The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-11-06

Obadiah mounted his horse and rode home
with lighter heart and from tnat uay W ''lls,
Dood has been as good neighbor as one
could wish to have being completely reformed
| nv the RETURNING OF GOOD FOR EVIL
y Gin. Columbian.
LAST DAY OF THE GRAND EXHIBITION.
The London Times gives an animated de-
scription of the final scene at the great exhibit
ton of the worlds skill and industry:
"Let the reader fancy what it must have
been to comprehend within one glance ni'y
thousand people assembled under one rool IN a
fairy palace, with walls OF IRON ana glass, tne
strongest and the most fragile material happhy
and splendidly combined Let nm, ii ne can,
picture to himself that assemblage IN the cen're
of that edifce filled with specimens OF human
industry and natural wealth, from every CIVIL
lied community and the remotest corners OF the
globe. Let him tax his Imagination 10 the Ut
termost, and still beyond the material magnlh-
cence of the spectacle presented TO hm-let
him remember that the stream OF lie on winch
he looks down contains IN 1T the intellect ana
the heart of the greatest metropolis IN the most
powerful empire in the world-that strong feel
ings such as rarely find utterance in form so
sublime are about to find expression from that
multitude, and that in heather times even
when liberty was still a new power upon the
earth, the voice Of the people was held TO be
the voice of God. Not only the days. but the
minutes of the Great Exhibition were number
ed and the first sign of its dissolution was given
by Oslers crystal fountain. Just before five
O'Clock struck, the feathery jet of water from its
summit suddenly ceased, and the silence OF the
vast assemblage became deeper and more in
tense. The moment at last came. Mr.. Bel
shaw appeared at the west corner of the tran
sept-gallery on the south side, bearing large
red flag in his hand This he displayed as the
clock struck and instantly all the organs in the
building were hurting into the air the we'll
known notes of the National Anthem. AT the
same moment the assembled multitudes uncOv-
cred and those who witnessed this act of loyalty
from an advantageous position will long remem-
-Sr ile eaecs sszseh it produced upe2 tSeiri
minds Where Just before nothing vas visible
but mass of black nats strercning away 'uiitIii
lost in the distance, Immediately there appear
ed great sea of up-turned animated faces and
to the solemn silence of expectancy succeeded
a volume of sound in which the voices of the
people were heartily joined The Crystal
Palace is not adapted for organ music, and not
wthstandng the number of them exhibited,
they cannot from the size of the building be
played in concert. The consequence was, that
as a musical performance-there being no prop
er organization in the matter-the singing of
" God save the Queen" was very discordant
demonstration of loyalty. Herr Sommer did
everything in his power and in that of his in
strument to keep the people in tune, but he was
only partially successful. Some professional
singers also gave their aid upon the occasion,
and inspired the assemblage with courage to
follow On the whole, however, foreigners
would have managed this matter better; and
though it is useless now to express regrets, it
does seem a pity that proper steps were not
taken to make the performance of the National
Anthem as effective as it might have been.
About the feeling which accompanied it there
could be no mistake, for rs soon as it had been
closed there arose such cheers as Englishmen
alone know how to give. These were continued
for several minutes, and when the last of them
died away there passed over the entire building,
and with an effect truly sublime, tremendous
rolling sound, like that of thunder caused by
thousands of feet stamping their loyalty upon
the boarded floors. Under this demonstration
every part of the edifce trembled and, as it
swept from west to east many an eye was rails
ed with anxiety to the Orders and pillars, which
in long perspective were stretched out before
them And now the time had arrived for the
death peal of the Exhibition to be rung out
Some one hung out from the gallery of the
transept piece of Calico on which was insert
bed the well-known passage from Shakspeare's
Tempest, @c.
sour reves now are ended: these our actors,
As foretold you, were all spirits, and
Are melted into air. INTO thin air;
And like the baselcs fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces,
Tho solemn temples the great globe itself F.
YEA all which 1t inherit, shall dissolve,
And like this unsubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind
"A minute or two was allowed to elapse be-
fore the fatal signal was given and during this
brief interval the assemblage remained silent
and mOtionless. Atlast it came and perfect
storm of bell peals broke over the building.
The executive seemed to have collected all their
strength for a last dfort in this department of
their duties and W. do hope that to the other
statistics of the great undertaking now closed
may ut once be aided the number of tympa-
NUNS broken on tie final day. Ireland, with
her characteristic love of making as much
noise as possible with the tongue, has sent the
most powerful bells 20 the Exhibition but these
resources, added to the bells of all nations
were deemed insufficient and China had to
come to the rescue with her gongs and India to
strike up some fine savage notes from her tom
toms, before the sigIs of an intention to depart
were Enthusiastically manifested. The concourse
of people for long time remained massed to-
gethcr, rs if no power could separate or fuse
them; but at last small currents and ripples Of
human beings might be seen setting toward the
exit doors and these gradually increased il
volume and rapidity as the shades of evening
fell. One by one the gas lamps were lighted
and the building divided between the empire o
day and night assumed an aspect curiously il
harmony with its defunct character. The pc
lice and the sappers appeared on the scene, frs
in small knots, and then, when they had move,
the people on little in extended line. b,
gently pressing on them they at last induces
them TO 90, but it was dark and six and hal
O'Clock, before the building was completed,
cleared, and the bells finally ceased tolling
In looking back over the career of the vas
enterprise which has thus auspiciously been ter
minated the consideration which first and mos
strongly impresscs itself on the mind is the un
precedented popularity which it has attracted
OF this We quote some striking facts as illus
trations In the month of May, 734672 visit:
were paid to the building; in June I,l33,II6
in July, 1,3i4,l76 in August ,O23, ABS; in Sep
tember, l,l55, 240; and in the first eleven day,
of October, Sal ,lO7. These figures give a tota
of 6,20l $3.50 as the sum of visits to the Exhb
ton Every one will calculate according to hi,
particular fancy the proportion between visit,
and visitors, but at least it is obvious that seye
raj millions of people have had their minds en-
larged and their respect for industrial pursuit,
increased, by portion Of their time, more OF
less considerable, being spent in the Crysta
Palace The greatest number Of people ascer
tanned to have been in the building at any on,
time was at 2 o'clock on Tuesday last wher