New-York tribune., 1877-01-04

Is,
cesule to any one. OF something worse than
blundcr. o.o. ,.o,,
government, berer-if it were pOsslDle-cItae mere
dictator who, heng dependent Oh no party wonld haNr
no pary to serve; accept an equally mweSs hlicfid
five remand the States into condition OF territorial
dependence and attempt another experiment oi recon
struction tolerate uag"s and me; LOIs Whch are
fatal to all the traditions OF Liberty, ana WHICH, con
tinued cannot fail III the end 10 destroy ou "l"e s!s
TEN of free gov -Tnmtnt for bad examples are con
IL gos, and the military cngneiy which Is trained on
one State to-day at the caprice OF single man may be
trained on another Tomorrow.
/ am unwilling 10 admit that the peoples ballots and
thr ,t Of local seliroyclnincnt are at the mercy OF
Federal artillery; and therefore, The Executive OF
whose election Is dependent IN one event ON ihc
of the peoples choice, feel bound u protest against any
and all manner of Federal interference or clam even o1
interference determining either the peoples choice or
the organization credentials, or uembr rship of the
LegisI ture AS legislative assembly, representing The
freedom and reserved soyerclges Of the State, aud
clothed by constitution with the power OF determining
election returns and the qualncalioIs Oi It's own
members is for you to judge whether duty on your
part requires silence.
ONE TERM FOR PRESIDENT
beg to suggest in this connection other cOnsdera
ton IL has been much debated of late whether the
President should be made by constitutional amend
ment ineligible for "A second term Holding control rs
he does not only of the army but Of network OF civil
instrumetalties which embrace the whole country In
their reach, and which, from tine lowest Official TO his
constitutional advisers and heads OF departments, are
liable to be converted into party machines to control
elections has been urged by many thoughtful men that
opportunity OF cfpctuatnB HIS power shouu NOT DC
uermted to any possessing these means and ns:ru
mentalities However this may be- recent events have
demonstrated, in my Judgment that lhe COMMANDMENTS
Chief OF the army should sunder 10 chcumstances DC
| candidate for his own succcSsOn
Trcommebd mat our and Representatives in
Congress requested propose an amendment 10 the
Ecderal Constitutions making the President III, siDe for
two consecutive tcrms II popular OPINION mas aiieady
hrcoue shall hereafter become so Dnu ana 80 III
firm PURPOSE rs To tolerate The peIveisioh Oh te Wnoe
cnOnery of the Government to party uses In elections,
et ms al least avoid the Indecent possibility OF Presl-
|
cession by the Of a standing army. ,,
For myself believe that the President ana MS Capi-
mel holding IN hand the whole executive power oil the
ioycrumcnt should keep themselves aloof nom the
acyites of political canvass, as do the members OF
The sn,rcme Court upon simple sense OF honor ana
prouriey; and all the az in Presidential eiec
nn Congress il In eessioD, and the only efficient
curb on executive power Is thus removed at time when
the strongest motive exists for abuse and usurpaon
me SPECTACLE OF q chief Of great department OF the
Oyermcnt becoming the chief Of party levying en-
forced contributions upon Government appontees ior
party use and issuing proclaatons ana orders 70 party
followers, is as indecent IA II Is un~ hoiesome.
Bu n any event be permitted TO hope Tor Detter
things In the future and that the usaxss VI inc csp WILL