The republic., 1851-06-11
sThe Worlds Fair,
[roarlos coanrsposDrScr OF rHr REPUBLIC. ]

Although had intended according to my pro
mise, to give some account of the Great Exhibition
yet the impossibity of doing any thing like faint
justice to the subject within the compass of such
letters as my time would permit me to write. or
your columns permit you topublish, that gave up
in despair, and concluded it would be better to do
nothing than to do it 30 imperfcctly as, of neces
sity, must But i have concluded to send you
letter, at least, ABOUT the Great Exhibition for
the purpose of making some remarks upon that
part of the show which the American eagle
spreads his wings, and the stars and stripes wave
in the air and to correct the false impression which
countrymen will be likely to receive from read
ing the accounts which haveappeared in the Eng
lish journals At the first glance, must ncknow-
ledge, that when / compared our contributions
to the Exhibition with the glitter and parade, and
brilance OF the French dcpartment--with the
magnificent wealth of the English-the artistic
beauty of the contributions from Gormany--the
diamonds from India, and the luxurious display of
stuffs from the Orient generally did feel little
mortified at our own coarsencss and meagreness,
and that laughed at the witty things Jules Ja-
min said in his letters TO the Debats about US. How
ever, American need feel ashamed Of our CON
| ributions TO the Great Exposition; if they
| homey they are wholesome, and the best of their
kind and, if they meagre in quantity,
literally allotted to exhibit in Our agricutu-
raj Implements, which not exactly so showy or
so attractive as the furniture of boudoir, adj
mirable specimens of inventive skill, and gain
very respectful attention from gentlemen farmers,
who form no unimportant part of the visitors.
Then our light wagons and other carriages excite
both attcntions and admiration, and, gine,
will lead to marked improvements in the pleasure
| carriages OF this country, which generally
| heavy and cumbersome. Our specimen daguer-
reotypes, of which there are great numbers are
| remarkably fine, and superior to those of Paris
even, or London. There some tolcrably fine
| specimens of lamps and candelabra, from man
ufactory in Philadelphia, which superior as IL
| luminators to English lamps; but artistic ex-
amplcs, have nothing particularly excellent to
| commend them. As to agricultural speci-
mems, although they afford but feeble idea of the
variety luxuriousness, and perfection of our pro-
ducts, they all very good in their way; indeed
| the best that be produced. But they are not
snowy. Better cotton, corn, wheat, or flour the
world could not offer; and, if had sent nothing
more, should have had cause to feel asham-
ed OF our contributions As to textile fabrics.
| they are not abundant, nor snowy; but they are
very excellent. In sculpture, we have here copy
of the Greek Slave, by Powers. II s not SO
snowy as the bronze Amazon, by M. Kizz; but in
all the essentials of artistic beauty it is fully
equal to that attractive and beautiful work Nei-
ther France, England, Italy contributes
work Of art that surpasses the Greek Slave Amer
cans may well feel proud in calling the creator Of
this beautiful statue their countryman. The hats,
caps, wigs, false teeth, boots, and ok-bndngs
that have been sent the Atlantic as adver-
tsemenis for their makers, are all well enough;
they display workmanlike skill and good mater-
oIs buf peithpr inv apJ
might well have been kept at home for all the
good they will do US, nationally, abroad. If any
American, after rambling day through the
nues of snowy merchandise which crowd the
Crystal Palace, should feel mt all mortified at the
figure mako there, if he will go down to the st.
Katharines dock, and take look at our packet
ships which lie there, and compare them with the
ships of other nations that lie in the Thames,
imagine he will feel moro comfortable afterwards.
There ships that enter the London, or Lv-
erpool, Havre locks, at all omparable to our own
And these are specimens OF industry and genius
which Englishmcn perfectly familiar with, and
they give impression Of our national greatness
which cannot be dspoed by the mere absence of
tripkets from stall in the Glass Palace. Then,
again, although ocean steam navigation is yet but
an experiment with US, all the world knows that
the shortest passages made between Liverpool and
New York have been accomplished by an American
steamer. Still we greatly behind England,
France, and Germany in the higher branches of
manufacturing and the Great Exhibition shows the
fact unmisnkably. And rejoice that it does
1t will be the means trust of making country
men think little more upon the subject, and con
vert some Of the opponents of protection to native
industry into friends and advocates. am certain
that such will be the effect upon every American
that comes here. And speaking of the Americans
here reminds me that they by no means so nu
merous they expected to be. The same is
true Of other foreigners, and the cockneys terri
bly, down in the mouth about it. They expected
that London would be overrun with visitors, and
the most ample preparations have been made for
their entertainment; but the hotels and lodging
houses do not show any great increase of guests.
Paris appears to derive more benefit from the Exh
btion than London. Americans find very little in
London to please them, and they get
through with their business they start Immediately
for Paris, whore they remain to enjoy themselves.
Many of the noblemen, whose town houses are
usually closed strangers, have been most libe-
rally thrown open to the public, under certain
strictions, that foreigners might have opportu-
nifty to inspect the treasures OF art which they
contain. The picture gallery Of the Earl of Eles
mere has always been accessible to the public, but
Northumberland house, Devonshire house, and
Stafford house, are for the first time open to
strangers. English noblemen appear to take great
pride in purchasing some costly work of art,
which should be the property of the world,
and shutting it up in their own houses for their
exclusive enjoyment. Northumberland house, for
instance, contains fomo remarkably fine pictures
of the Italian masters, which the virtuosi did
not know the existence Of, or had forgotten, until
it's lordly gates the other day thrown open TO
the world. Devonshire house, the magnificent
town residence of the Bachelor Duke" as he is
called here, although il is we'll known that he has
family of children, has been thrown open in a
manner that reflects great credit upon ts posses
cor. 1t has been converted into play house, for
the performance of Bulwer's comedy, called ''Not
so bad we seem, or many sides character
rhe first representation given few nights
since before an audience of whom the Queen
iu.rrL dc kci.