New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-10
OF this the same excellent authority frankly
admits there is little or no hope.
GENERAL GRANT AND a THIRD TENN

GENERAL GRANT AND a THIRD 1EHh'
Months AGO If was said by the friends of Pres
ident Grant that his name would never 10 pre-
scnted to the Chicago Convention unless there
should be a practically unanimous desire lor lib
nomination. 1t is certain that no such desire
exists. There have been many proofs OF tnls'
Int none stronger than General Grants decisive
defeot on Saturday in the election OF delegates
in Chicago. the metropolis OF his own
State. Later it was said, by those who APP
neared to have the best right to speak for the
ex-President, that his name would never ne
presented unless it should he certain tllat nc
could be nominated on the first ballOt-lh Other
words, unless he. should prove to be the nrst
| choice of q clear majority OF the delegates IL
| Is now certain that this contingency VIII hoG
| arise. General Grant is not the first chOlce Vi
large part of the delegates from PennsyI-
| vonio. nor of their constituents, as has Deen
nbundantly proved nor Is he the first cnoice Oh
a norton of the delegates from New-1Ork BuC
| if he could secure all the delegates from these
| States and all those yet to be elected from the
| South. and q proportion of the delegates from
Illinois fully representing the share OF Repub-
licans who desire his nomination, as shown IN
the primary meetings, still he would fall short
of a majority. There are no other delegates
| from the North that he can expect to secure,
and il is not believed by well-infOrmed persons
that all the delegates yet to be elected from the
! South will be in his favor. Moreover, 1t Is GER
tain that he will not have the united delegations
from PENNSYLVANIA and New-YOrk. Hence Ut
is not possible that there should be majority
of the Convention in favor of his nomination
on the first ballot, and of those who may vote
| hot ho1I of bn IL first CnOlce
of some.
If does no GOOD to remind his leading sup
porters of their promises. For they now assert
that tbe name of the ex-President will be pre-
sented. and will not be withdrawn, but that he
will remain a candidate like any other. Under
these circumstances, it is becoming to bring the
matter to the attention Of General Grant NM
self 1t is right to ask him whether. after nav
ing been twice elected by the people, he Is Will
ING 70 be defeated in scramble for third
nomination, when q majority OF his party mas
declared that in its judgment such nOnlna-
ton would bG undesirable and dangerous. II
is right to ask whether he will permit his name
to be thus used by prominent supporters foI
their advantage and to his discredlt.
The people have not supposed that General
Grant is thrust upon the party in this way at
his own desire. On the contrary, they have
supposed that he was sincere in his repeated
declarations that he did not desire another term
of Office and would not accept nomination uli-
less an emergency should render the party
practically unanimous in desiring it. 1t has
heen Thought, too, that he had leaned to regret
his too easy compliance with the wishes OF
some who have been his friends, and that ne
would hereafter consult the wishes and repre-
sent the feelings of the whole body of Republi-
: cans. rather than those of particular set oil
managers But public opinion on these matters
, would undergo a very great change, II the cX-
President should now permit these managers
TO demand his nomination at Chicago for q
third term, in spite of the fact that majority
of the Convention will have been chosen TO OPP
nose such O nomination. Public opinion will
then conclude that his former declarations were
not sincere, and that his own ambition tC
eclipse the hOnOrs and the rewards OF Washing
C ton has been the moving spring of the thirC
= term machinery. In that event, a defeat wOulC
nut him at a lower level in public estimation
and in the Judgment of history than if he hat
never been elected President at all.
: It rests with President Grant himself to SAY
, whether his name shall be thus used. All lOya
citizens wish to remember his past service
with honor and gratitude, but it would he very
Q nainful to see him used as a cat's-paw by tn
! rebel Democracy to compass the defeat OF TN
S Republican party. President Grant himself Ii
. not the man that he is supposed to be by mos
of the Republicans, if he can knowingly con
sent to expose the Republican party to DANCE
= of defeat, and the country to the danger o
J., Democratic rule for the sake Of any advantag
: to himself or his friends. No doubt it has bee
:, represented to him, by persons who have hat
f his confidence, that the Republicans would b
s nearly unanimous in their desire and judgmen
= in respect to his nomination, before the Con
vention met. But he can now see for himsel
that this cannot be. lie can see that there l
nothing like unanimity of feeling or opinion, L
favor Of a third term, among the Republican
IL n a single one of the Northern States. il
New-York and Pennsylvania the delegation
i misrepresent the people, and yet are nc
Il u unanimous; mot another Northern State Ia
= | declared for the third term and even III M
u own State there is a bitter struggle agains
- him. Seeing these things, and realizing tina
:, his name is being used by manipulatOrs as if h
were a persistent, unblushing and wearlsOm
Office seeker, President Grant can quickl
Judge whether it is consistent with his dgnit
I or his wishes to have the third term cuisines
. pushed to final verdict i'll Convention. ii
y has it in his power by few plain words, TO
II the information aud guidance of the Illinoi
n Convention, to save himself and his party fror
the possibility of defeat his country from tn
danger of Democratic mastery, and hls reputa
J, ton from q stain that time cannot efface.