The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-03-05

the army and navy. BY an INSCRIPTIONS
use of these means he can coerce not only
his horde Of immediate dependents, but he
can control the corpora tions and become the
master Of all the rings, put the business Of
all classes under his feet, corrupt the venal,
frighten the timid, and check all ambitions
but his own. He can force the elections of
every state he desires TO carry by the bayon-
cts of his army. If that fails he can order a
false return, and pay for 1t out of the public
treasury. The people would soon perceive
opposition to be useless and accept the stu
alton elections would be as mere a matter
of form as they were in Rome when such
consuls as Nero and DomitIan were elected
regularly every year under the supervision
of the pretorian guards.
! II these were no more than remote posi-
bilities, prudence should guard us against
them. But they are near probabilities the
signs Of the times warn US that the peril to
our institutions is imminent the danger is
already on the wing. 1t is vain to remind
us that the president swears to preserve,
/ protect and defend the constitution and see
/ the laws faithfully executed. That Is true;
and it is also true that, if there be no perjury
/ in the case, the constitution, laws and libeF-
ties Of the country are safe. But the last
twenty years have given us ample proof that
an oath is not much restraint upon a presi-
dent who is melted by ambition, rapacity, or
strong party feeling to break it.
1t is true that this presupposes a people
much degenerated and a magistrate ami.
mated mainly by the vulgar love Of power
for its own sake but exactly such con-
junction Of things has always been feared
with good reason, and hence comes the de
sire to put every check on that tendency to
"strong government" which is now mani
Testing itself in many quarters.
What is the remedy? How shall we avert
the dire eaIamities with which we are
threatened The answer comes from the
graves of our fathers By the frequent
election of new men. Other help or hope
for the salvation of free government there is
none under heaven.
II history does not teach this, we have
read it all wrong IL the republics Of an
cient and modern times the chief magistrate
was entrusted with only temporary power,
and always went out of Office at the end OF
a short period, fixed and prescribed by law
or custom. 1t was this, indeed, which made
the substantial distinction between them and
the monarchies around them. An unpunish'
ed transgression of the customary Limitation
was uniformly followed by destruction
Everywhere and always it was the fata
symptom of decay-the sure forerunner Of
ruin When Caesar refused to lay down his
consulship, as his predecessor had done al
the end Of a year, and was reelected time
after time with the acquiescence of the
senate and the people, all that was real il
n
pubIics ir France were brought to an end il
the same way. Napoleon began by being
consul for a term, then was elected foI life
and finally became emperor with the power:
of an absolute despot. The last Bonapart'
was president for four years, was reelected
for ten. and ended, like his uncle, in grasp
ing the imperial crown.
MAY this be washed in the Lethe and for
gotten ." Shall these lessons be lost? Shal
the lamp which guided ouI forefathers be ex
> tinguished? d? Shall the broad daylight of al
e human experience be closed up in a littl
! dark lantern manufactured at Milwaukee
! think this cannot be done ''the eterna
verities" are against it. The most powerful
( third termer may as we'll try to blow out tn
sun, as he would a tallow candle, with
, breath of his mouth.
Moreover, the twO-term principle ough
to be adhered to by us and by those VIII
come after us (ifthere were no other reason }
, simply because it was a practice OF thos
: who went before us. 1t is to the tradition
J. of the fathers that we owe our civilization.
/
it do not expect anything 1 can say to b
II received as vindication of the two-terI
l. rule. Nor is it necessary. All the supper
n it requires was long ago furnished by az
t other, the latchet of whose shoes AN NJ
worthy to stoop down and unloose. Jeffe
L son. the stainless citizen, the sterling patrio
If the unedualIed statesmsn-at once the grea
d est apostle and the truest prophet that hi
|; man freedom ever had-gaye his judgmeI
J. not only at the time he acted upon the rul,
ID but expressed his convictions after they wei
II strengthened by many years of later refie'
J, tion.
Ii The practical object Of Mr.. Howe's artic
re is to make Gen. Grant president for anoth
e term 1t is not for an abstraction that
e denounces the two-term precedent and vi
at fes the Springer resolution. The rule mig
e. stand if Grant could be elected witho
n breaking it down. But Mr.. Howe thin
&C. that the superiority of his candidate is
b. very great that all authorities which oppo
on him should be disregarded, and he supper
be this opinion by assertions so eXtravaga
ey that we only wonder how any man in
If sober senses could have made them.
M
or A third term for Grant does not mean
Sc, third term only, but any number of teri
he that he choose to demand The impeT
method of carrying all elections by corrU
or ton OF force or of declaring them to be G.
of ried when they are not, is to be permanent
es, substituted for the system Of free, popu
'ur choice.
If The figure of Grant standing with the s.
he of primacy on the mountain top, and lOOki
i've down on the inhabitants Of the plain belo
ize gives a measure of the elevation which
In sycophants fatter him with the hope of
lis tanning They urge the necessity Of a strC
government almost in the very words n
in by the adherents of Cesar and the t
nat Napoleons Strong government, in tn
wv sense means weak laws and a strong ruler;
rec other words, a substantial monarchy, pow
roy full in its scorn of all legal restraints.
be
int, \ free democratic republican system
gis- government honestly administered by age
,os- Of the peoples true choice; a governm
ser such as ours was intended to be, with
the powers of the federal government, the ril
ioc of the states, and the liberties of the peo
be so harmoniously adjusted that each l
,n.,- u ,F 9th NO