Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-01-16

him on this point, for that of ''the people
quite another matter. That has never been
accorded TO any President and is not likely
to be in our day. 1t would be little too
much like making permanent dynasty OF
an administration and it may be truthtully
said that the people are aversc TO II.
But most of the objections to CON
tinuous third term do not lie against
the reelection of an ex-Prcsidcnt. When n
President retires he becomes private citl-
zen. He retains the enemies he may have
made in office; but none of the time servers
and place-hunters OF the power and pat
ronage of the chief magistracy he keeps not
particle. All that, he has returned to the
people: and if they choose to recall him
from his retirement, he brings to the office no
more power to make a permanent dynasty
of his administration than he brought at first,
or than any other man would bring. The
popular favor with which the idea of recall
ing Gen Grant to the Presidency isrcceived
proves that there is no rooted objection on
the part of the people to a third term, after
an interval. For nothing seems to US PLAIN
er than that the demand for Grant has come
from the people and not from the politicians.
OF the Federal officials, those under the
Treasury Department, comprising large
share of the whole number. generally favor
Mr.. Sherman. of the active politicians, out
side of Ohio and the Treasury officials, a
large majority, doubtless, prefer MIR, Blaine
The politicians did not start the Grant
BOOM" and if they now fall in with it ii IS
because they see the people back OF it, The
truth is that the plain people, the loyal peo-
%, have become seriously alarmed at the
political prospect. The rule of rebel brlga-
diers at Washington, the attempts 10 starve
out the Government, the cipher disclosures
of attempted frauds and corruptions the
counting in in Maine, as part of con
spiracy to count in a Democratic President
these and similar revelations have impressed
upon the people the fact that they must have
for candidate for President, if they can get
him, a man Of the most absolute honesty aud
firmness-a man who believes this to be 4
NdLon. who understands what the war was
fought for, and will not allow IFS results
to go for naught, and a man who cannot
be bullied or triflcd with. They know Grant
to be such mainland it was very short
road TO the conclusion that they would like
to recall him to the Presidency. 1t is not
that they think he has not been sufficiently
rewarded for his services-they want him,
not on his account hut on their own. 1t is
not that, in the words of our correspondent,
they feel that the destiny OF the Republic
lies in ono mans hands," but they see that
some one man must be President and the
Republican masses throughout the States
do not happen to know one whom they can
''tie to- with equal confidence. If Ursula
doubts the existence of this feeling, let him
come off from his island, and go out among
the farmers of Vermont. He will find that
three out of five of them want Grant, and
that there are more who did not vote for
Grant eight years ago, who are for him now,
than there are of those who were for him
before but who DO not want him now. And
| it is Just 50 in most of the Northern States.
Our correspondent thinks people are sick of
the parade" over Grant; but here again
perhaps he mistakes his own impressions for
those of the people. Gen. Grant had per
feet right to travel abroad. The very re
markable honors he received there were not
of his seeking, and could not have been pro
cured for him by any American politicians.
He accepted them everywhere with manly
modes,v, as honors done to his country,
rather than to him as an individual. He had
right to come home, when he got ready,
and he has accepted with equal modesty the
welcomes accorded 10 him by his fellow citi-
zens. These welcomes have been spontane-
Gus and hearty. Ii would have been simply
impossible Ia manufacture such for anybody
and we know of no reason why Gen. Grant
should decline them.
If we could make the next President we
do not say that it would be Gen. Grant, but
We can conceive Of worse fates for the Re
publican party and for the Republic than
another term of Grant If he is nominated
at Chicago, it will be because his candidacy
will help not hurt, the Republican party :;
because he is more likely 10 be elected than
any of the other probable candidates for the
nomination; andlecause, if elected, he will
be extremely likely to take his seat, Demo
cratic plots and treasons TO the contrary not
withstanding If he should return to the
Presidency, it will be, as we believe, with
wisdom gained from his former experience
and from reelection, and with the determina-
ton and ability to give the country clean,
honest, able and truly National Administra-
ton of the Government