Year: 1875

New YORK Herald (EditOriaD.l


We shall be surprised il the countr
accepts this as q satisfactory declsrati0
from the President. 1t is an evasiy
letter. 1t would have been much bette


for his fame, and even for the welfare


the party which he proposes to serve,


he had not written it. In word, tn
country ls told that the President wi
not take whsA is not offered to him


That Is not VIA we wanted slom th


President. What we did want was a.


express avOWal by General Grant tha


the question OF q third term would be


treason to a sacred precept Of our un


written common law a declaration tina


whoever presumed to use bis name 70


such purpose would do an unworth,


act, an admOnitiOn to the country O


the dangers to liberty which tWelv


years Of Capitalization had produced


and prayer that the people would de


stroy Cesarism by limiting all admin


istrRtiOns to one term. Such a decla


ration would have thrilled the country


and been a graceful cap-shesf to tn


fame OF Grant. As it is C8sarism Is a.


a political issue more potent than ever


1t becomes the dominant question il


the next canvass. Our answer should


be the limitation of the Presidency t.
! one term, and no reelection ever after


New York Tribune (EditoriaDl


At last, and for the first time, tht
! President speaks his mind respecting the


third term. He put it in the form OF &
letter to General Harry White, president
! Of the recent Pennsylvania Republican
| convention. His previous silence he ex


plains as due to the dignity Of his Office


and he only speaks now because the sub
! ject has been considered by nominal.
ing convention of the second State in the
Union. Although somewhat Delphic In
his phraseOlOgy, this letter will be re.
gsrded as finally Withdrawing General
Grants name from the list OF candidates


for the next Presidency. He does III
deed take pains to indicate that there


might be circumstances under which be


would accept nomination, if rendered,
but these, he thinks, are not likely to
arise. He says, "I am not, nor have |
ever been, a candidate for renOmina-
tion.n All! if he had only said as much
as this some time ago, what suffering
might have been saved to the RepUbli-
can party.


New York Tribune.


The White House organ has got its
breath again, and is now tolerabIy con-


ident that there is a chance for q third
term even yet. "At the request OF 3
number OF prominent southern Republi-
cans''-whO are unfortunately nameless
1t prints long letter with the stirring
headline, "ReasOn and q Third Term, y
which embraces the pith and marrow
OF argument in favor OF the proposition
A careful examination OF the document
oh Gf,gNl -.
General Grant is five years younger
than the youngest of all his predecessors
who served two terms, and hence their
refusal to accept third term is not bind
ing on him; that the people have q right
to Te-elect any man just as many times
as they please; that Grant is the only
Republican who can be elected, and
therefore 1t will be simple madness to
throw him over. The profound writer
of the lettercOncludes in this impressive
way: "Deeply and most seriously i'm
pressed with these views, most earn
estly entreat the thoughtful men of the
Republican party to discountensnce the
current pRlsver against a third term,
and to come back to the sound principle
adopted by the founders OF the national
constitution and fathers OF the republic
as the permanent law OF the land, that
1t is for the people to choose their Presi-
dent, and when they find an honest and
faithful one by experience, to re-elect
him at their pleasure" And there are
people who are said to believe that a
President who lets his only authorized
print such stuff as this never
any idea of third term!
New York World (EditoriaDl





The letter shows the same weakness
that its author has all along shown in
all opposition to the third
term in personal hostility TO himself and
in failing TO perceive that there are con-
checks which men who know
what free government means are not
to give up in favor of chief
even il they believe in his
good intentions. This defect arises part
ly perhaps from General Grants mill
taFy habits, but much more from the ma
ture OF his mind, and is one Of the many
proofs Of his utter unfitness to be a Pres
dent Of the United States.


1t Is utterly preposterous for him to
pretend that he has not sought a renom-
nation, when his representatives In
congress have been urging the enact
nent of measures which nOtCriously and
almost on their face had no other pur- |
pose but to enable him to re.elect him !
elf, and when his little ridiculous organ,
he Washington Republican, which has |
10 other reason of being than to do his /
bidding, was going on under his nose all |
asst session in the most frantic appeals /
o every body in congress 10 help him to |
. third term. These things ought to |
AVE more weight with sensible people |
han the uucouth Bffectstion Of cOyness
which Cameron and the Pennsylvania |
DOW tell him It is judicious
or him to agHImf.


Jew York Times (Editor:aD.I


The President h as addressed letter to
ieneral White, who presided over the
ecent Republican convention in Penn
ylvAnis. In this letter he expresses
lis views on the "thiFd-teTmn question
Nth great simplicity and frankness;
nd we believe that his declaration will
e deemed satisfactory by the people.
Sut the people who originally raised this
ry OF "third term" will not be satisfied
With the letter-they will pick holes in
here and there; they will take out de.
sched sentences, and twist them into
Specification they do not properly pos
ess; they will ssy that the President
dmits that he would accept third
OminatiOn II it were offered him, and
hat he is evidently still intent upon it.
md # the public think proper to con-
emn a man who, in the main, has
erved them faithfully for many yesrs
1st, on the strength Of such attacks,
nen General Grants position will be no
etter than It was before he wrote the
etter. To US, We must confess, It |
oes seem that the letter ought
D be accepted by all just
ID ialr-minded men as absO-
ltely putting an end to the whole gues.
Ion' IT is manly, straightforward let
sr, such as the President Of this republic
eed not be ashamed to address 10 the
american people. He reminds them of
be dignity Of his office, which some OF
hem are apt 10 forget. A lawyer or a
might have drawn the
sitter up more skillfnlly, and critic
light suggest the alteration of certain
hrases; but it says enough for all pTac-
esl purposes, and 1t says it in language
7hich Is at least ineligible. II ought
be accepted as q distinct denial and
epudistion Of all that network Of in