New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-05-27

| LACK OF ENTHUSIASM AT THE OPENING OF THE
neutrality-suspicious. WITH That OF
1S5i-INFLUENCE OF MR.. COLE-CEREMONY
OF OPENING TIE EXHIBITION PERFORMED
BY THE PRINCE OF MISREPRESENTATION
PFRsONAGEs PREsENT-CoNCERT IN ALBERT
HALL.
fYROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE
LONDON, May lon May the First the
Jay will speak" wonder how many OF the spectators
t davis ceremonial recalled this mysterious announce
ment with which the walls OF London were pacarded
some wears ago. whether he jay ever spoke at all,
what n said and why It ceased speaking are all ques
tions for whose solution you will have TO explore te
chronicles OF stlbOn journalism; TOT "e '"y' "s ="
turned out, a new paper, when h'eu ohy o"s
enough TO die. Indeed, the only incident eonneo'o"
with Tie Jag with any resuscitatlon Oh HS "i.
ory was in the fact that until the me'nhns
OF the advertisement was discovered, the puOhc
mind was disguised with the announcement IL Is
curous to compare the excitement which attended the
openng OF the Exhibition Of 20 years with the ind
ference OF to-day. recoect grave discussions III
various newspapers TO the dangers society was oS
TO be confronted with by the sudden influx INTO Lohuo
of dissolute and discontinued foreigners can reca
how extensive military preparations made In view
OF some possible popular disturbance; now ola vi.
sbthorpe the last of the Cannon Balls as the rump OF
the Protectonst party was called then, swore solemn
oath in Parliament he would enter the doors OF so
anti British an institution as an Exhibition Oh Ioreibn
industry and how in conservative circles the promised
speaking Of the jay held to be the signal Tor some
gathering Of cosmopolitan conspirators.
The truth is that even If you could have reproduced
oday that first and finest OF all the World Fairs 1t has
been my lot to see you could reproduce the feelings
with which it regarded by onr public OF 20 years
ago II not only think the present writer VINO Is
two decades older than he that bright May morn
ing OF 1851 world itself, far as England Is con-
cerned is not so enthusiastic it was then The MS
tbo On has
been favorable TO belief in the speedy regeneration OF
humanity; and the era Of peace and good will OF which
International Exhibitions were To be the sign
and symbol, has given place 10 an epoch
OF needleguns and turret-ships. Even before
the second OF the Exhibition series opened in Pars
the forty years peace at an end The hrst EAhlp
ton ought also have been the last SO it would have
been but for a peculiar combination OF circumstances
The late Prince Consort the author OF what may
call the Exhibona idea, and having made mp his mind
that there ought be International Fairs at intervals
OF ten years. he adhered to his belief with true Ieu'onc
persstency Moreover without going into long story
may say that the Exhibition of 1862 was partly due to
building speculation in which the Commissioners OF the
bibon OF 1851 the contractors for the Palace of 1862
and the Crown as owner Of the land in the South Ken
sngton district were all interested. Show number TWO
was failure The death of Prince Albert, close at It's
approaching completion the cotton famine IN Ian
cashire and the Secession war In America
even if the stars their had not fought against
te go Exhibition IL must have been failure from the
decay Of public interest in these World Fairs. As 1t
was we all thought we had seen the last for many
wear OF these decennal industrial coneststO quote the
nbraseology in favor in 1851 and expectation would
not have been disappointed had it not been for COle
c. B." lido not know how far the repue OF the monarch
Of South Kensngton has spread the Atantic but
if had to introduce him to any American writer |
should have no hesitation in describing him as one OF
the most remarkable men this country" II the Prince
| Consort may be regarded as the Elijah OF Art ana
| Science Cole may be considered the Elisha. The
prophetic mantle has fallen upon his sh0uldeTs ana
partly through the influence Of the Court, still more
ndonitable pluck, ingenuity, and andactS
Mr. Cole has defed the hostility OF Parliament, the rid
cule Of the press, the opposition of the artistic commu
nity and has contrvcd TO make South Kensingon the
HEADQUARTERS Of the London world Of Art Now in accord
ance with the traditions Of the Albertine school, OF
which Cole is the chosen apostle 1t is essential the year
ISL should not pass without an International EXhl-
| bition. In order TO sweeten the dose to a nation
somewhat weary Of the whole show system, it was an
nounccd that the Exhibition Of 1871 would only be sort
| OF haffedged exhbition-a minor planet III the snow
constellation whose orbit to be annual instead of
decennia But If ISL when comes round, hnds Cole C.
| b. still enjoying the favOrs of the Court, we may be
sure that we shall another decennal show on the
plea that such industrial celebration Is required to
do honor to the good Princes memory.
Ipon the site OF the Exhibition Of 1862 the Horcul-
tura Gardens have been constructed ana on the north
side OF these Gardens Is placed the Royal Albert Hail.
What purpose in the CoGan system for the gorhcaton
of South Kensingon this Hall IS intended to fulfill not
vet apparent 20 the unnitiated. The building seems
adapted for a gigantic hOrsecircus for hppodrOme OF
the kind that used stand here in 1851 when the public
weary of art and science, wont to crowd to the
circus TO see chariot between twohorse Roman
cars driven by ladies in Roman tuncs of very
| scantv dimensions. The Hall, however, is designed,
| according to the prospectus, for concerts, fancy
bazaars lectures, ana other aesthetic recreations,
and has been built by private SPECTATORS the bulk of
the shareholders being persons connected with the
Cort or with South KensngtOn. 1t faces the Albert
! Memorial in Hyde Park; and by its position supports
Mr. Coles avowed plan Of ultimately collecting all the
art treasures and shows Of London in aud about South
Kensngton 1t was currently reported at the time that
the design was being for the Albert Memorial that
| Mr. Layard, the then Commissioner of Public Works
was to place it in the center of kensngton Car
| dens Mr. Cole, however made the notable discovery
that two lines drawn through the Of the Exhibi
zion OF 1851 and the ransept of the Exhibition of 1892
would exactly ntersect at the point where he wished
the Memorial to be placed aud this discovery secured
| for Mr.. Coles position the favor of the Court.
BE this as it may, the whole South Kensingon area is
now given over to buildings connected in way
other with the late Prince COns0rt. The last addition
IN these memorials is the exhibition OF The plan of
the structure like all Mr. Coles ideas is ingenious. The
Horticultural Gardens form square about half mile
in length aud depth the site OF kensington Gore,
| where Lady BessingtOn used TO live, and where NJ,
sover after the collapse Of the DOrsay regime, set up
his Symposium The south side OF this square occupied
| by portion Of the buildings of the 1862 Exhi-
bition whose ultimate destination is still a
mystery Mr. Cole has not yet thought fit 10 reveal The
north side is filed by the Albert Hail. and by sort Of
gigantic Conservatory which opens out Of the Hall, and
which believe is hereafter Winter Garden.
The east and west sides occupied with long covered
galleries. in which the Exhibition OF 1871 is d0mciled