Omaha daily bee., 1880-05-14
Gen. Grant and a Third TERM.

Gen. Grant and a Third Term.
New York Tribune.
Months ago it was said by the
friends of President Grant that bi,
name would never be presented to the
Chicago convention unless there
should be a practically unanimous de-
sire for his nomination. 1t is certain
that NO such desire exiets. There
have been many proofs of this, but
none stronger than General Grants
| decisive defeat on Saturday in the
election of delegates in Chicago, the
metropolis of his own stste. Later it
was said, by those who appeared to
have the best right to speak for the
ex-president, that his meme would
never be presented unless it should be
certain that he could be nominated on
the first ballotAin other words, I'M
less he should prove to be the frst
choice of a clear majority of the
delegates. It is now certain
that this contingency will not
arise. General Grant is not the first
choice of a large part of the delegates
from Pennsylvania, nor of their con-
s%tituents, as has been abundantly
proved; nor is he the frat choice of a
portion of the delegates from New
York. But if he could secure all the
delegates from these states, and all
those yet to be elected from the
South, and a portion of the delegates
from Illinois fully representing the
share of Republicans who desire his
nomination, as shown in the primary
meetings, still he would fall short of q
majority. There are no other dele
gates from the North that he can ex-
pect to secure, and it is not believed
by well Informed persons that all the
delegates yet to be elected from the
South will be in his favor. Moreover,
it is certain that he will not have the
united delegations from Pennsylvania
and New York. Hence it is not posi-
BILE that there should be a majority of
the convention in favor of his nomi-
nation on the first ballot, and Of those
who may vote for him on that ballot
he is not the choice of some.
1t does no good to remind his lead.
ing supporters of their promises. For
they now assert that the name of the
ex president will he prevented, and
will not be withdrawn, but that he
will remain a candidate like any 9TH
er. Under these circumstances, it is
becoming to bring the matter to the
attention of General Grant himself.
Its right to ask him whether, after
having been twice elected by the peo-
pie, he is willing to be defeated in a
scramble for a third nomination, whrn
a majority of his party has declared
that in its Judgment such a ncmina.
ton would be undesirable and dan.
gerous. 1t is right to ask whether he
will permit his name to be thus used
by prominent supporters for their ad-
vantage aud to his discredit.
The people have not supposed that
General Grant is thrust upon the per-
ty IN this way at his own desire. On
the contrary, they have supposed that
he was sincere in his repeated declar-
atoms that he did not desire another
term of Office, and would not accept a
nomination unless an emergency
should render the party practically
unanimous in desiring it. It hiss been
thought, too, that he had learned to
regret his too easy compliance with
the wishes of some who have been his
friends, and that he would
hereafter consult the wishes and re.
present the feelings of the whole
body of republicans, rather than
those of a particular set of
managers. But public opinion on these
matters would undergo a very great
change, If the ex.president should
low permit these managers to demand
bis nomination at Chicago for q third
term, in spite of the fact that q ma
jority of the convention will have
been chosen to oppose such o nomiua-
ton. Public opinion will then con-
clude that his former declarations
were not sincere, and that his own
ambition to eclipse the honors and the
rewards of Washington has been the
moving spring of the third term ma
chinery. In that event, q defeat
would put him at a lower leveli in pub
lie estimation and in the Judgment of
history than ifhe had never teen elect
ed president at all.
1t rests with Gen. Grant himself to
say whether his name shall be thus
used. All loyal citizens wish to re-
member his past services with honor
and gratitude, but 1t would be very
painful to see him used an q cat's.paw
by the rebel democracy to compass the
defeat of the republican party. Gen.
Grant himself is not the man that he
il supposed to be by most of the re-
publicanf, if he can knowingly expose
the republican party to danger of de-
feat, and the country to the danger of
democratic rule, for the sake Of any
advantage to himself or his friends.
No doubt it has been represent
cd to him, by persons who have had
his confidence, that the republicans
would be nearly unanimous in their
desire and judgment in respect to his
nomination, before the convention
met. But he can now see for himself
that this cannot be. He Gao see that
there is nothing like unanimity of
feeling or opinion in favor of third
term among the republicans in q sin.
gle one of the northern states. In
New York and Pennsylvania the dele
&c., 4