Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-11-15
An Address by tho United States
Centennial Commission.
To the People of the United State!

An Address by tho United States
Centennial Commission.
To the People Of the United States :.
The Congress of the United States
has enacted that the completion of
the One Hundredth Year of Amcri-
can Independence shall be celebra-
ted by an International Exhibition
Of the Arts, Manufactures, and Pro-
ducts of the soil and mine, to be
held at Philadelphia, in 1876, and
has appointed Commission, con-
sisting Representatives from each
State and Territory, to conduct the
celebration.
Originating under the auspices Of
the National Legislature, controlled
by a National Commission, and
designed as it is to "Commemorate
the first Century Of our existence,
by an Exhibition of the Natural re.
sources of the Country and their
development, and of our progress
in those Arts which benefit man
kind, 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
the Centennial Celebration the
grandest anniversary tho world has
ever seen.
That the completion of the first
century of our existence should he
marked by some imposing demons
tratlon 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 iittingly celcbra-
ted by the universal collection and
display of all the trophies ofits pro-
grcss. 1t is designed to bring to-
gethcr, within II building covering
fifty acres, not onl y the varied pro-
auctions of our mines and Of the
soil, but types Of al! the intellectual
triumphs of our citizens, specimens
of everything that America can
furnish, whether from the brains or
the hands of her children, and thus
make evident to the world the adj
vancemcnt OF which 4 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
gcnlous people have been perfect
ing. Each land will compete in
generous rivalry for the palm of
superior excellence.
TO this grand gathering every
zone will contribute its fruits and
cereals. No mineral shall be want
ing; tor what the East lacks the
West will supply. Under one roof
will the South display in rich lux
uriancc 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 mem
Der 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 ofwhich
she is harmonious part.
10 make the Centennial Celebra-
ton such a success as the patriotism
and the pride of every American
demands will require the co-opera.
ton Of the people of the whole
country. The United States Cen
tennial Commission has received no
Government aid, such as England
extended to her Worlds Fair, and
France to her Universal Exposition,
yet the labor and responsibility i'm
posed upon the Commission is as
great as in either of those under
takings. 1t is estimated that ten
millions of dollars will be required,
and this sum Congress has provided
shall be raised by stock subscrip-
ton, and that the people shall have
the opportunity of subscribing in
proportion to the population of their
respective States and Territories.
The Commission looks to the un-
failing patriotism If the people of
every section, to sec that each con-
tributes its share to the expenses,
and receives it's share ofthe benefits
of an enterprise in which all are so
deeply interested. 1t would further
earnestly urge the formation in each
State and Territory of a centennial
organization, which shall in time
see that county associations arc
formed, SO that when the nations
are gathered together in 1876 each
Commonwealth can view with pride
the contributions she has made to
the national glory
Confidently relying on the zeal
and patriotism ever displayed by
our people in every national under
taking, we pledge and prophecy,
that the Centennial Celebration will
worthily show how greatness,
wealth and intelligence, can be
tostercd by such institutions as those
winch have for one hundred years
blessed the people Of the United
States.
JOSEPH II. HAWLEY,
President.
LEWIS WALN SMITH,