New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-28
4 SILENT MAN.

IL mas Dcen Cne COHbtduG plhu VI VIC OHliu
termers to construe all opposition to third term
into opposition to General Grant They have
dashed themselves into foam over the " insult
that would be offered General Grant, if his own
State should fail to give Ia solid vote for him.
They have gotten up elaborate Mysteries at the
@personal abuse" which anti-third-termers
have poured on General Grant. The Mysteries
and the foam were all sham-manufactured to
order. The third-termers know what the anti
third -termers knOw-that there has been no
personal abuse of General Grant. General
Grant has been treated, all things considered
with extraordinary tenderness. He has not
only not been abused he has not only not been
assailed, but he has everywhere been accorded
a full and high measure of respect and admira-
ton. The most decided opponents of his re-
election have vouchsafcd to the mistakes of his
Administration, and to his subsequent and OK
traordinary marches and countermalches the
mercy of their silence. There may have
been 10 magnanimity in this. 1t may have
been policy. 1t may have been selfshness.
But it is fact.
We warn General Grant that this state of
public feeling is swiftly passing away. The
signs multiply with amazing rapidity that anti
third -termism is concentrating into a fierce DIS
appreciation Of and bitter antagOnism toward
General Grant himself No person of any
political sagacity has ever doubted that Grant
wished the nomination, and was travelling
round the world to secure it. But that was not
a crime. All the talk about Grants not being
candidate and never having done anything
to secure the nomination, was childish balder-
dash, and deceived nobody. Everybody knew
Al. 4, 4 Al,
he WAS in the secret. But that was not II crime.
When his candidacy descended step by step
from q nomination by reclamation in obedience
to the behests of q grateful people, down to
desperate fight with a determined and unques-
tionable majority, every proud and patriotic
American regretted it deeply. 1t was humiliat-
ing aud mOrtifying to see the great General
and the ex-Presidcnt holding out his hand for
an honor which no man in this Republic ever
sought to see New England stcrnly relusingit,
Newly and Pennsylvania valianty opposing
it, and only wheedled and cOerccd into II par
tial, reluctant and constantly withdrawn as
sent the Central States and the great Northwest
and all tho Pacific coast utterly rejecting it +;
and still to see that hand held out in stOid
silence, while the only plea General Grants de-
Tenders could make was that ho did not ask he
only held out his handi
General Grant went home to his own State.
What happenedR A thing unprecedented III
the history of this Republic. His own State
proud of his name and fame, according him
all the honor due his illustriOus career, refused
to antagonize the traditions of the past and the
will of the present, and pronounced against his
candidacy. And General Grant, with all his
laurels on his brow, counted as nothing the
affection and the pride of q great people, but
sent his lieutenants into the field to override
the popular will, to trampIo down all the bar
riels of constitutional Government and to
wrench battered candidacy from the hands of
an angry and hostile majority.
1t is idle to attempt to relieve General Grant
from the responsibility of this outrage. He was
on the spot. He was in Chicago. Ilo was in
attendance at headquarters. He is not an idiot
One word from him would have stopped She
pilagc, and lie did not speak that worG. A
great political crime was committed by his own
friends before his eyes, and he was silent