New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-03-25

General Grant has returned to the United
States after an absence OF more than two
months. During that time new developments
have taken place In the political field which as
q sagacious man he cannot fail to observe.
When lie left the country there was reason for
surprising that large portion OF the Republi
can party desired that he should again be a can
didate for the Presidential office. He had been
received on his return from his journey around
the world with extraordinary demonstrations
of esteem, and before his departure for the
South the city of Philadelphia displayed In his
honor O pageant that might well be compared
to the t1iumphs Of the Roman Emperors. 1t
was not at all surprising that the ex-President
should imagine that the professions, music,
artillery savoes, banQuets and shouting
crowds, Of which he heard and saw so much all
the way from San Francisco to Washington,
sicnifed an eager desire on the part of the
people to send hlm back to the White House.
Many older and better politicians were Of the
same opinion, and made haste to commit them
selves to the third-term movement in the belief
that an irresistible popular current was running
which would float it along to success.
Shortly after General Grant went to Cuba, 1t
became apparent that the advocates of his nom
nation had made mistake. The people who
shouted for Grant in the big cities he visited
and at the railway stations he passed were not
thinking of the Presidency at all. In fact they
had hardly begun to consider seriously the
merits of the different aspirants for the Chicago
nomination. Their cheers for the ex-Presdent
were not cheers for the next President. They
wanted TO see again the hero Of Vicksburg and
Appomattox who had just received such unpar-
alleled honors in the Old World but that was
all. AS to making General Grant the nominee
of the Chicago Convention that was quite an
other matter, and was not to be settled by brass
bands and cannon. 1t involved the violation
of the unbroken traditions OF the country, the
exalting of Grant above Washington, the tax
ing of extra hazards Of defeat by furnishing the
Democrats with an issue upon which they would
have the aggressive and popular side Evil
IDENTIFY, the third-term proposition needed eau
tious and thorough consideration. The more
the people considered il The less they favored
It. Soon it became PLAIN that no strong popular
demand for the candidacy Of General Grant cx-
listed and that he WAS kept in the field only by
the strenuous efforts of influential politicians in
control Of the party machinery in New-York
and Pennsylvania. Canvasses made in all
parts Of the country and among AL classes If
Republicans from members of State Legisla-
lures to obscure rural voters had the uniform
result of showing majority of more than two
to one against the ex-Presdent. Fully four
ffths of the Republican newspapers declared
against his nomination. At the same time it
became manifest that the opposition to him
among important elements in the Republican
party did not arise from preferences fOr other
candidates or from fear of defeat under his lead
ership but from settled conviction that the
election Of President FOR third term would
be dangerous step in til. direction of personal
government. Very pronounced antagousm Of
this sort came from the Germans, without who's.
votes no Republican nominee con carry the
States of Ohio, Illinois and Wisconsin.
While Republican opinion was thus taking