The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-03-21
THE THIRD TERM,

tho co,lntry,all Democratic papers, tho indie
pendent press aud not few Republican
paper taking strong grounds against any
such proceedings There Ia moro involved
In the question, TO tho American people
b than appears 1T u mere casnal consideration
thereof and without regard TO what Gonoa
Grants politics or party affiliations aro, II Is
tho proprioly and the safety of third torn
itself which should engage the Garnet
thought of tho people of this Union. There
Is no Constitutional prohibition ag'inst u
gentlemans holding the Office Of President
as many times us the people might elect him.
nor Ia there any statute awaganst It, but The
unwritten law of the county says may, The
great Washington SGT tho precedent
OF only two terms Ms ohlei
magistrate Of tho couptly, aud
the custom Of the land In acknowledgement
and appreciation of that precedent has made
n law against n third term rs binding and rs
sacred Ms my written Inv can be- Rotation
in office Is of necessity, fundamental prin-
ciplo Of Democracy, and when we shy De-
mocrncy we mean ola popular government
like ours founded onAto equality of the pco'
Pile, u government of the people, from the
people for tho people Eligibility
TO the Office Of President
for three terms implies eligibility
for four terms, two, six, or dozen terms, and
this means eligibility for life When the
fathers, the wise statesmen who founded our
government, fixed the torn of office for the
President u, only four years, they did so that
there might be frequent changes of chief
ruler among tho people, that the possibility
Of It's retention in one family or It's establish
ment ms a hereditary office, might be pre-
cluded. The founders OF this republic, and
Of tho States thereof were familiar
with tho grand written aud unwrltcn
laws of England, and the object they had in
view WIS ito establish government MS re-
sponsiye TO liberty, protection aud freedom
as that of England without It's monnrchcul
forms" hence they made the term of Office
for the President but Of four years duration,
and hence il was that Washington refused Il
third term and virtually declared that more
than two terms WAS inimical 10 American in
situtions We have but to look back at the
history of other countrIss to see how fat
are the departures from precedent aud the
encroachments upon established principles.
II was against the. laws of Rome for any man
to be elected Consul who was either absent or
in command of An army. yet when the Ro-
man Senate ordered Caesar to disband his le-
gions in Gaul he refused to do so unless he
was elected Consul. The Senate refused TO
repeal the law, CAESAR marched his army
across the Rubicon, overturned the institu-
tons of his country, and Rome was free no
more, for he gave to his unhappy people that
long line of Emperors whose crimes are
blot upon the annals OF tho
world. When Napoleon bad finished his
brilliant campaigns in Italy and Austria no
returned to Paris, and his progress was one
continual trumphal march. He received all
the adulation that was poured out upon him
with becoming modesty and moderation.
Then he male another campaign, and with
the glory of his conquest of the Pyramids
fresh upon him, he returned and was made
first Consul of the Republic. In less than
three wears he was made Consul for
life, and then i. was but n step to
the throne as Emperor. Acquisition of
territory tempted the French people, and TO
acquire territory M army was neccs AIRY, and
with an army under han, he had but to will
to be Emperor and he was Emperor. Louis
Napoleon, the late Emperor, first was Presi-
dent by the votes of the people of France,
and before his term of four years had expir-
ed, by n coup d'etat, he was made President
for ten years, and in one years time there
after, BY another coup d'etat, made himself
Emperor. History repeats itself age after
Are. the annals of time teach us. Napol.
eon may not have been ambitious,
for higher civic honors than he had when he
was elected first Consul, and may never, even
in bis widest visions Of the. future, have
contemplated crown and throne, but cir
cumstsnces forced him on, step by step, and
partial friends blazed the way OF his destiny,
until he grasped the scep,er of power and
France became despotism. General Grant
has never SHOWN o fondness for civic honors
or civic achievements, the bent of his mind
beng of military nature, yet his friends
thrust upon him his frat and second terms OF
Tho, Presidency, and they are now
striving 10 thrust upon him a third
term. After tour of the world, with the
most courteous attentionsof monarehs shown
him, and the honor of ALI nations paid him
as the representative and distinguished citi'
zen Of this country, he has been the recipient
at the hands of his own people Of courtesies
r and manifestations of esteem, given as an
acknowledgement fthe rspect stewn him
abroad that no other American, citizen can or
ever could boast. As patriot loving his
country and glorying in its power and grest-
ness his bosom must swell with pride At al,
this, and as patriot loving