New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-02-10
WASHINGTON.

n
GRANT, cOSKLING. AND MORTON, AND THEIR hh-
sPECnvE CHANCEs-GREArER ToLERAiioN ~"
ALLOWED IN THE PARTY-ANTI-THIRD TERM SEN
TiMENTs NO LONGER TREAsON-A NAHUM
THE CANDIDATES IN wAsH1NGioN-A VIZ" WI
THE RATTLE FROM THE THICK or HE fhAi'
tyaov TIE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TKiBUSk'i
WASHINGTON, Feb. s-1f the Repuphcah p"i'S
80 t.nobt no other lesson by its reverses in 1874
q, az least learned liberation. With three-fonrths Oh
.he states at their backs, and two-thirds OF both
Uo,ses of Congress under their CONTROL Messrs.
ConLlipg and Morton and Carpenter and Howe, ana
A. ros+ of the Senatorial Ring" cut very mpos-
g., e,,re when they drowned with the crack OF the
:. - ,vh;nD the remOnstTances OF RepuDllcahs
IL dared 70 have opinions of their own Oh h"t.e'S
~ rnbc policy and to express them, OF "he'i .io!
,cod ont of their organization those VINO "oulu io'
how down with them, like hypocrites, ana swear
that Cen Grant was the greatest STATESMAN VI '"'
o,a his friends and advisers the most patriotic
of citizens But the party whip would nave n,i'o
I'll, discordant sound year later when Allen
md imitation threatened to carry ONO, ana 'ne 'o"
troll Of national affairs even, seemed 10 DC spp"s
from the grasp of the Republicans men, INC n'ei
who had sneered at and spit upon LlDerai heP'o",
cans and independent newspapers as ulsI"'ei"'
tai,ors and nossessed of no influence, and who had
d them OF almost every OiiiAO
The decalogue, were eager to welcome their aid.
With the incidents of last years campaign fresh IN
their memories and with the political future full OF
6onbt and uncertainty, ii is not strange that the
Reublicaus came to Washington at the beginning
f to nres MT session Of Congress to open the fres
DENTAL campaign in less arrogant spirit thah ma.
which they evinced four years ago. lhe pohucal
atnosnhere of Washington is therefore clearer ana
with the greater personal freedom of opinion allowed
the combatants while entering the contest "lth ITO
less spirit are better naured than they were al te
corresponding period of the Presidential campaign
which preceded the last nomination OF Gen. "rai''
Mncb of this cordiaty Of feeling within the kepnp-
can ranks is due perhaps to the fact that no cand
date for the nomination feels strong enough To ahord
10 Quarrel with any other; for while the drl1t Oh
public events during the last two months has been
strongly in favor of the party which has held CON
troll of the National Administration for the last nj
teen wears IL has not sufficiently recovered from the
overwhelming defeat OF 1874 TO make 1t safe TO en-
courage OF permit internal dissensions
In the House where most of the plotting and wire
milling which is 10 precede the National Convention
This wear is taking place. the fact that the Republic
rams are in the minority tends TO make them more
united They feel little no responsibility for
eu5.sing that may he done, and have simply To SIT
by and watch for Democratic blunders, or to set
traps 10 catch their enemies Every encounter has
thus far strengthened their lines, while every
bone of contention which has been de1teTously
thrown into the Democratic camp has been picked
up by some unwary gentleman, to bis own sorrow
and the detrimemt of his party. 81 was sorely
tempted to ask you a question while you were
speaking today said Northern Democrat to one
who halls from south of the Potomac, short time
ago. When the question was stated the Southerner
N I.y~.. dana
Won would not have drawn me into such an embar-
RAISING position Z" "Of course l would mott was
the reply; "and the only reason is that we North
ern Democrats have more consideration Tor you than
you have for u.s. could not run in my district ex-
cept by denouncing such sentiments as you uttered
to-day, and, whatever your own people may think
of them You have no right tc cripple me 10y giving
utterance to them in this place"
The ewes of the country ore turned toward
Washington TO watch the progress of the Presiden-
tia battle. This is natural enough since majority
Of the candidates are in this city, and nearly all
the wires laid throughout the country, from Maine
10 Texas and from the Atlantic to the Paclh, lead
to some common center in the Capitol the White
House or the Executive Department. And yet l
sometimes think that, while an observer at the
CAPITOL may see more of the details OF the contest,
md be able to watch at shorter range the plots and
counterplots Of each party faction those at dis
lance are better able 10 judge of the canvass as a
whole. One who is in the midst of the battle may
witness the deeds of valor done by individual COM
batants and gain crcumstantial knowledge OF the
progress of the conflict in his immediate neighbOr-
hood, but he must leave the lines and from some
commanding eminence view the whole field TO
Judge with intelligence what the result of the con
test will be. And yet, the history of the battle
Is not complete until the report OF the General COM
inanding has been supplemented by those who
directed the movements of brgades and regiments,
90 view of the Presidential contest from within
will doubtless throw much light upon those portions
Of it that might otherwise be hidden in the shadow.
No review Of tie political situation will be COM
plee that ignores Gen. Grant and, to say the least
the remote possibility Of effort Oh his part to Sc
cure a third term. OF the dozen more Republican
candidates now actually in the field or who have
been named as likely to be heard from in the Gin
cinnat Convention, there is probably not one who
would not depore, III greater less degree, the re-
slectiOu Of Gen. Grant, and yet there are undoubt-
edy several who would prefer to see the name OF the
Great Silent Man" again inscribed upon their party
banner than to one of their rivals secure the
nomination Senator Conkling is probably one of
these lie admitted privately last Fall that the talk
about third term was injuring the Republican
party, but when urged by Republican to go to the
President frankly and tell him so, and urge him to
write letter in such unequvoca terms to set the
matter forever rest he replied that he could not
do it. He had probably twofold reasOn-he had 80
long played the role of fatterer and had so often
assured Gen. Grant that with the of the people,
he was the most popular American living that he
dare not eat his own words and tell the President
what he very we'll knew himself that the bare posi-
bity of third term, however remote, was distaste-