Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1872-11-19
international Exhibition.
An Address by the United states Gen.
tennIaI Commission.


. An Address by the United States Cen
tenniaI Commission.
To tie People ofhe United States
The Congress of the Unite,
! States has enacted that the com
pletion of the One Hundredtl
Year of American independence,
| shall be celebrated by an Interna
, tional Exhibition of the Arts, Man
ufactures, and Products of the sol
and mine, to be held at Philadel'
phia, in 1876, and has appointed {
Commission, consisting of repre-
sentatives from each State and Ter
ritory, to conduct the celebration.
Originating under the auspices OF
the National Legislature, controlled
by a National Commission, and de-
signed as it is TO commemorate
the first Century of our existence,
by an Exhibition of the Natural
resources Of the Country and their
Development, and our progress in
those Arts which benefit mankind,
in comparison with those of older
Nations" it is TO the people at
large that the Commission look for
the aid which is necessary to make
Observation-Disclosures the grand
est anniversary the world has ever
seen.
That the completion of the first
century Of our existence should be
marked by some imposing demon
stration is, we believe, the patriotic
wish of the people of the whole
country. The congress of the
United States has wisely decided
that the Birthday Of the Great Re
public can be most fittingly cele-
brated by the universal collection
and display of all the trophies Of
its progress. 1t is designed to bring
together, within a building cover
ing fifty acres, not only the va
Iied productions Of mines and of
the soil, but types of all the intel
lectual triumphs of our citizens,
specimens of everything that Amer
lea can furnish, whether from the
brains or the hands of her children,
and thus make evident to the world
the advancement of which a self
governed people is capable.
In this celebration" all nations
will be invited to participate its
character being international
Europe will display her arts and
manufactures, India her curious
fabrics, while newly opened China
and Japan will lay bare the treas
ures which for centuries their in
genious people have been perfect
ing. Each land viii compete in
G .nerous rivalry for the palm of
superior excellence.
To this grand gathering every
zone will contribute its fruits and
cereals. No meneral shall be
wanting; for what the East lacks
the West will supply. Under one
roof will the South display in rich
luxuriance her growing cotton, and
the North in miniature, the cease
less machinery of her mills convert
ing that cotton into cloth. Each
section Of the globe will send its
best offerings TO this exhibition,
and each State of the Union, as a
member Of one united body polite,
will show TO her sister States and
TO the world, how much she can add
to the greatness Of the nation of
which she is q harmonious part.
To make the Centennial Celebra-
ton such a success as the patriot
ism and the pride of every Ameri-
can demands viii require the CO.
operation of the people Of the
country. The United States Cen
tennial Commission has received nc
Government aid, such as England
extended to her Worlds Fair, and
France to her Universal EXposi
ton, yet the labor and responsible
ty imposed upon the Commission is
as great as i'll either of those un.
dertalSings. 1t is estimated tha'
ten millions of dollars will be re
quired, and this sum Congress Ia,
provided shall be raised by stool
subscription, and that the peopl,
shall have the opportunity of sub
scribing in proportion to the popu
lation of their respective States an,
Territories.
The Commission looks to the un
failing patriotism of the people O
every section, to see that each con
tributes its share to the expenses
and receives its share of the bene
fits of an enterprise in which a
are so deeply interested. / woul,
further earnestly urge the forma
ton in each State and Territory c
centennial organization, whicl
in time shall see that county asso
Citations are formed, so that whe
the nations are gathered togethe
in 1776 each Commonwealth ca
: veiw with pride the contribution
; she has made to the national glor,
Confidently relying on the zei
and patriotism ever displayed b
: our people in every national under
: taking, we pledge and prophecy
: that the Centennial Celebration wi
worthily show how greatness
wealth and intelligence, can b
, fostered by such institutions @
: those which have for one hundre
years blessed the people of til
: United States.
JOSEPH II. HAWLEy.