The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1876-02-25
Grant for a Third Term.

was with the Old Man of the Sea. 1t will
spend its efforts in vain in the attempt to
shake him off. Withhs army of sixty thou
sand Office holders, well disciplined and true
10 his interests and th>i" own, it is almost
certain that when the Republican National
Convention meets he will be master of the
situation, and honest Republicans who may
desire the nomination of some one less
merccnary and more devoted to the interests
Of the country will find themselves in
hopeless minority. Grants cohorts will
present solid front, while the opposition in
The Republican ranks will be divided between
Bristow, Blaine, Jewell and Morton.
1t is evident that Grant does not mean to
give up his place if he can retain it. Moth
ing lie has ever said upon the subject of the
third term can be construed into an assser-
ton OF his unwillingness to accept the pom-
nation. Like many other modest candidates
we have known he is "in the hands of his
friends" Just now Secretary Bristow is the
man Grant most fears, but the air is thick
with rumors that he will be compelled to
step down and out, so that no further oppor-
tunty will be afforded him of winning lau-
rels by his persistent wedding out of the
whisky ring thieves.
When the vast influence and political pow
er welded by the President are considered
1t is not surprising that man like Grant
should take no pleasure in the thought of
giving up place which has become so like
second nature to him, to sink into posi-
tion of private citizen. The Hon. A. Proc
tor Knott, of Kentucky in a recent speech
in Congress on the proposed Constitutional
amendment limiting the Presidential office
TO single term, mentioned some of the al
lurements of the Presidential office rs fol-
lows:
when his salary is $50, 1000 year; when
he is supplied with palace maintained in q
style OF luxury of which Lucullus himself
never dreamed, furnished repaired and heat
ed at an annual expense of $25, 900; where
the very air he breathes is redolent with the
perfume OF rare exotics propagated in $685.
900 greenhouse, maintained out of the pub
lie Treasury at an expense of $4,000 per
annum an office in which he has his writing
done by Private Secretary on salary Of
$4,000 year, with an Assistant Secretary
on salary of $4,000 to do the writing of
the Private Secretary, and two Clerks at
$4,000 to do the writing of the Assistant
Secretary; where he has a Steward at So 900
per anlum to purvey for his table the choicest
wines and the dantiest viands that can either
tempt or satiate the appetite, and where he
is. allowed $4,000 year for books, papers,
periodicals, kilograms and general contin-
gencies.' What general contingencies may
ln OF l. 1,,,t1 ,t, al, 4
Tor the contingencies anyhow. Why, Mr..
Speaker, if the children of Israel sighed for
the flesh pots the leeks and onious and
garlic and other beggarly concomitants of
their bondage in Egypt, what must be the
emotions OF sensitive and patriotic soul on
contemplating n last, long farewell to sala-
ny and perquisites like these? Now, sir,
ask gentlemen who would lengthen the pre-
sent term of the Presidential office to go
home to their honest-hearted, Woodworking
over-taxed constituents and explain TO them
they can why it is that four years are not
sufficient length of time for any one Amer
lean citizen to enjoy the luxures l have
mentioned"
General Grants patriotism, we fear, is not
of a character to cause him willingly to sac
rifice such place for the post of honor-the
private station.
The BabcOck Trial.
The trial OF st. Louis of President Grants
Private Secretary and intimate friend, Gen.
o. Z. Babcock, is still the cngrossing topic
The testimony closed and the argument COM
menced last Saturday. An effort was made
by Babcock's counsel to induce Judge Dillon
TO instruct the jury that there was no evil
dencc to sustain the charge and they must
bring in verdict of acquittal The judge
very properly refused to accedo to the re-
quest, and the case was argued Col. Brod-
head opened for the prosecution in strong
speech, in which he did not mince matters
but gave the jury his view of the evidence
in plain terms, just as though Babcock was
an ordinary criminal, indicted for larceny,
and not the trusted friend of the President.
The Colonel closed with bold admonilion
that the jury be not influenced by considera-
,ions of position, but if they found that cor
ruption nestled within the White House to
crush IL out.
He was followed by Mr.. Storrs for the tle-
fence, who endeavored TO explain away The
damaging effect of the mysterious kilograms
which passed between Babcock and the con-
victed members of the whisky ring, and to
prove Babcock innocently ignorant of the
existence Of the conspiracy to defraud the
government. If his speech convinced the
jury of Babcocks innocence 1t must have led
them rresistably to the conclusion that he
is in mild language, excessively verdant.
Judge Porter then argued in defence of
Babcock, and also defended President Grant
from the insinuations that had been made
connecting him with the conspiracy.
The closing argument was made by Col
Dyer, for the government, and the case given
to the jury on Thursday.
Whatever the result of this trial, which
has attracted the attention of the whole
country, General Babcock has already been
convicted at the tribunal of public opinion (;
and the remarkable position occupied by
President Grant of doing all in his power to
shield man charged with crimes against
the government, fasten grave suspicion
upon him, also, from which he should has
ten to relieve himself, for the honor of the
country and of the position he holds
1t is confidently predicted at Washing
ton that one result of the Babcock tiial, no
matter how it may terminate, will be the
forced retirement of Secretary Bristow from
the Cabinet President Grant regards him