in~
cination to conine the incumbent to
single term. The earlier Preside nts
were distinguished for political ex-
perience and civil attainments, and
hence brought to the executive depart>
ment of the nation the enlightened
views of statesmen.
The present executive has never had
the training in civil life Of the distin>
cuished men above referred to ; nor is
it wanting in respect to say he Is OF
much smaller caiibre. The American
people may be captured with the "iu'T
and feathers" Of military glory, but they
are not upt to be led astray beyond cer>
tain well-defued opinions aud views
and they invariably turn upou their IDOL
Of yesterday when they awake to the
realization that he is attempting wheth
er ignorantly or wiIfuliy, to endanger or
overturn popular rights. The danger
the untold evils that might. and prob
ably would, Aow frotn third term of
Sac Presidential Office, has caused alarm
with the thinking men of all parties
throughout this broad land, 1t has
caused partisans of the present executive
TO speak out in opposition to the well
known wishes of Mr.. Grant and his
wide spread army of Office holders. In
PennG Ylvania. Ohio, California, AMI
other States, his adherents have une~
quiyocally condemned any snch unholy
ambition; and the California Republi> !
cans have cutstripped their brethren in
Pennsylvania and Ohio by denouncing !
the "thirdNteTm charge as a SANDER on
the President"
In direct anta!onism to thIs assertion /
IS the Presidents famous letter to the !
chairman of the Pennsylvania Republic !
can State Convention written after the |
ConEcntion had rcpudiuted the third |
serm), in which he takes the available /
ground that he does not want the posi-
ton now any more than he did the first /
term. That there is no idlo TO forbid Oh .
election e a President a third time-or /
more--and that circ umetancCs may re
ouire that he, for the public good should /
be again made the candi date If his !
party. Who is to determine this ne> /
,essitv except it be himself or some of /
his party dependent upon him for the
Offices they hold, the people are not IN
formed Ia the meantime, as the Peo-
ple have something to sag as - who shall
preside over heir destiuies fer the four
vcnrs succeeding 1876, and - thsy in
tend to pot in their own man, 1t - not
Of much importance whether the oppo-
nents or advocates Of Mr.. Grant in his
avn party shall triumph as to has nom
ination
Only $47 800 have mysteriously dis
aJ peared from tie National Treasury,