The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-08-28

subject. IAe reelection OF Q fres1oent ia
Office presents different question from the
election of an ex-President to the office
from which he has retired. In the one case
the candidate can WELD the whole influence
Of the Executive to promote his reelection;
in the other case citizen who has de-
scended to private life is an equal competi-
! tor with other citizens for the highest sta
| ton in the Republic. We desire the reader
| to observe that the whole force and peril
hence of the arguments against re-ellglbu-
| ity are limited 10 the case OF President In
office, who may prostitute his great trust to
| the service of his ambition.
The arguments against re-eligibility are
not new, and they are of overwhelming
cogency. The trainers Of the constitution
did not fully estimate their force because
the members OF the Federal Convention
were cropping their way without the lights
of experience. But even then the re-ellgl-
bility of the President was regarded with
doubt and misgivings. In the original draft
of the constitution the term was fixed at
seven years, making the President ineli9i-
BILE second time. The Convention adhered
TO this plan in all the earlier discussions.
At subsequent stage it was rejected. but
was reinstated within few days But at
Inst, near the adjournment, the term was
reduced to four years and the clause
against re-eligibility stricken out Many
of the most eminent men OF the
time thought this mistake, and
among them Jefferson, who was then
Minister to France. In his letters to Wash
ington, Madison and other correspondents
in America, he expressed the strongest dis
sident, and he never changed his opinion.
AS late as 1924, within two years of his
death, jefferson, in a letter to Robert j.
Garnett, insisted on the necessity OF amend
ing the constitution to secure 'the limita-
ton of the term OF the Presidential service"
This was not merely the opinion of the
great founder Of the democratic party.
Notwithstanding the practical limitation
established by the example Of Washington
and such of his successors as were reelected
of retiring at the close of their second
term many Of our most eminent and
sagacious public men Of both political
parties proclaimed their belief that the
President should be ineligible second
time The most emin ent of these III the
last generation were Andrew Jackson, the
idolized leader of the democratic party,
| and Henry Clay, the not less idolized leader
Of the Wigs Jackson, in his first annual
message, recommended an amendment Of
the constitution extending the Presidential
term to six years and forbdding o re-elec-
ton, and Clay WAS an unfinching opponent
Of re-eligibility without any extension of
the term. In letter, written in 1872 lay
ing down his political principles Mr.. Clay
included in the list, ian amendment of the
constitution limiting the incumbent Of the
Presidential Office to single term"
We beg the reader to mark the studied
precision of MIR. Clay's language What he
declared necessary was the limiting of ''the
incumbent" to single term. The incum-
bent is President in Office; an ex-Presi-
dent is not an incumbent, and is not in
cluded either in Mr.. Clays proposition or
in the reasons by which he supported it.
Two years previous to drawing up the plat
form just alluded to Mr.. Clay made speech
in the Virginia county where he was born,
and stated what he expected the wing party
would do after General Harrison's election,
then regarded as certain. He gave tho
first place to an amendment rendering the
President ineligible after service OF one
term. and subjoined these reasons much
observation and deliberate reflection have
satisfied me that too much Of the time, the
thoughts, and the exertions Of the incum-
bent are occupied during his first term in
securing his reelection. The public bust
ness consequently suffers, and measures are
the general prosperity than to their infu-
ence upon the approaching election. If
the limitation to one term existed. the Presi-
dent would be exclusively devoted to the
discharge of his public duties, and he would
endeavor to signalize his administration by
the benefcence aud wisdom of his meas
ures"
The same argument has been employed
in substance by the most eminent European
writers who have discussed our institu-
tions in philosophical spirit. The ablest
of them-De Tocqueville--devotes whole
chapter to the reelection Of our Presidents,
which he regards as the greatest error in
our constitution. De Tocqueville draws
the following remarkable contrast between
the intrigues of private citizen seeking
the Presidency and the Chief Magistrate of
the country engaged in the same
pursuit:-"When simple candidate
seeks TO rise by intrigue his ma
neuvres must be limited to narrow
sphere but when the Chief Magistrate
enters the lists he borrows the strength of
the government tor his own purposes. In
the former case the feeble resources of On
;ndividual are in action. in the latter tho