Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1872-11-28
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United States Centennial Com !
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To tie Peopte of the United States: {.
The Congress of the United States has
enacted that the completion of the One
Hundredth Year of American 1nde-
pendence shall be celebrated by an In
ternational Exhibition of the Arts,
Manufactures, and Products of the soil
and mine, to be held at Philadelphia,
in 1876, and has appointed Commits
sion, consisting of representatives from
each State and territory, to conduct
the celebration. .ep. BiIl
Originating under the auspices OF the
National Legislature, controlled by a
National Commission, and designed as
it is to ssCommemorate the first Century
of our existence, by. an Exhibition OF
the Natural resources of the Country
and their development, and OF our pro-
gress in those Arts which benefit man
kind, in comparison with those of older
Nations,v it is to the people at large
that the Commission look for the aid
which is necessary to make the Centen-
NAL Celebration the grandest anniyers-
airy the world has ever seen.
That the completion of the first cen-
fury of our existence should be marked
By some imposing demonstration is, we
believe, the patriotic wish OF the peo-
pie of the whole country. The Congress
of the United States has wisely decided
that the Birthday of the Great Repab-
lie can be most Attingly celebrated by
the universal collection and display 0i
all the trophies of its progress. lit is
designed to bring together, within, q
building covering fifty acres, not only
the varied productions of our mines and
of the soil, but types of all the intel
lectual triumphs of our citizens, speci.
mems of everything that America 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-goyerned people is
capable. a sai r.is 49, s3g
In this "Celebration" all nations will
be invited to participate; its character
being international. Europe Will dis.
play her arts and manufactures, India
her curious fabrics, while newly opened
China End Japan will lay bare the
treasures which for centuries their In
genious people have been perfecting
Each land viii compete in generous
rivalry for the palm of superior excel
lence.
70 this grand gathering every zone
will contribute its fruits and cereals
No mineral shall be wanting; for what
Che 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 converting
that cotton into cloth. Each section OF
the globe will send its bet offerings to
this exhibition, and each State of the
Union, as 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 oi
which he is harmonious part.
To make the Centennial Celebration
such q success as the patriotism and
the pride of every American demands
will require the cooperation of the
people of the whole country. The
United States Centennial Commission
has received no Government aid, such
as England extended to her Worlds
Fair, and Francete her Universal Ex-
position, yet the labor and responsible.
ity imposed upon the Commission is as
great as In either of those undertakings
It is estimated that ten millions of dol
lars will be required, and this sum Con
gress has proved shall be raised by
stock subscription, and that the people
shall have the opportunity of subscrib-
ing in proportion to the population OF
their respective States and Territories.
The Com mission looks to the unfail.
ing patriotism Of the people of every
section, to see that each contributes its
share to the expenses, and: receives its
share of the benefits Of an enterprise in
which all are so deeply interested. II
would further earnestly urge the forma-
tion in each State. and Territory of a
centennial organization, which shall in
time see that county associations are
formed, SO that when the nations are
gathered together in 1876 each Com
mOnwealth can view with pride the
contributions she has made to the ma
tional glory. i Z '''.' - fi-s'
Confidently relying on the zeal and
patriotism ever displayed by our peo-
pie in every national undertaking, we
pledge and prophecy, that the Centen-
NAL Celebration will wUrthily show
how greatness, wealth and dintelfigeace,
can be fostered by such institutions as
those which have for one hundred years
blessed the people Of the United States.
j. r. HAwLEY, LEWIS w. SMITH,
President. TEMPORARY Sec'y.