Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1880-03-04

stStution. The reverse 0f thbss nowev-
er. Is shown BY Judge Black 10 be true;
for the preponderance Of opinion in The
Constitutional Convention vas in favor
Of limiting the eligibility of . President
TO one term. and the present plan Of
choosing the President BY electors, with
re-eligibality, was ouly agreed to on the
last day bot one Of the 6nal adjourn
ment.
Mr.. Howe asserts that Washington
refused third term not because be vas
opposed TO IL, but for other reasons.
Judge Black defends the character Of
Washington from the imputation cast by
Mr.. Howe AID says that a raging third
termer has as good right TO sneer at
the Father Of his Country IS an inde-
pendent Holtentot has to beat bis moth
er.
Judge Black quotes letter from
Thomas jefferson to the Legislature of
Vermont, in which the great statesman
says:
That I should lay down nv charge at
a proper period is rs much duty as to
have borne il faithfully. IL some ter
minaiion to The services Of the Chief
Magistrate be not fixed by the Cons.i-
tuition or supplied by practice, bis Office.
nominally for years, will in fact beeoHs
for life, and history shows bow easily
that degenerates into an inheritance.
Believing that representative govern
ment responsible at short periods of
election 10 that which produces The
greatest sum Of happiness 10 mankind,
feel il duty to do no act which shall
essentially impair that principle, and |
should unwilIingly be the person who,
dIsregarding The sound precedent set by
an illustrious predecessor, should fur
nish the first example of prolongation
beyond the second term Of Office.
Madison also adopted the principle Of
his two predecessors and retired at the
end OF his second term. Monroe, also,
who was elected second time without
opposition, acknowledged the value OF
the Washington precedent.
After successfully refuting Mr.. Howe's
arguments that the ex-Presidents did not
desire a third term because they could
not get IT. which proves, as Judge Black
says, that the general judgment Of the
nation was against il, he points out with
clearness and precision the evils which
would follow a violation of the prece-
dent forbidding the election of any man
to the Presidency for third time, and
insists that the Only safeguard against
those evils is the frequent election Of
new men. He says:
In the republics Of ancient and mod
ern times the Chief Magistrate was in
trusted with only temporary power and
always went out Of Office at the end OF
a short period, fixed and prescribed by
law or custom. II was shis, indeed,
which made the substantial distinction
between them and the monarchies
around them. An unpublished trans
gression OF the customary limitation was
uniformly followed by destruction.
Everywhere and always it was the ia
tai symptom Of decay-the sure fore
runner of ruin. When Cesar refused
10 lay down his consulship, as his pre-
decessors had done al the end Of year,
and was reelected time after time with
The acuuiescence Of the Senate and the
people, all that was real in Roman free
dom ceased to exist. Two republics in
France were brought to an end in the
same way. Napoleon began by being
consul tor term, then was elected tor
life and finally became Emperor, with
the powers Of an absolute despot. The
last Bonsparte was President for four
years, was reelected Tor ten. and ended.
like his uncle, in grasping the imperial
crown. "May this be washed in the
Lethe and forgotten % Shall these lea
sous be losti Shall the lamp which
guided our iorefathers be exiinguished !
Shall the broad daylight Of all human
exoerience be closed up in little dark
lantern manufactured At Milwaukee J
| think this cannot be done ''the eter-
nal verities' are against il. The most
powerful third-termer may as well try
10 blow out the sun, MS be would tall
low candle, with The breath ol his mouth.
A third term for Grant does not mean
third term only. but any number Of
terms that he chooses 10 demand. The
imperial method OF carrying all cleo
tons by corruption or force, or of de-
claring them to be carried when they
are not, is to be permanently substitu-
ted forthe system offree. popular choice.
The figure Of Grant standing with the
seal Of primacy on the mountain top and
looking down on the inhabitants OF the
PLAN below. gives measure Of the Ell
ovation which hiss sycophanls fiatter
him with the hope Of attaining. They
urge the necessity Of . strong govern
ment almost in the very words used by
the adhcrrnts OF Cesar and the two Ma
poleons. Strong government, IN their
sense, means weak laws and . strong
ruler; in other words, : substantial
monarchy, powerful in ITS scorn Of all
legal restraints. A free Democratic
Republican system Of Government hon
estIy administered by agents ofthe peo-
pies true choice; government such as