The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-11-28
FxUNKEYAsM To EX-PREslDENTs

III UNKEYLSM TO EX-PRESIDENT.S.
One of the signs of the times Is the uneasy
itching to do something for " ex-Presidents "
which manifests itself on every side. As
there happens by singular fortuity to be
only one of that species in existence this
movement has all the large disinterestedness
of legislation for "cities OF the first class "
in States with single town. We will not
content ourselves with asking, as we might,
What is the good of all this but will go
further and say that it is pernicious and
vile. The Presidency is the most dangerous
element in our fabric of Government-worse
even than the Senatorial Oligarchy which
has been invented of late years, because it
| consists in one instead of many. II is trite
to remark that the Chief Executive gave the
greatest concern to the trainers of the Consti-
| tuition, was the subject of the most salutary
victory Of the Jeiiersonian over the Hamil-
tonian schools of thought, and the office is
even yet invested with more active power
and consequence than the regnanGy of Great
Britain, from which it is derived. The only
well-founded security of public liberty
against il is the fact that each President at
the end Of his term instantly becomes a
private citizen again, with no lingering
powers, privileges, or prerogatives hanging
about his skirts, amenable to the laws as
much as the humblest, and enjoying only
such respect as he has earned.
TO do away with this state Of things Is now
the effort of the trucking Imperalists who
have succeeded the more refined Haml-
tonians. Thinking the time ripe and every
thing ready to hand for their attempted revo-
luton, they are trying TO build up Grant,
their convenient tool, with every adjunct OF
glitter and power they can invent, to have
him ready for their purposes inlss4. ltthere-
fore suddenly strikes them with horror that
one who has enjoyed the dignity of being
Chief Magistrate for while should ever sub
side into private life with no better title than
that of American citizen, (Which suiliced
| George Washington for number of years,
with no inaooenz," no pomp, aud, worst o
all, 40 money coming to him TO remedy this
they are nov trying 10 make up The last
mentioned lack from their own bloated
purses, a project more oiiensive than dan
gerous 4; and growing bolder, have started I
scheme that all ex Presidents shall be Sena
tors at Large fUr life after the oeasiag o
their respective terms In the White House
This, which out IIerods IIerod, seems 10 b.
the New York JriLunes silly set oil To thu
snobhish gif: enterprise Of the Times.
Whatever il il, its absurdity IL snfjcientl,
exposed in a Boston interview with Senato
Blaine, who is no friend 10 the Grant plot
After pointing TO historical examples of how
such an amendment to the Constitution woulC
have worked in the past, he shows that within
the next few years Messrs. Hayes and Gar
field, who are nothing IL not Ohio men, ant
rather provincial ones at that, would com,
TO reinforce Ohio's representation In tn.
Senate, and exactly double II for AN indelnit.
time over that OF the other States, excep
Illinois, which would have Grant unless Ia,
succeeded Garfield. which is tho real oljec
of the plot. Now, what ia the consequence
of this Any other State, that had not yotet