New-York tribune., 1901-06-23

senator DepeW mas sent the 1oloWiHS ice'0A ~
Congressman Grosvenor of Ohio:
New-York June -
My Dear General Your Washington interview
on the third term has been brought to my at
tentlon. L cannot understand your anxiety u
get out from under this awful suggestion, ana
leave, you say, the whole of the terrible re-
sponsibility upon Senator Depew." 1 felt happy
in being in the company of so wise and able
statesman, and part from you in sorrow Dut
not in anger. ROchefoucauld says to explain is
to be damned. and the press are vigorously do
ing that for you since your corrected interview;
and, being now abandoned, as Il were, stand
pat and Justify
My statement was not made like yours. to a
reporter at the mouth of coal mine and then
left for that ingenious youth TO give the sub
stance and omit the qualifying phrases, put
deliberate opinion expressed at private dir-
ner in Washington while President Mckinney
was receiving such remarkable ovations ana
welcoming speeches in the South on the lines or
the interest OF the Southern States in expansion
ana our new possessions and the open door 70
the East for their development and enrichment;
IN other words. the general Endorsement or the
Presidents policy
was surprised to see the conversation substan-
TALLY correctly reported some time afterward in
a Washington dispatch. The universal discussion
which followed not due your utterance
or mine but because the question is live one
Judging from the returns of the Clipping Bu-
reau no subject has received such universal at
tention. 1t has been the occasion Of a statement
to the American people by the President which
will live among the ablest and best expressed
contributions in our political literature. Mr.
Mckinley has definitely disposed of the sugges-
tion for himself. and for the present the subject
is academic. We must go through Mr.. McKin-
ley's second term and a possible two terms for
his successor before third term is practicable
BY that time neither you nor l will be eligible,
The evolution of the discussion is interesting
At first many of the opposition press with de-
feat for them predestined. took fright and shout
ed C@sarism and imperialism. and presented
ghastly pictures Of free people under the iron
heel Of despotism. They did not that the
people had TO create the Caesar, manufacture the
heel and then crawl under il. No other power
hon V~D- GRO rn6 hyT n nT
tentatively and phosOphCally with a sort of
weather eye discretion. There is no Constitu-
tional prohibition and no law. written un-
written. on the subject. ours is not a govern
ment by tradition. 1t is the most adjustable
machinery ever devised meet the varying
needs and condition of different periods and
crises. From the acquisition of Louisiana by
Jefferson against his opinion of its constitution
ality and on his judgment that the necessity OF
the territory 10 the safety OF the republic made
a different Interpretation patriotic. down to the
cesson Of Porto Rico and the Philippines by the
Treaty Of Paris and their government by the
President and Congress. have done what the
majority believed the constitution meant and
the Supreme Court has just conspicuousIy sus-
tanned that view.
The effort nominate General Grant for n
third term is not precedent decision. The
convention was battle ground OF the Blaine
and ant-Blane forces. The question OF third
term was an argument in the contest but had
little weight on the result. The faction fight in
New York settled the defeat OF Grant and the
nomination Of Garfield. During his eight wears
as President General Grant had given the vast
Federal patronage for this State 10 Senator
Conkling. With Civil Service in its infancy and
the immense Office holding which remained from
the CiVlI War patronage controlled the party
and Senator Conkling used II With fatal effect
against the friends OF Blaine. During the f,,fr
succeeding years Of Hayes. with Eyarts as the
New-York representative in his Cabinet Fed
eral ofiCeholders prohibited from taking
part in the party management. and the friends
or Blaine captured many Of the rural counties
and secured a strong representation In the State
legislature. especially in the Senate II wa. un
derstood that the success of the third term was
70 end the public life OF Mr. Blaine's friend in
New York and postpone IL not destroy the Presi-
dentlal ohances OF that statesman and tina. Issue
determined the result The third term bogie was
only one OF the weapons Cleveland ran tbraa
times and was elected twice II IL had heen
three terms instead Of three times as conditions
were then. he would have been elected inst the
same. me people were so prosperous they had
determined to try the economic theory ~ Tree
trade ana believed Cleveland the safest and
most conservative statesman in the country with
whom they could make the experiment
"A Iresldent so great. so pre-eminentIy
would not want third term The daTna,d
would have TO be so imperative that he could
not DECLINE All the possible honors of the
could add nothing TO one who had deserved this
exceptional compliment and his prestige would
any PRESIDENT, therefore, for whom there was
any likelihood of third term, would not seek
it, but do all In his power to escape it,
Our President has great power but he is at
the mercy Of a House of Representatives. elected
every two years and a Senate always In ses-
sion He cannot control elections as is done
In foreign countries. for that machinery is with
the States and jealousy guarded. The people
through their representatives. can tie his hands
or impeach him. They made Johnson very sum
marfly, an impotent fGurehead occupying
chair which they would not permit him TO fill
We have been severely criticised or roundlv
abused for saying that there is nothing Illegal
or immoral in the people of this country eIectng
a citizen for twelve years, instead of eight and
that If present conditions were unchanged in
1904 they would certainly request Mckinley 10
again assume the Presidency. But il Is the
most serious charge vet made against the in
telligence Of the American electors and their
capacity for self government to treat as so
many have, the third term If II were an in
novation which might prove a temptation and
If received with popular favor we would at
once. voluntarily and with reckless hilarity
sacrifice our liberties and institutions
When the time comes it may that in
great crisis. Abraham Lincoln after eight
years of the Presidency, will. in the Judgment
of the people Of this country. best serve the
highest interests of the republic by another
four years. he will receive such a call as no
patriot resist. Faithfully yours
CHAUNCEY M. DEPEW.
Hon Charles III. Grosvenor.