Litchfield enquirer., 1880-01-29

The Rev. James Freeman Clarke character izes the largest class of citizens favoring the nomination of Grant as ''timid people who tremble at every commotion in free state, and want strong hand to put it down. They are the conservatives who are SO terrified by the noise of escaping steam that they wish to fasten down the safety valves in order to have quiet" Another class is composed of 'ma- chine" men, already stronger than popular government in many parts of the Union. Of Grants unftness for the presidency he speaks in the following strong, irrefutable terms:
 In fact Gen. Grant, with all his good quail ties, is the very last man to be put again into the presidential chair. He has one defect, fatal to his usefulness, that of preferrng the interests of individuals to the rights of the people. He had rather have the law not exc cuted than that friend should be injured by it's operation, not perceiving that the only protection for the whole people consists in the just administration of law. The rights of the many are to hlm vague, distant impalpabe- while the claims of individuals about him are immediate and urgent. The evils of this habit, of being generous before we are just, are great in private life when they appear in a public position they endanger the very foundations of the state. For the impartial administration of the laws, without fear or favor. is the rock on which all our liberties and rights repose.
 President Capers, of Tufts College, speaks out with equal dstinctness ;, -sa
 The selfish and partisan character of Gen. Grants former administrations, the derelictions of his cabinet officers, the corruption and wickedness of his intimate friends and associ- ates, the servility and degradation of the civil service during his terms of office, have fixed An indeilble blot upon the good name of the republican party. To make him, in the light of all this experience, again it's standard bear CT and the exponent of it's principles, whatever temporary success might be gained by it, would ultimately bury it in an infamy so deep that there could be no resurrection from it.
 Among the scraps of history brought to light by the talk of a Third Term is the following letter from Gen. Washington in 1799 to Gov. Trumbull who had written to ask him to &C., cept a nomination from the Federalists then in great straits through the failure of the Adams administration
 It would be matter of sore regret to me if I
 
 toward me as his [ Mir Adams's successor, not only as it respects my ardent wishes to pass through the vale uf life in retirement, undis- turbed in the remnant of the days l have to sojourn here, unless called upon to defend my country which every citizen is bound to dol, but on public grOnnd also; for, although have abundant cause to be thankful for the good health. with which am blessed, yet am not insensible to my declination in other respects Ea 11- -...-s.. though it should be the wish of my country men, and could be elected, to except an of. ice under this conviction, which another would discharge with. more ability; and this, too, at a time when am thoroughly convin- ced should not draw a single vote from the - anti-federai side, and, of course, should stand upon no other ground than any other federal character well supported; and when 1 should become a mark for the shafts of envenomed malice and the basest calumny to fire at,- when I should be charged not only with irres- 0IutiOn, but with concealed ambition, which waits only an occasion to blaze out,-aud, in short, with dotage and imbecility. All this, grant, ought to be like dust in the balance, when put in competition with great public good when the accomplishment of it is ap. parent. But as no problem is better defined in my mind than that principle, not men, is nOW, and will be, the object of contention; and that could not obtain solitary vote from that party; that any other respectable federal character would receive the same sui frages that should; that at any time of life (verging toward three score years and ten) I should expose myself, without rendering any essential servise to my country, or answering the end contemplated. prudence on my par must arrest any attempt of the well-meaut bu mistaken views of my friends to introduce me afain into the chair of government.
 One of the noticeable features of this letter is the complete Identification of Washington with the Federal party. He doubts whether he cOuld draw a single vote from the ranks o1 She JsEfersoniaDsl 4s a ..s :3l