The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-08-30
JEFFERSON AND A THIRD THh"'
His Immortal Words On W. I'.",sIature.
dressed to the vermont N.l.e,I
Which with several Others A'"''
Him TO Accent n Third Iefhh'

dressed to the VermohH .,ess Asked
which with Several Othe
Him to Accept Third TERM
Letter by l.. d. Mitchell to thc N' -
g ;, THE World of the 23d in an
article on jefferson anu 'no 4n,ant
Term, " makes the strange s,a ,, 4bnt
that "history nowhere Suggests '"'
"thc Washington precedent nau " az,
thing to do with his eagerhess W io.,
from public life,' and that ho H ,tc 40
never to have chad an opLortuni ~ ~ ~
express himself for or against w !iin'.
term idea by accepting or or oe War,a q f
probable reelection. me Noii. ~,
the oath reiterated the statement M w. a." al
article on "Madison ana thc ih ~ "
Term" by saying, 9 If 1t was lhou ~ d d
third presidential term would pe a
lapse towards imperialism the lact
does not appear in the history Oh '''oS'
times J.. 4ho
This is grave injustice to the
greatest of Americans, and the man
who not only followed but strengthen
ed the Washington precedent WIN a
reasoning that has made it all through
the century IA part of our unwrltten
law. concededly vital factor IN our
political system. AS a matter OF Iac''
Mr. Jefferson was unequivncally oppos-
cd ON nrinciple to third term as
many of his published letters SHOW snow,
In letter dated December lOth, loo',
Ia the legislature of Vermont when mao
sent him an address expressing lhell
desire that he consent to be proposeu
again he said:
.Tnot ! shontd Law down my charge at prop.
or period is as much a duty rs to nave boihc
1t faithfully. If some ternliatioh 10 .nu ~,
vices of the chief magistrate pe nU' his Of
nee uominally for yeal. VIII cNtehu lnto
one for life and history Sto Mn,;,, m mCc
easily that degenera.es INTO IN lniiet i,'", o
Relieving that a representative government re.
| snon.iblc AT short periods Of election, l. ln"t
which produces the greatest sum OF hapllnSG1,a
! 10 mankind feel ii a duty to do no act MI I
shnIi essentially impair that principle anu
Sh"mld InwilIinrlv be the person who dlsrr-
%nrdinr The sound poceedcnt, set by an IL
Inntrinils Predecessor. Washington should fur,
nish the first example OF pr3,o riinr nf T6om
~ Jefferson bv II. A. Washington, vol. vill'
! page FL
Addresses in the same direction were
also received from the legislatures Oh
| New Jersey. North Carolina, Georgia
Rhode Island. New York, Pennsylvania
and MARYLAND, to which similar replies
/
were made
Mr. jefferson position was stated
over and over again at later PERIOD OF
his life. as in letter to Mr. james
Martin, dated Monticello, September
Goth. 1913, in which he said 81 an
for responsibilities at short periods
seeing neither reason nor safety IL
making public functionaries indepch
dent of the nation for life, or even tol
long terms of years. On this principle
| prefer the presidential term OF foui
wears TO that of seven years, when
myself had at first suggested, annex
ing to it, however. indigibillty foreNeI
after: and | wish it We're now annexed
to the 2nd quadrennial election 10
president : -.
In view of the above declarations
there ought not to be any doubt as It
how Mr.. jefferson stood regarding
third term, and the Democratic part!
can be depended on TO remain, unaiter
ably opposed to change III tins nov
established precedent.
l.. d. Mitchell.
Brattleboro, Vt, Aug. 18th, 1873,