The New York herald., 1879-11-14

TOr the urSt ClIne III the rOunu OF wei.
coming festivities offered to General Grant
since his return to America something oc-
CURED at Chicago which was in extreme
bad taste. We refer to the speech made
by the Mayor to the guest of the city.
Mayor Harrison's trespass against decorum
does not seem to have been perceived by
the audience, which warmly applauded his
speech ; but it apparently struck General
Grant, who was bound by his sense of hos
pitality courteously to ignore IT,
The we'll meaning but blundering Mayor
undertook to deliver to General Grant
lecture on his duty to decline third term.
It was an affront to assume that such an adj
monition was necessary, and even if it were
necessary the Mayor of Chicago had no call
to deliver it. He was mere channel for
proffering the hospitality of the city, and it
is one of the first and clearest duties of hos
pitality not to obtrude topics which may
prove distasteful or embarrassing to
guest. It is breach of propriety to intro
duce any subject which it would be awk-
ward for the guest to allude to in making
his Acknowledgements.
General Grant deems it unbeftting his
position to make, at present, any addition
to his previous declarations relative to his
being again o candidate for the Presidency.
If Mayor Harrison, by thrusting this SUBJ
ject in his face, in the presence Of large
audience, expected to draw General Grant
out on so unsuitable an occasion, he found
that he was mistaken. General Grant is
entitled to take his own time and select his
own method for discharging whatever duty
to the American people he may think in
cumbent on him in connection with the
widely diffused talk about conscripting him
as the republican candidate. The reply to
an address Of welcome would not have been
suitable occasion for defining his position
on SO grave and delicate a question.
1t is allowable for him to hope that no
occasion may arise for saying with more
emphasis what he has so often said by plain
implication. The Grant boom, as it is
called, may subside within the ensuing
four months, and in that case good taste
and good sense would forbid him to allude
to the subject at all But if the boom
should continue, if it should seem power
full when the time approaches for electing
delegates to the Republican National Con-
vention, General Grant may think it his
duty to break through his dignifed reserve
and save the party from making a nomina-
ton which could not be accepted.
If the boom is kept up in spite
of his former declarations we do
not see how he can avoid making
a'public statement. Suppose, for illustra-
ton, the Republican Convention of New
York or Pennsylvania should seem likely to
instruct its delegates to vote for General
Grant-it would be his plain duty to FORE
stall Such action unless he means to be o
candidate. It would be awkward for the
New York and Pennsylvania delegates to 60
to the National Convention instructed to
vote for General Grant, and deprived Of
liberty Of action respecting other candi-
dates ifthe General was meantime harborihg
q settled determination to refuse the nom-
ination if il should be rendered him. He
method but when he does speak it should
be with such gravity, dignity, explicitness
and decision as would preclude every
shadow Of doubt as to the invincible firm
ness Of his purpose. Otherwise his silence
will be justly interpreted to signify con-
sent. Mayor Harrison's nonsense about
Grant, like Washington, having been
ssoffered crown" is too ridiculous for seri-
ous exposure.